A comprehensive guide to color spaces, gamma curves, bit depth, HDR standards, and delivery workflows used across film, video, streaming, web, and post-production pipelines.
What Is a Color Space
A color space defines how colors are represented numerically, including:
Color gamut (range of colors)
Gamma curve (brightness mapping)
White point
Bit depth compatibility
Primary Color Spaces Overview
Color Space
Gamut Size
Typical Use
Gamma
White Point
Rec.709
Small
HD video / broadcast
2.4
D65
sRGB
Small
Web / images
2.2
D65
DCI-P3
Medium
Cinema / Apple displays
2.6
DCI / D65
Display P3
Medium
Modern devices
2.2
D65
Rec.2020
Very large
UHD / HDR
2.4 / PQ / HLG
D65
ACEScg
Very large
VFX workflow
Linear
D60
Color Gamut Coverage Comparison
Space
Approx % Visible Spectrum
sRGB
~35%
Rec.709
~35%
DCI-P3
~45%
Rec.2020
~75%
ACES
~100% (working space)
Gamma Curves Explained
Gamma Type
Behavior
Use Case
2.2
Standard web
sRGB
2.4
Broadcast
Rec.709
2.6
Cinema projection
DCI
Linear
No curve
VFX / compositing
Log
Preserves dynamic range
Camera capture
PQ
Perceptual HDR
HDR10
HLG
Broadcast HDR
Live production
White Point Standards
White Point
Kelvin
Use
D65
6500K
Video / web
D60
6000K
ACES workflows
DCI
~6300K
Cinema
Bit Depth & Color Precision
Bit Depth
Colors
Typical Use
8-bit
16.7 million
Web / delivery
10-bit
1.07 billion
Professional video
12-bit
68 billion
Cinema
16-bit
Massive
VFX / grading
HDR Standards Comparison
Standard
Peak Brightness
Color Space
Transfer Curve
Use Case
HDR10
1000 nits
Rec.2020
PQ
Streaming
HDR10+
1000–4000 nits
Rec.2020
PQ
Dynamic metadata
Dolby Vision
Up to 10,000 nits
Rec.2020
PQ
Premium HDR
HLG
~1000 nits
Rec.2020
HLG
Broadcast
SDR
100 nits
Rec.709
Gamma 2.4
Standard video
Log Formats (Camera Capture)
Log Type
Manufacturer Style
Purpose
Log-C
Cinema cameras
Film workflows
S-Log
Sony cameras
Wide dynamic range
C-Log
Canon cameras
Post flexibility
V-Log
Panasonic
Color grading
BMD Film
Blackmagic
Flat capture
Working Color Spaces vs Delivery Spaces
Workflow Stage
Recommended Space
Capture
Log / RAW
Editing
Rec.709 / Wide gamut
VFX
ACEScg
Color grading
Wide gamut
Mastering
Rec.709 / P3 / Rec.2020
Delivery
Platform specific
SDR Delivery Standards
Platform
Color Space
Gamma
Web video
Rec.709
2.2–2.4
Broadcast TV
Rec.709
2.4
Social media
Rec.709
2.2
Presentation
sRGB
2.2
HDR Delivery Standards
Platform
Standard
Streaming HDR
HDR10
Premium streaming
Dolby Vision
Broadcast HDR
HLG
UHD Blu-ray
HDR10 / Dolby Vision
Monitoring Requirements
Workflow
Recommended Monitor Capability
SDR editing
Rec.709 coverage
HDR grading
1000 nits monitor
Cinema grading
P3 reference
VFX
Wide gamut + calibration
Color Management Pipelines
Display Referred Workflow
Faster workflow
Limited dynamic range
Used for SDR
Scene Referred Workflow
Preserves full dynamic range
Used in modern grading
Required for HDR
Color Conversion Reference
From
To
Notes
Log
Rec.709
Use LUT
Rec.709
P3
Slight saturation expansion
P3
Rec.2020
Minor mapping
HDR
SDR
Tone mapping required
Tone Mapping Methods
Method
Behavior
Hard clip
Cuts highlights
Roll-off
Smooth compression
Perceptual mapping
Natural look
Dynamic mapping
Scene adaptive
Safe Color Levels
Metric
Safe Range
Broadcast luma
16–235
Full range
0–255
Skin tone line
Around 11° vectorscope
Peak brightness SDR
~100 nits
Color Grading Pipeline Example
Ingest footage (Log / RAW)
Apply technical LUT
Primary correction
Secondary corrections
Creative look
Output transform
Delivery export
LUT Types
LUT Type
Purpose
Technical LUT
Color space transform
Creative LUT
Look styling
Display LUT
Monitor preview
Film emulation LUT
Film look
Color Accuracy Targets
Metric
Target
Delta E
<2 professional
White balance tolerance
±200K
Gamma consistency
±0.1
Common Color Problems
Issue
Cause
Washed out colors
Gamma mismatch
Crushed blacks
Incorrect levels
Banding
Low bit depth
Oversaturation
Gamut mismatch
Color shift
Incorrect transform
Delivery Checklist
Confirm correct color space tag
Verify gamma
Check scopes (waveform + vectorscope)
Review on calibrated display
Export master + delivery version
Test on multiple devices
Quick Decision Guide
Use Rec.709 When
SDR delivery
YouTube
Broadcast
General video
Use P3 When
Cinema
Premium displays
Film festivals
Use Rec.2020 When
HDR delivery
UHD mastering
Use ACES When
VFX heavy projects
Multi-camera pipelines
High-end grading
Professional Workflow Heuristics
Always work in highest bit depth available
Avoid converting color spaces multiple times
Calibrate monitors regularly
Use scene-referred workflows for HDR
Deliver both HDR and SDR masters when possible
Keep a color managed pipeline from ingest to export
