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How to color grade a photo and compare edits on Mac

Apply a warm look, adjust light and color, zoom in, and use a split view to check your photo against its original.

5 stepsUpdated Nov 12, 2026Get Image Quality Booster
What you'll achieve
You will have a photo with a warmer grade and a before-and-after split view for reviewing the changes before you export or continue editing.
What you need
  • Image Quality Booster 2.0 on a Mac.
  • A photograph to open and edit.
Image Quality Booster showing a split comparison of the original family portrait and the brighter edited version.

Color grading can improve the mood of a photo, but it is easy to push an adjustment too far. This guide shows how to open a photo in Image Quality Booster, apply a warm look, adjust its exposure and color, and compare the result with the original.

  1. 1.Open a photo for editing

    Open the photo you want to improve in Image Quality Booster. The image appears on the canvas, with the Adjust inspector and Looks for this photo choices beside it.

    Image Quality Booster showing the original photo and the Adjust inspector with photo looks.
    Image Quality Booster showing the original photo and the Adjust inspector with photo looks.

  2. 2.Apply the Warm look

    In Looks for this photo, select Warm. The preview becomes warmer, and the chosen look is marked Applied. You can refine the result further with the controls below.

    The Warm look selected and applied to the photograph in Image Quality Booster.
    The Warm look selected and applied to the photograph in Image Quality Booster.

  3. 3.Adjust exposure and color

    In Adjust, use Exposure and Shadows to change the light, then fine-tune Contrast, Saturation, and Vibrance. This example uses a strong exposure change so the difference is easy to see; reduce it if highlights lose detail. Manual edits may make the preset selection show None.

    Adjust inspector displaying exposure, shadow, contrast, saturation and vibrance changes on the photo.
    Adjust inspector displaying exposure, shadow, contrast, saturation and vibrance changes on the photo.

  4. 4.Zoom in to examine the edit

    Increase Zoom to inspect faces and fine details more closely. Check whether bright areas retain texture and whether the color feels natural before comparing.

    The edited photograph zoomed in, showing faces and bright areas in detail.
    The edited photograph zoomed in, showing faces and bright areas in detail.

  5. 5.Compare the original and edited photo

    Click Compare mode to show the original and edited versions on opposite sides of a divider. Move the split toward the right to inspect the changes across the photo. Click Compare mode again when you finish reviewing.

    Image Quality Booster split compare showing the original on the left and brighter edited photo on the right.
    Image Quality Booster split compare showing the original on the left and brighter edited photo on the right.

Tips

  • Use the Warm look as a starting point, then refine exposure and color for your photo.

  • Zoom in before making a final judgment; faces and bright details show excessive exposure quickly.

  • Use Compare mode to assess whether the edit improves the photo rather than relying on the edited image alone.

  • Watch outLarge Exposure increases can wash out highlights; lower the value if faces or bright areas lose detail.

  • Watch outThe example demonstrates color grading and comparison, not AI resolution upscaling or object removal.

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