# Colourlab AI 4 brings AI balancing and look search to the grading desk

The public beta targets the repetitive first pass of colour grading, with local processing and a Resolve Studio requirement for direct Fetch and Push.

Published: 2026-09-23. Updated: 2026-09-23. Author: XANTRANS editorial.

Colourlab AI 4 concentrates on a useful part of post-production: bringing inconsistent material toward a coherent starting point while leaving the final visual judgment with the colourist.

## A cleaner starting point for mixed footage

Colourlab AI 4 is available in public beta. Its Balance tool adjusts exposure, white balance and contrast, while its SMH matching treats shadows, midtones and highlights separately.

That separation matters when a scene contains both a bright window and a darker face. A single adjustment across the entire image can improve one area while making another less convincing. Matching tonal regions separately gives the software a more specific problem to solve.

For an interview cut from several cameras, the useful outcome is consistency between angles. A neutral first pass makes those differences easier to judge before the creative grade begins. It does not establish that every clip is correctly exposed or that every automatic adjustment should be kept.

## Describe a look, then apply a grading approach

Look search accepts natural-language descriptions and returns ranked grades from the library. Styles apply grading instructions across related shots. Anchoring finds related material by content, colour or exposure.

These features address different decisions. Search helps choose a visual direction; a Style carries a grading approach across a sequence; anchoring helps locate material that belongs together. For a film that returns to the same location at different points, that could reduce repeated hunting through the timeline.

The distinction between finding a look and finishing a scene remains useful. A reference may have the right atmosphere while its contrast or brightness needs adjustment for the actual footage.

## Resolve integration has a Studio requirement

The AI 4 page lists timeline interchange with Resolve, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro and Avid through OpenTimelineIO, including Resolve multicam support.

For direct Fetch and Push, Colourlab’s support guide specifies DaVinci Resolve Studio. It says the free Resolve edition does not support live linking. The guide also requires local scripting and Colourlab version 3.5 or later.

Check the edition and connection method before planning a round trip. Importing a timeline and maintaining a live connection are different capabilities; the general compatibility list does not remove the Studio requirement. Keep the edit structure and the grading handoff clear so that the returned work belongs to the intended sequence.

## Local processing, with beta availability to check

Colourlab says matching and analysis run on the Mac. The current beta requires Apple Silicon and is free without a credit card; the vendor lists Windows support for October. That is a roadmap statement, not current Windows availability.

The practical audience is an editor or colourist dealing with inconsistent footage who wants help with the repetitive first pass. Judge the result across cuts, especially faces and changes in lighting. The creative question remains whether the sequence feels coherent, not whether every shot receives the same treatment.

## Sources

- [Colourlab AI 4: public beta, tools and system requirements](https://4.colourlab.ai/) (checked 2026-09-23)
- [Colourlab support: Fetch and Push requirements for Resolve](https://help.colourlab.ai/hc/en-us/articles/28176642594967-Troubleshooting-Colourlab-Ai-Fetch-and-Push-to-Resolve) (checked 2026-09-23)

Written with AI assistance from official product and support documentation. This is product coverage, not an independent hands-on review.


Original page: https://xantrans.com/blog/colourlab-ai-4-balance-match-resolve/