color grading, copying colours to grade scale and fine tuning the tonality

[PSt1]

I have been learning to use the color grading technique by using swatches and LUT created on my now swatches. I have noticed that there are differences in color tones in my final images after the color grading is applied. I use 5 colour palette created from Image, saved on Location: Application. I have followed instructions from one PS tutorial and when adding colour from a palette to grade scale, I make sure that 2 colours, the two between black and midtown, midtown and white, are given values corresponding to L value showing up in the color picker window. Unfortunately, I cannot add the L value for the white and black point, as the Location box for these two in AP is inactive. The PS tutorial proposed also one step more: match the tones of colors by adding the tones values to the curve (see minute 8). I don't find this option in AP, when working with a swatch there is no way to adjust the curve. Any idea how I can match better the tones from th template in swatch palette? Please see the minute 8 in this tutorial. I do not know how to replicate this step in AP. Is it possible?

 

[stokerg]

Hi PSt1,

I would recommend this method from the team at Affinity Revolution, it uses Affinity Photo and should give you the same results as the tutorial you linked to  

 

 

[PSt1]

I am afraid it does not give me the same result, far from a similar. I have tried 3, 5 and 7 colour fills. I tried also with more colours that later I deleted leaving only these that in my judgment truly represented the image, no luck. I think the missing part is the step I can see in PS, reading with a picker the tones for highlights, shadows and midtones.