Coloristen

Coloristen is a term used to describe professionals who specialize in color treatment across visual media and print. In practice, coloristen work in several domains, including cinema and television, photography and digital imaging, printing, and, in art history, painting. The word colorist is used in English as well as in many Scandinavian languages, with the definite form coloristen used in languages such as Swedish to denote “the colorist.”

In film and television, the colorist is a post-production technician responsible for color correction and color grading. They adjust exposure, white balance, contrast, saturation, and skin tones to achieve visual consistency and to realize the director’s creative intent. They work with color spaces, LUTs, probes, and reference monitors, collaborating closely with the director and cinematographer and delivering material suitable for mastering and delivery.

In printing and graphic arts, the colorist ensures accurate color reproduction across devices. Tasks include gamut management, calibration of monitors and printers, use of ICC profiles, and proofing to match the original artwork to printed output, often under strict brand or media standards.

In photography and commercial imaging, colorists refine color balance and tonal relationships to enhance mood or product appeal, maintaining consistency across a shoot.

Historically, colorists in art history were painters who emphasized color as a primary expressive tool, contributing to movements that foreground chromatic sensation over line and form.