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Color Grading

DI Finishing Explained: From Final Cut to Final Deliverables

September 29, 2026Words by Alexander Lakin

Digital intermediate, or DI, is the finishing process that takes an edited project and turns it into a polished, technically compliant master. The term comes from the era of film scans, but today it describes the full finishing workflow for feature films, commercials, documentaries and episodic content. Understanding each step helps producers and directors plan their post-production schedule and avoid last-minute surprises.

Step one: conform

The conform rebuilds your edit from the original camera files. An editor may cut with lightweight proxies, but the finishing team relinks every shot to the highest quality source using an EDL, XML or AAF. The conform confirms that every clip, speed change, transition and reframe matches the approved cut, and it is where missing media, mismatched frame rates and timecode problems get caught early.

Step two: color and look development

With the conform verified, the colorist balances every shot and then builds the creative grade. This is the stage where the look is established, shot matching is refined and any HDR or SDR trims are made. Good finishing studios keep the grade, the conform and the final delivery under one roof, which speeds up revisions and keeps everything in sync when picture changes arrive.

Step three: finishing touches

Finishing includes the polish that makes an image feel complete. Depending on the project, that can include:

  • Beauty work, cleanup and object removal.
  • Titles, subtitles, lower thirds and end credits.
  • Texture such as film grain or subtle halation.
  • Stabilization, reframing and resizing for multiple aspect ratios.
  • Integration of final VFX and archival material.

Step four: quality control

Before anything ships, the master is reviewed for technical issues such as flash frames, dropouts, sparkles, illegal levels and audio sync. Streaming platforms and broadcasters have strict specifications, and a careful QC pass prevents costly rejections and delays.

Step five: deliverables

The final stage is exporting the masters and versions your distribution needs. Common deliverables include a ProRes or DPX master, a DCP for theatrical screening, streaming packages such as IMF, broadcast files, social cutdowns, and textless and alternate language versions. Planning these requirements at the start of the project saves time and budget.

Plan your finish with a specialist

Every project has different needs, and the right finishing partner will help you map them out before the first frame is graded. If you are working on a film, commercial, music video or documentary and want a Los Angeles color and finishing studio to guide you from conform to final delivery, contact Coloring Book or see examples of our work.