Apple Final Cut Pro 6 - Manual (Page 1160)

Chapter 18 Working with Freeze Frames and Still Images 375
II
Creating Graphics with the Correct Color Settings for Video
You should be aware that the range of colors that can be displayed on a broadcast
video monitor is much smaller than the range that can be displayed on a computer
display. For this reason, colors that appear bright and clean on NTSC or PAL video can
seem duller when viewed on your computer display.
If you output graphic images with colors that go outside the “legal” range for video, the
colors will appear oversaturated and may “bleed” into other parts of the image. This
distortion can be easily avoided by controlling the palette of colors you use in your
graphics program. As you create the graphics you’ll be outputting to video, resist the
temptation to use the brightest and most saturated shades of color available in your
paint program. When you’re finished with your image, use a video colors filter (if your
program has one) to make sure that all the colors in your image are in the legal
broadcast range for video.
Choosing the Maximum White Sequence Setting
When you edit a graphics clip into a sequence, if the “Process maximum white as”
pop-up menu in the Video Processing tab of the Sequence Settings window is set to
White, the brightest white in that graphic will appear at 100 percent when viewed on
the Waveform Monitor in Final Cut Pro. If your sequence is set to Super-White, the
brightest white in that graphic will appear at 109 percent when viewed on the
Final Cut Pro Waveform Monitor.
For the best visual quality, choose the maximum white sequence setting based on the
category below that best describes your situation:
 The Super-White setting should be used if you’re matching the brightness of
imported graphics (or Final Cut Pro generators) to video that was shot and captured
with the super-white luma levels that many consumer camcorders use.
 If your captured video clips were all shot with carefully controlled video equipment,
guaranteeing a maximum white level of 100 IRE in the recorded video signal, choose
White from the “Process maximum white as” pop-up menu so that the white levels of
your graphics match properly.