How do I open the vectorscope in Premiere Pro?

March 10, 2026 · caitlin

Opening the vectorscope in Adobe Premiere Pro is a straightforward process that can significantly enhance your video color grading and correction efforts. This essential tool provides a visual representation of your video’s color information, helping you ensure accurate and consistent hues across your footage.

How to Open the Vectorscope in Premiere Pro

To open the vectorscope in Premiere Pro, you’ll need to access the Lumetri Color panel. Navigate to Window > Lumetri Color. Within the Lumetri Color panel, locate the "Scopes" tab. Click on the "Scopes" tab, and then click the "Pop-out" icon (a small square with an upward-pointing arrow) to open the scopes window. From there, you can select "Vectorscope" from the dropdown menu to display it.

Understanding the Vectorscope in Premiere Pro

The vectorscope is a powerful tool for video professionals. It displays the chrominance (color information) of your video signal. This allows you to see the saturation and hue of your colors in a standardized format.

Why Use a Vectorscope for Color Correction?

Using a vectorscope is crucial for achieving professional-looking results. It helps you:

Identify color casts: Spot unwanted color tints that might not be obvious on your monitor.
Ensure color consistency: Match colors between different shots or cameras.
Control saturation: Prevent colors from becoming too vibrant or too dull.
Achieve accurate skin tones: Keep skin tones within a specific, desirable range on the vectorscope.

Step-by-Step Guide to Accessing the Vectorscope

Let’s break down the process of opening and utilizing the vectorscope in Premiere Pro.

1. Accessing the Lumetri Color Panel

The Lumetri Color panel is your central hub for all color-related adjustments. If it’s not already visible on your workspace, you can easily open it.

Go to the top menu bar.
Click on Window.
Select Lumetri Color from the dropdown list.

This will open the Lumetri Color panel, typically docked to the right side of your Premiere Pro interface.

2. Navigating to the Scopes Tab

Once the Lumetri Color panel is open, you’ll see several tabs at the top. These include "Basic Correction," "Creative," "Curves," "Color Wheels & Match," and "HSL Secondary." The one you need for the vectorscope is "Scopes."

Click on the Scopes tab within the Lumetri Color panel.

3. Opening the Scopes Window

By default, the scopes might appear as a small, integrated window within the Lumetri panel. To get a larger, more detailed view, it’s best to pop it out.

Look for a small pop-out icon (a square with an arrow pointing upwards) located in the top-right corner of the Scopes section.
Click this icon.

This action detaches the scopes window from the Lumetri panel, allowing you to resize and reposition it as needed.

4. Selecting the Vectorscope Display

With the scopes window now open and detached, you’ll see a dropdown menu at the top of this window. This menu allows you to choose which type of scope you want to display.

Click on the dropdown menu.
Select Vectorscope.

You should now see the vectorscope displayed in its dedicated window. You can move this window to a secondary monitor if you have one, which is a common practice for professional colorists.

Customizing Your Vectorscope View

Premiere Pro offers several options to customize how your vectorscope displays information, making it more useful for your specific needs.

Understanding Vectorscope Settings

Within the detached scopes window, you’ll find options to adjust the display. These typically include:

Vectorscope Type: You can choose between different vectorscope displays, such as Luma vs. Chroma or Chroma only. The standard "Luma vs. Chroma" is generally the most useful for overall color analysis.
Color Space: Ensure the color space matches your project settings (e.g., Rec. 709 for HD broadcast).
Magnification: Zoom in on specific areas of the vectorscope for a closer look.
Background: Toggle the background grid on or off.
Display Options: Adjust the display of the waveform, histogram, or other scopes alongside the vectorscope.

Example: Adjusting Skin Tones

A common use case is ensuring accurate skin tones. On a standard vectorscope, skin tones typically fall along a horizontal line around the 6 o’clock position. By observing the vectorscope, you can adjust your color wheels or other Lumetri tools to bring any stray skin tones back to this line.

Alternative Methods for Opening Scopes

While the Lumetri Color panel is the primary method, there are other ways to access scopes, including the vectorscope.

Using the Program Monitor

You can also access scopes directly from the Program Monitor.

Ensure your Program Monitor is visible.
Click the wrench icon (Settings) at the bottom of the Program Monitor.
Hover over Video Scopes.
Select Vectorscope from the submenu.

This will open the scopes window with the vectorscope displayed. This method is quicker if you’re already focused on the Program Monitor.

Key Differences in Scopes

It’s helpful to know that Premiere Pro offers multiple scopes, each serving a different purpose:

Scope Type	Primary Function	Use Case Examples
Vectorscope	Displays chrominance (hue and saturation)	Checking color casts, saturation levels, skin tones
Waveform	Displays luminance (brightness) levels	Ensuring proper exposure, avoiding clipping highlights/shadows
Histogram	Shows the distribution of pixels across brightness levels	Analyzing overall contrast and exposure balance
Parade	Displays RGB or YCbCr channels separately	Fine-tuning individual color channels for balance