Chroma Keying and Working with Green Screens > Creating a Key by Extracting a Single Colour with the Channel Keyer >

# Extracting a Custom Colour

Use the Custom colour channel option in the Channel Keyer to select the colour to be extracted from the key-in clip. This option can give good results when keying transparencies, particularly by experimenting with the Softness and Colour Spread values.

To create a key by extracting a custom colour:

1. From the Start Mode dropdown list, select Reset to Channel and click Confirm.

   The Channel keyer processing pipeline is displayed in the schematic view.

2. Double-click the Channel Keyer node.

   The Channel controls appear.

   (a) Channel Mode box(b) Average Colour pot(c) Softness field(d) Colour Spread field

3. Select Custom from the Channel Mode box.
4. Click the Average Colour pot.

   The cursor changes to a colour picker.

5. Click the image to select a single colour, or drag the colour picker across a region to obtain the average of the colours encountered by the colour picker. Try selecting different colours in the background area to get the best result.
   TipTo keep shadows, click just outside them. To remove shadows, click inside them.
6. Adjust the softness for the key using the Softness field.

   Increasing softness raises the level of grey in the matte. Lowering it makes the matte sharper.

7. Adjust the colour spread for the key using the Spread field.

   Increasing the colour spread value extends the range of colours extracted from the key-in clip.

8. Click the Result node so that you can see the changes in the right side viewer. If you do not see the result, see Setting Up Viewports for Keying.
   NoteTo improve the key at this point, try adjusting it with the histogram in the 2D Histogram node. See Adjusting the Luminance of the Key.

#### Related Information

- Extracting a Primary Colour
- Creating a Key by Extracting a Single Colour with the Channel Keyer
- Chroma Keying and Working with Green Screens