Darktable has over 60 modules – but don’t panic: For 95% of your images, you only need a handful of them.

Here you will find our detailed guides to the most important tools, sorted by their task in your workflow. We explain not only what the sliders do, but when and why you use them.

The “Big 5+1” (The Standard Workflow)

These modules are the heart of every modern edit. If you master these, you have mastered Darktable.

• Exposure: Control brightness.
• Color Calibration: Perfect white balance.
• AgX: Contrast and dynamic range (Tone Mapping).
• Tone Equalizer: Brighten shadows, recover highlights (Dodge & Burn).
• Color Balance RGB: Saturation and Color Grading.

Sharpness & Details

For the finishing touch and the professional look.

• Contrast Equalizer: Crisp sharpness and clarity.
• Diffuse or Sharpen: High-end details and lens correction.

Specialists & Creative

• Masks & Local Adjustments: Targeted editing of image areas.
• Deprecated Modules: What you should no longer use today (and why).