The first step of color correction occurs when film negatives are transferred to videotape format on a telecine machine. The colorist performs a minimal level of color correction in the tape to tape to give the editor a usable picture to work with.
When editing is finished, color grading (correction) begins. Using a tape-to-tape process, the video passes through an offline edit and into a tape suit, where the colorist has the ability to minutely adjust the picture's color.
Tape-to-tape is also commonly used as slang for the color correction bay used by the colorist in the process. The complex technological system of film color processing allows video format film to look its best.