CBOARD File

What are CBOARD files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a CBOARD file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your CBOARD files.

What is a CBOARD file?

A .CBOARD file is a Final Cut Pro X Color Board Preset file.

Final Cut Pro X Color Board Preset files store saved color correction settings from Final Cut Pro X. They capture adjustments made in the Color Board tool - specifically color (tint), saturation (chroma level), and exposure (luma level) - so that those corrections can be saved once and applied later to any clip in the same or a different project. Custom presets let editors build specific "looks" efficiently.

These preset files are created by Final Cut Pro X when the user chooses Save Preset inside the Color Board after adjusting color, exposure, and saturation. Once saved, presets appear inside Final Cut Pro's Effects browser (under Color Presets) so they can be applied to clips directly. Predefined presets are also included by Final Cut Pro X. Masks, shape settings, or other effect types beyond color, exposure, and saturation are not part of these presets.

For identification, the file format is XML based and encoded in UTF-8. Files begin with an XML declaration under an "axel version" tag. They include keywords like COLORLOOKSPUCKCONTROLOBJECT, PUCKCONTROLGROUP, PUCKCONTROLVALUE, and groups such as SHADOW, MIDTONE, HIGHLIGHT, GLOBAL, and EXPOSURE, SATURATION, COLOR. Names, IDs, and other metadata are also stored.

How to open CBOARD files

Important: Different programs may use files with the CBOARD file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your CBOARD file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

We have not yet verified any programs for Windows that work with this specific file format. If you know one, please use the 'Suggest a program' link below. Thanks!

Last updated: August 31, 2026

Help us help others

File.org helps thousands of users every day, and we would love to hear from you if you have additional information about CBOARD file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.