diff --git a/docker/frontend/src/engine/exportEngine.ts b/docker/frontend/src/engine/exportEngine.ts
index d6145e7..98e76b4 100644
--- a/docker/frontend/src/engine/exportEngine.ts
+++ b/docker/frontend/src/engine/exportEngine.ts
@@ -185,6 +185,23 @@ function screenSharpenImage(image: any, amount = 0.5): any {
   return convolveImage(image, amount);
 }
 
+// The colour matrix, applied on its own into a fresh image. A SkPaint runs its
+// shader before its colourFilter, so the graded pixels have to exist as an
+// image before the tone/cinema pass can read them (see renderPhoto step 3).
+function gradeThrough(image: any, w: number, h: number, colorFilter: any): any {
+  const surf = createSurface(w, h);
+  if (!surf) return null;
+  try {
+    const p = Skia.Paint();
+    p.setColorFilter(colorFilter);
+    surf.getCanvas().drawImage(image, 0, 0, p);
+    p.dispose();
+    return surf.makeImageSnapshot() ?? null;
+  } finally {
+    surf.dispose();
+  }
+}
+
 // Snapshot → clear → blur redraw: the blur must not sit on top of the sharp
 // pixels it is meant to replace.
 function drawBlurred(canvas: any, surface: any, w: number, h: number, sigma: number): void {
@@ -305,47 +322,60 @@ export async function renderPhoto(input: RenderInput): Promise<RenderResult | nu
     const adjustments = recipe.adjustments;
 
     // 3. Colour matrix (+2^EV gain unless the camera already biased the shot).
+    // The matrix grades into its OWN image first, because a SkPaint runs its
+    // shader before its colourFilter: with both on one paint the exposure gain
+    // landed AFTER the tone pass, so +EXPOSURE took the 0.78 a rolled-back
+    // highlight came out at and pushed it straight back to 1.0 — the HIGHLIGHT
+    // slider looked dead the moment exposure went up (measured, see the order
+    // probe). The tone shader's child is the graded image, so the highlight
+    // mask finally sees the exposed value it is meant to pull back.
     const evStops = adjustments.exposureCompensation ?? 0;
     const evMatrix = options?.evFromCamera
       ? getSkiaColorMatrix(recipe.baseFilter, adjustments)
       : applyExposureGain(getSkiaColorMatrix(recipe.baseFilter, adjustments), evStops);
     const colorFilter = own(Skia.ColorFilter.MakeMatrix(evMatrix));
-    paint.setColorFilter(colorFilter);
+    const matrixIsIdentity = evMatrix.every((v, i) => v === (i % 6 === 0 ? 1 : 0));
 
     // 3b. Tone shader.
     const tone = getToneUniforms(adjustments, recipe.baseFilter);
     let toneShader: any = null;
+    // 3c. Cinema seasonal grade (cinema → tone → image).
+    const cinema = getCinemaUniforms(recipe.cinema);
+    const cinemaOn = !!cinema && cinemaIsActive(cinema.flat);
+    let paintShader: any = null;
+    let gradeImage = skImage;
+    const graded = (toneIsActive(tone) || cinemaOn) && !matrixIsIdentity;
+    if (graded) {
+      const snapshot = gradeThrough(skImage, width, height, colorFilter);
+      if (snapshot) {
+        own(snapshot);
+        gradeImage = snapshot;
+      }
+    }
+    const imageShaderOf = () =>
+      own(
+        gradeImage.makeShaderOptions(
+          Skia.TileMode.Clamp, Skia.TileMode.Clamp, Skia.FilterMode.Linear, Skia.MipmapMode.None
+        )
+      );
     if (toneIsActive(tone)) {
       const { toneEffect: effect } = effects();
       if (effect) {
-        const imageShader = own(
-          skImage.makeShaderOptions(
-            Skia.TileMode.Clamp, Skia.TileMode.Clamp, Skia.FilterMode.Linear, Skia.MipmapMode.None
-          )
-        );
-        toneShader = own(effect.makeShaderWithChildren(toneUniformArray(tone), [imageShader]));
-        if (toneShader) paint.setShader(toneShader);
+        toneShader = own(effect.makeShaderWithChildren(toneUniformArray(tone), [imageShaderOf()]));
       }
     }
-
-    // 3c. Cinema seasonal grade (cinema → tone → image).
-    const cinema = getCinemaUniforms(recipe.cinema);
-    let paintShader = toneShader;
-    if (cinema && cinemaIsActive(cinema.flat)) {
+    if (cinemaOn) {
       const { cinemaEffect: effect } = effects();
       if (effect) {
-        const child =
-          toneShader ??
-          own(skImage.makeShaderOptions(
-            Skia.TileMode.Clamp, Skia.TileMode.Clamp, Skia.FilterMode.Linear, Skia.MipmapMode.None
-          ));
-        const cs = own(effect.makeShaderWithChildren(cinema.flat, [child]));
-        if (cs) {
-          paintShader = cs;
-          paint.setShader(paintShader);
-        }
+        const cs = own(effect.makeShaderWithChildren(cinema.flat, [toneShader ?? imageShaderOf()]));
+        if (cs) paintShader = cs;
       }
     }
+    if (!paintShader && toneShader) paintShader = toneShader;
+    // Only one of the two may tint the pixels: the graded image already carries
+    // the matrix, an ungraded draw still needs it.
+    if (paintShader) paint.setShader(paintShader);
+    else if (!graded) paint.setColorFilter(colorFilter);
 
     // 4. Denoise (blur only — CLARITY moved to its own pass below, see header).
     if (adjustments.denoise > 0) {
@@ -382,24 +412,22 @@ export async function renderPhoto(input: RenderInput): Promise<RenderResult | nu
       const strength = (adjustments.hdf ?? 0) / 10;
       const sigma = width * (0.006 + 0.024 * strength);
       const { glowEffect: effect } = effects();
-      const srcShader =
-        paintShader ??
-        own(skImage.makeShaderOptions(
-          Skia.TileMode.Clamp, Skia.TileMode.Clamp, Skia.FilterMode.Linear, Skia.MipmapMode.None
-        ));
+      const srcShader = paintShader ?? imageShaderOf();
       const glowShader =
         effect != null ? own(effect.makeShaderWithChildren(glowUniformArray(), [srcShader])) : null;
       const glowPaint = own(Skia.Paint());
       glowPaint.setBlendMode(Skia.BlendMode.Screen);
       glowPaint.setAlphaf(0.28 + 0.52 * strength);
+      // The bloom reads the graded pixels now (step 3), so the matrix must not
+      // land on them a second time; it only wraps the filter when ungraded.
+      const bloomGrade = (inner?: any) =>
+        graded ? undefined : own(Skia.ImageFilter.MakeColorFilter(inner ?? colorFilter, null));
+      const bloomBlur = () => own(Skia.ImageFilter.MakeBlur(sigma, sigma, Skia.TileMode.Clamp, null));
       if (glowShader != null) {
         glowPaint.setShader(glowShader);
-        glowPaint.setImageFilter(
-          own(Skia.ImageFilter.MakeCompose(
-            own(Skia.ImageFilter.MakeBlur(sigma, sigma, Skia.TileMode.Clamp, null)),
-            own(Skia.ImageFilter.MakeColorFilter(colorFilter, null))
-          ))
-        );
+        const grade = bloomGrade();
+        const blur = bloomBlur();
+        glowPaint.setImageFilter(grade ? own(Skia.ImageFilter.MakeCompose(blur, grade)) : blur);
         canvas.drawRect(Skia.XYWHRect(0, 0, width, height), glowPaint);
       } else {
         const hiMatrix = [
@@ -408,23 +436,16 @@ export async function renderPhoto(input: RenderInput): Promise<RenderResult | nu
           0, 0, 2.5, 0, -1.5,
           0, 0, 0, 1, 0,
         ];
-        glowPaint.setImageFilter(
-          own(Skia.ImageFilter.MakeCompose(
-            own(Skia.ImageFilter.MakeBlur(sigma, sigma, Skia.TileMode.Clamp, null)),
-            own(Skia.ImageFilter.MakeColorFilter(
-              own(Skia.ColorFilter.MakeCompose(
-                own(Skia.ColorFilter.MakeMatrix(hiMatrix)),
-                colorFilter
-              )),
-              null
-            ))
-          ))
+        const grade = bloomGrade(
+          own(Skia.ColorFilter.MakeCompose(own(Skia.ColorFilter.MakeMatrix(hiMatrix)), colorFilter))
         );
+        const blur = bloomBlur();
+        glowPaint.setImageFilter(grade ? own(Skia.ImageFilter.MakeCompose(blur, grade)) : blur);
         if (paintShader) {
           glowPaint.setShader(paintShader);
           canvas.drawRect(Skia.XYWHRect(0, 0, width, height), glowPaint);
         } else {
-          canvas.drawImage(skImage, 0, 0, glowPaint);
+          canvas.drawImage(gradeImage, 0, 0, glowPaint);
         }
       }
     }