Ever felt stuck trying to bring your photos to life without spending hours in front of editing software?
For photographers—beginners and pros alike—achieving a consistent, polished look can feel like a grind, especially when you’re after a specific style across your images.
Lightroom presets solve this problem easily. With just a click, these customizable presets turn everyday shots into stunning visuals, letting you work smarter, not harder.
In this guide, we’ll dive into how Lightroom presets can elevate your photography, saving you time while keeping your unique style intact.
What Are Lightroom Presets?
Lightroom presets are pre-defined sets of editing settings that you can apply to a photo with just one click. They’re a quick way to enhance or completely change an image’s look without manually adjusting each setting.
Presets can make colors richer, adjust lighting, or add effects like warmth or contrast, instantly. What makes them even more powerful is the flexibility they offer. After applying a preset, you can still tweak individual settings to match your vision.
Using presets is a huge time-saver, especially if you’re working with a large batch of photos. They allow photographers to keep a consistent look across their images, making them ideal for portfolios, social media, or themed projects.
Plus, they’re a great starting point if you’re new to editing but want professional-looking results.
Benefits of Lightroom Presets
Lightroom presets can transform the editing process like a pro. These presets makes it faster and easier to achieve a consistent, polished look across your photos.
Here’s how presets can benefit your workflow:
- Speed up Workflow: Quickly apply edits to multiple photos, especially useful for event photography or large projects where speed is essential.
- Consistency: Easily keep a cohesive style across all your images, perfect for brand-building, portfolios, or social media feeds.
- Ease of Use: Achieve professional results with minimal effort, even if you’re new to editing, thanks to ready-made adjustments.
- Customizable: Apply a preset and still adjust individual settings to match your specific vision, giving you creative flexibility.
- Access to Professional Styles: Many presets are designed by pros, allowing you to experiment with expert styles and techniques without advanced editing skills.
- Enhanced Creativity: Use presets as a starting point to explore different aesthetics and discover new looks you might not have tried otherwise.
- Cross-Device Syncing: Lightroom syncs presets across desktop and mobile, so you can edit on the go without losing your favorite tools.
- Community Sharing: Share presets with other photographers or download presets from the community to expand your editing options and connect with others.
Types of Lightroom Presets
Lightroom presets can be divided into three different types, each with its own cool perks. Knowing the differences can help you pick the best one for your photos and make editing a breeze.
Here’s a quick rundown of the main types:
1. Professional Presets
Professional presets are created by experienced photographers and editing experts. They’re designed to deliver high-quality, polished results for a specific style or mood.
- Quality Assurance: These presets are well-tested and often come with detailed guides.
- Reliability: Expect smooth adjustments, fine-tuned to fit most photos.
- Investment: While many are paid, they’re often worth the price if you want consistency across your edits.
Common sources for professional presets include websites like FilterGrade, Mastin Labs, and VSCO.
2. User-Generated Presets
These presets are created by regular Lightroom users and shared online, often for free or at a low cost.
- Diversity: With a wide range available, you can find presets for almost any style.
- Budget-Friendly: Many are free, making them ideal for beginners or those experimenting.
- Quality Variance: Since they’re made by casual users, the quality can vary. Always test before applying on multiple images.
You can find user-generated presets on platforms like Lightroom Presets Exchange and social media groups.
3. Custom Presets
Custom presets are personally created by the photographer to fit their unique style. These presets offer the highest level of personalization and ensure your images have a unique touch.
- Full Control: Adjust settings exactly how you want them before saving as a preset.
- Personalized Style: Ideal if you want a specific look that no other preset provides.
- Exclusive Consistency: Perfect for branding a specific aesthetic or tone in your work.
Creating a custom preset allows you to develop your own style and avoid the generic look that some presets can create.
4. Mobile Presets
Mobile presets are optimized for Adobe Lightroom Mobile, letting you edit on the go.
- Easy to Apply: Designed to work seamlessly on smaller screens.
- Flexible Use: Perfect for mobile photographers, influencers, and those needing quick edits.
- Portable and Powerful: Bring professional editing power to your phone with one-tap effects.
These presets are popular on sites like Etsy and Instagram, where influencers often sell or share them.
How to Install Lightroom Presets
Installing presets in Adobe Lightroom is simple but varies depending on the version you’re using—Lightroom CC, Lightroom Classic, or Lightroom Mobile.
Here’s a step-by-step guide for each platform to help you get started:
Installing Presets in Lightroom CC
To install presets in Lightroom CC, follow these steps to ensure they’re ready to use in your editing workflow:
- Download and Unzip the Preset File:
- Start by downloading your presets. They’ll typically come as a .zip file.
- Unzip the file to access the individual preset files inside.
- Open Lightroom CC:
- Launch Adobe Lightroom CC on your desktop.
- Import the Presets:
- Go to the File menu, then select Import Profiles & Presets.
- Locate your unzipped preset folder and select the presets you want to import.
- Click Import to add them to Lightroom CC.
- Find Your Presets:
- The imported presets will appear in the Presets panel on the left side of the Develop Module, ready to use.
Installing Presets in Lightroom Classic
For Lightroom Classic, there’s a slightly different process to install presets. Here’s how:
- Download and Unzip the Preset File:
- Download your presets and unzip them to get the .xmp or .lrtemplate files.
- Open Lightroom Classic:
- Launch Adobe Lightroom Classic on your computer.
- Open Preferences:
- On Windows, go to Edit > Preferences; on Mac, go to Lightroom > Preferences.
- Select the Presets tab.
- Locate the Presets Folder:
- Click Show All Other Lightroom Presets (for newer versions) or Show Lightroom Presets Folder (for older versions).
- This will open the folder where Lightroom stores its presets.
- Copy Your Presets:
- Open the Develop Presets folder and paste the preset files (.xmp or .lrtemplate) here.
- Restart Lightroom:
- Close and restart Lightroom Classic to see your new presets in the Presets panel.
Installing Presets on Lightroom Mobile
Installing presets on Lightroom Mobile requires a different approach using DNG files. Here’s a quick guide:
- Transfer DNG Files to Your Mobile:
- After unzipping, send the DNG files to your mobile device via Dropbox, Google Drive, or AirDrop.
- Open Lightroom Mobile:
- Create a new album and import the DNG files into Lightroom Mobile.
- Save DNG Files as Presets:
- Open each DNG file, tap the three dots in the corner, and select “Create Preset” to save it as a new preset.
Famous Lightroom Presets
When photographers talk about Lightroom presets, a few names always come up. These popular presets are known for their unique styles, transforming photos with just a click.
Let’s dive into some of the most iconic Lightroom presets that photographers around the world swear by.
Winter Wonderland Collection
Adventure Everyday by Mastin Labs:
Slate & Ivory by Jennifer Moher
Nathan Elson’s Presets
Strike a Pose Portrait Presets by Sleeklens
Soulmate Presets by Sven Malajlo
Tips for Effective Use of Lightroom Presets
Using Lightroom presets can speed up your workflow and give your photos a consistent, polished look. But to get the most out of them, a few simple strategies can make all the difference.
Here are five tips to help you use Lightroom presets effectively:
Tip #1: Choose the Right Preset for Each Photo
Not every preset works for every image. Experiment with different options to find the preset that best matches the lighting, mood, and subject of each photo. This ensures a more natural, cohesive result.
Tip #2: Make Adjustments After Applying
Once you apply a preset, fine-tune the settings to suit your photo perfectly. Small adjustments in exposure, highlights, or contrast can take a preset from good to amazing, giving you complete control over the final look.
Tip #3: Organize Your Presets
If you have a lot of presets, organize them into categories like “Portraits,” “Landscapes,” or “Moody Edits.” This keeps your workflow smooth, letting you quickly find the right preset without sifting through dozens of options.
Tip #4: Use the Preview Function
Lightroom’s preview feature lets you hover over presets to see how each will affect your photo before applying. This saves time and lets you try out different looks without committing to one right away.
Tip #5: Batch Edit with Presets
When working with multiple photos from the same shoot, use batch editing to apply a preset to all of them at once. This not only saves time but also keeps your images consistent, which is especially useful for events or portfolio projects.
FAQ
Final Word
Lightroom presets are a game-changer for photographers who want a fast, effective way to achieve a polished, consistent look. With presets, you can apply professional-grade edits instantly, which saves time and adds a unique style to your work.
By using and customizing presets, you save time while still having the freedom to make each photo your own. As you explore different presets and make them work for your photos, you’ll find that editing becomes faster, easier, and even more enjoyable.