Presets are one of Lightroom’s most powerful features for speeding up your editing workflow. A preset saves a collection of editing adjustments that you can apply to any photo with a single click, instantly transforming your images with consistent looks and styles.
What Are Lightroom Presets?
A Lightroom preset is essentially a saved recipe of editing adjustments. When you create or install a preset, you’re saving specific settings for exposure, contrast, color grading, tone curves, and other adjustments. Applying a preset transfers all those settings to a new photo instantly, giving you a starting point for your edit or a finished look you can use across multiple images.
Presets are especially valuable when you want to maintain a consistent aesthetic across a photo series, speed up your editing of large batches, or experiment with different looks without manually adjusting dozens of sliders.
Where to Get Presets
Lightroom presets come from several sources:
- Built-in presets – Lightroom includes default presets for common adjustments and creative looks
- Free downloads – Many photographers share free preset packs online
- Premium preset packs – Professional photographers sell curated collections
- Your own creations – You can save any edit as a custom preset
Downloaded presets typically come as .lrtemplate files (older format) or .xmp files (newer format). Both work in current versions of Lightroom, though the installation process differs slightly between Lightroom Classic and the cloud-based Lightroom.
Installing Presets in Lightroom Classic
The Develop module is where you’ll manage and install presets. In the left panel, you’ll find the Presets section showing your available preset folders.
Method 1: Import through Lightroom
- Open the Develop module
- Right-click anywhere in the Presets panel
- Select “Import Presets”
- Navigate to your downloaded preset files and select them
- Click Import
Method 2: Copy to the presets folder
- Open Lightroom Preferences
- Go to the Presets tab
- Click “Show Lightroom Develop Presets” to open the presets folder
- Copy your .lrtemplate or .xmp files into this folder (or a subfolder for organization)
- Restart Lightroom to see the new presets
Installing Presets in Lightroom (Cloud Version)
The cloud-based Lightroom handles preset installation differently:
- Open an image in the Edit panel
- Click the Presets icon at the bottom of the editing panel
- Click the three-dot menu at the top of the Presets panel
- Select “Import Presets”
- Choose your preset files
Presets installed in cloud Lightroom sync across your devices automatically.
Organizing Your Presets
As your preset collection grows, organization becomes important. Create folders to group presets by style (film looks, black and white, portrait), by source (your own creations, purchased packs), or by use case (quick fixes, creative effects, client work).
In Lightroom Classic, you can create new preset folders by right-clicking in the Presets panel and selecting “New Folder.” Drag and drop presets between folders to reorganize them.
Tips for Using Presets Effectively
- Presets are starting points – Most presets need fine-tuning for each specific image. Exposure, white balance, and other basics often need adjustment after applying a preset.
- Stack presets carefully – Applying multiple presets overwrites previous adjustments. Use partial presets or manual adjustments to layer effects.
- Create your own – When you develop an edit you love, save it as a preset to reuse later.
- Preview before applying – Hover over presets to preview the effect before committing.
Video Tutorial
Watch this walkthrough of the preset installation process:
More Lightroom Tutorials: Browse all Lightroom lessons | Take the Lightroom Quiz