Lightroom import presets

How to install Presets and Profiles in Lightroom

Last updated on Mar 21, 2022 06:30:41 PM GMT

Common questions about install custom, third-party presets and profiles in Lightroom.

For help instructions, see Import profiles.

If you're looking to migrate your Lightroom Classic develop presets into Lightroom, see Migrate Presets.

Install Lightroom on your desktop.
Launch Lightroom desktop.
When you launch Lightroom desktop (v1.4 June 2018 release or later) for the first time after installing or updating, the existing Lightroom Classic profiles and presets on your computer are automatically migrated to Lightroom.
(Optional) If you make any changes or add new presets to Lightroom Classic (after auto-migration to Lightroom desktop), do one of the following:
a. Migrate the new/updated presets to Lightroom manually
For Help instructions, see Migrate Presets.
b. Use the import dialog in Lightroom desktop
1. From the menu bar, choose File > Import Profiles & Presets.
2. In the Import dialog that appears, browse to the required path and select the presets that you want to import. Check the file location for Lightroom Classic presets on Win and macOS.
3. Click Import.
Make sure that the Lightroom app on your mobile device is updated to the latest version.

The presets and profiles that you've installed in Lightroom desktop will automatically sync with Lightroom on mobile.

From the menu bar, choose File > Import Profiles & Presets.
In the Import dialog that appears, browse to the required path and select profiles or presets that you want to import.
Click Import.

For more information on importing DNG and XMP user presets, see Import Presets.

First, install the VSCO presets and profiles into Lightroom Classic.
VSCO preset packs include an installer that provides setup support for both Lightroom Classic and Lightroom.
- For Lightroom Classic, the installer in the VSCO packs installs presets, curves, and camera profiles.
- For Lightroom, it installs presets and curves but not the camera profiles.
Open Lightroom.
Manually import all VSCO camera profiles in Lightroom.
From the menu bar, choose File > Import Profiles & Presets.
In the Import dialog that appears, navigate to the path below and select the VSCO profiles that you installed in Step 1.
Win: C:\ProgramData\Adobe\CameraRaw\CameraProfiles
Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/CameraProfiles
Click Import.

When you launch Lightroom for the first time after updating to the latest version, the existing profiles on your computer are automatically added. If you want to install new XRite or DNG Profile Creator profiles after the first launch, do the following:

Save the profiles from XRite or DNG Profile Creator to your desktop.
Open Lightroom. From the menu bar, choose File > Import Profiles & Presets.
In the Import dialog that appears, browse and select the profiles that you saved in Step 1.
Click Import.

In Lightroom, choose File > Import Profiles & Presets from the menu bar.
In the Import dialog that appears, navigate to the path below and select the profiles that you want to import.
Win: C:\ProgramData\Adobe\CameraRaw\CameraProfiles
Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/CameraProfiles
Click Import.

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How To Install Lightroom Presets

How to Install Lightroom Presets

Welcome to Pretty Presets for Lightroom! We have the best Lightroom preset install video and written tutorial below, as well as the #1 Lightroom Facebook Community. These basic instructions will teach you How to Install Lightroom Presets into Adobe Lightroom in just 2-3 minutes. We'll have you using your gorgeous new presets in no time!

First, let's establish which version of Lightroom you are currently using. There are so many versions of Lightroom (with almost the same name!) as well as different preset file types.

I know it can be confusing, but that is why we are here to help you!

To start, make sure you know which version of Lightroom you are using. If you don't know, click "Help" at the top of your Lightroom dashboard and then click "System Info" to find out!

Then come back and select your version below to instantly take you to the install details you need:

1. Lightroom Classic: Version 7.3+ (.XMP)

2. Lightroom CC: Desktop Version (.XMP)

3. Lightroom 4, 5, 6 (. LRTEMPLATE)

3. Lightroom FREE Mobile App (DNG)

1. How to Install Lightroom Presets in:

Lightroom Classic Version 7.3+ (.XMP Files)

Step 1. Download your Lightroom Presets from Pretty Presets. The presets will come in a .zip file.

Step 2. Navigate to the Develop Module in Lightroom and click on File>Import Develop Profiles and Presets (see image below).

Step 3. Next, you will need to navigate to the ZIPPED preset file you downloaded. If you have already unzipped the download, navigate to the folder that holds the XMP files.

Step 4. You're DONE! To apply them, open the Presets Panel on the left-side of your screen and use the small triangle to open the folder. Click a preset in the folder to apply it.

Lightroom Classic Quick Install Method: Open Lightroom Classic and click on the small “+” at the top of the Presets Panel. Choose “Import Presets” from the opens that open. Navigate to the ZIPPED preset file you downloaded. The presets will automatically install!

2. How to Install Lightroom Presets in:

Lightroom CC Desktop Version (.XMP Files)

Step 1. Download your Lightroom Presets from Pretty Presets. The presets will come in a .zip file.

Step 2. Open Lightroom CC and click on any image.

Step 3. Go to File>Import Profiles and Presets (see image below).

Step 4. Next, you will need to navigate to the ZIPPED preset file you downloaded. If you have already unzipped the download, navigate to the folder that holds the XMP files.

Step 5. You're DONE!! To apply them, open the Presets Panel on the right-side of your screen and use the small triangle to open the folder. Click a preset in the folder to apply it.

3.

How to Install Lightroom Presets in:

Lightroom 4, 5, 6 & Lightroom Classic Version 7.2 and earlier (.LRtemplate Files)

Step 1. On a PC, go into Lightroom and click on Edit at the top (next to File), then click on Preferences. On a Mac, click on the Lightroom tab (to the left of File), then click on Preferences (see image below).

Step 2. There will be a new screen that pulls up with several tabs at the top. Click on Presets (the second tab).

Step 3. Click on the box titled, Show Lightroom Presets Folder if you are on an older version of Lightroom. If you are on a newer version of Lightroom Classic, click on the Show All Other Lightroom Presets box.

Step 4. Double click on Lightroom.

Step 5. Next double click on Develop Presets Folder.

Step 6. Copy the contents of the Pretty Presets Folder, found in your download, into the “Develop Presets” folder.

Step 7. Finally, restart Lightroom and you’re DONE! Your presets are now installed!! To apply them, open the Presets panel on the left-side of your screen and use the small triangle to open the folder. Click a preset in the folder to apply it.

4. How to Install Lightroom Presets in:

Free Lightroom Mobile App (.DNG Files)

With the release of the free Lightroom Mobile App, editing on the go has become more popular than ever. Even though its still missing several capabilities found in the desktop versions of Lightroom, its still a powerful tool you can use to edit while away from your computer.

Thankfully you CAN install and use your presets in the Lightroom Mobile App. The installation process for Lightroom Mobile is a bit more involved, so we created a separate blog post that you can find right HERE.

Installing presets in Adobe Lightroom

How to create a preset in Lightroom

How to add a preset in Lightroom

How to open presets in Lightroom

How to use presets in Lightroom

How to save a preset in Lightroom

How to save a preset from Lightroom to your computer

How to delete a preset in Lightroom

Where are presets saved in Lightroom

How to Transfer Lightroom Presets to Another Computer

	In a professional photo editor, you can not only quickly sort photos and quickly edit packages, but also create unique images using plugins (presets). Using presets, it is much easier to process photos, especially if there are more than a dozen of them. These presets are easy enough to install in Lightroom. Image processing plugins are created by many well-known companies that produce photographic equipment. You can buy such plugins on the official websites of the manufacturer. To try to work with presets, we recommend Adobe Lightroom to buy from us at the best price.
How to create a preset in Lightroom You can use ready-made presets, or create your own for instant photo processing. In order to create a preset, it is enough to apply all the settings step by step once, and then save all the steps in the program. Go to the Presets folder and click on the image with the "+" sign. You need to create a new folder (New Folder) and give it a name. Then click "Create". You will see a dialog box where you can set the settings. In the future, you can apply this plugin to other photos.
	How to add a preset to Lightroom If you do not create presets yourself, but purchase their official versions from trusted sources, they must be added to the program. After you have downloaded the plugins to your computer, you need to unpack them from the archive. Only plug-ins need to be added to the photo editor, since other auxiliary files are not recognized by the photo editor. Copy the presets using the hotkeys "Ctrl + C" or by right-clicking on them and clicking "Copy". All plugins need to be sent to the add-ons folder. For example, for Windows OS, this will be the /Documents and Settings/username/Application Data/Adobe/Lightroom/Modules/ folder. In order for the plugins to be visible in the photo editor, you need to restart the program.
How to open presets in Lightroom To use presets in Lightroom, you need to know their location. So, if you did not create a preset, but purchased it, then you first need to add the plugin to the program. Once installed, go to the Develop work module. Locate the "Presets" folder and right click on it. In the list of actions that opens, select "Import". The file with the installed or created preset will open, and you can use it to process photos.
	How to use presets in Lightroom Presets in Lightroom make photo editing much easier. A set of settings can be applied both to a single image and to several dozen photos. In order to use the presets, you need to be in the Develop workspace. To the left of the images in the list of functions, you need to open the "Presets" tab. Select the desired preset from several settings and click on it with the left mouse button. Changes will be immediately reflected in the photo.
How to save a preset in Lightroom When creating custom presets in the photo editor, they are automatically saved in the program after you press the Create button. The settings are stored in the folder with the rest of the plugins that you have previously downloaded or created. When adding presets through the program interface or directly to a folder, make sure that the files have the correct extension and are not damaged. Otherwise, Lr simply won't recognize the preset and won't open it.
	How to save a preset from Lightroom to a computer By default, when you create a new preset in the photo editor or add it through the interface using the "Import" button, all settings files are saved to your computer. Thus, all presets are stored in a folder along with other add-ons for Adobe Lightroom.
How to delete a preset in Lightroom When working with a large number of images, photographers create many presets. Over time, some sets of settings are no longer needed, as new ones are created or the style of photo processing changes. In such cases, you need to remove unnecessary plugins. There are two ways to remove a plugin: In the presets panel, when working in the Develop tab, you need to right-click on an unnecessary plugin and press "Delete". Go to the folder with Adobe Lightroom add-ons using Explorer, and delete directly from the location.
	Where presets are saved in Lightroom In Lightroom, presets are stored in the add-ons folder. You can find them through the explorer in Documents and Settings. If there are difficulties with determining the location, you can find them through the program interface. Go to the "Edit" tab and then "Catalog Settings". The window will display the path to the folder with presets, as well as the button to go to them "Show".
How to transfer Lightroom presets to another computer When updating the operating system of the PC, changing the hard drive, it is necessary to save all the program settings. Also, saving and transferring Lr is relevant when you change your PC. In order to work in the normal mode in the photo editor after the changes, you need to transfer all images (sources), the Lightroom catalog and presets with basic settings. Built-in plugins do not need to be transferred to a new computer, as they will be automatically installed during the upgrade. To transfer saved individual presets, you need to copy them from the location /Documents and Settings/username/Application Data/Adobe/Lightroom/Modules/ to removable external media, and then transfer them to the Lightroom folder on the new PC. If you just updated the system, the presets are transferred to the same folder where they were.

Set import options in Lightroom Classic

After selecting the photos you want to import (see Import photos from a folder on your hard drive or Import photos from a camera or card reader), use the File Handling, Rename panels Files and Apply on Import on the right side of the import window to specify options for the photos you add to the Lightroom Classic catalog.

When you copy or move photos to a catalog, you can create a one-time or backup copy of the original photo files. In the File Handling pane on the right side of the import window, select Make a second copy to and specify a location.

You still need to back up your photos and catalog regularly. For more information about backing up Lightroom Classic, see Backing up a catalog.

Lightroom Classic determines that a photo is a duplicate of another file in the catalog if it has the same original file name, the same Exif date and time, and the same file size. You can set Lightroom Classic to ignore duplicate files when importing.

In the File Handling panel on the right side of the import window, select Do not import possible duplicates.

When importing photos, Lightroom Classic lets you immediately display an embedded image to preview the photo; a higher quality preview is also available during the rendering of images by the program. Embedded previews are generated by cameras and are not color-managed, so they don't match how Lightroom Classic interprets camera raw files. Creating preview images after Lightroom Classic renders takes longer, but they are part of the color management system.

In the File Handling panel on the right side of the import window, select an option from the Create Preview Images menu.

Minimum

Instantly display images as the smallest preview thumbnails embedded in photos. Optionally, Lightroom Classic lets you create standard-sized preview images by rendering.

Embedded and accompanying

Displays preview images of the maximum size available from the camera. This option may take longer to generate preview images than if you select the minimum image size, but the process is faster than rendering standard size preview images. For more information, see Working with embedded previews.

Standard

Display preview images when rendering in Lightroom Classic. The standard size preview images use the Adobe RGB color space and are similar to those displayed at the zoom level to fit in Loupe view. You can set the default size for preview images in the Catalog Settings dialog box. See Configuring Directory Options.

1:1

Displays preview images that are 100% of the actual pixels.
Select the Create Smart Preview option to create a Smart Preview for imported photos.

Smart Preview allows you to edit images without being physically connected to a computer. Smart Preview is a reduced file format based on the lossy DNG format. For more information, see Smart Preview.

Embedded preview images are created when you select the Create preview images as Embedded and sidecar files option from the File Handling menu located in the upper right corner of the Import window.

Embedded and Accompanying option in the Import window

This preview option allows you to quickly scroll through a large number of images in the Library module, and also speeds up scaling to the 1:1 level. The rendering priority of inline preview images depends on the folder being viewed. For example, when importing and adding images to multiple folders, you can immediately start scrolling through the images as they are displayed.

In the Library module, embedded preview images are indicated by the icon in Grid view and overlay text Embedded preview image in Loupe view, as shown below.

(Left) Embedded image preview icon in the upper-left corner of the image thumbnail in Grid view. (Right) "Embedded Preview Image" text overlay in the lower right corner of the image in Loupe view.

When copying or moving photos to a catalog during import, you can specify how the files will be named.

In the File Rename panel on the right side of the import window, select Rename Files.
Select a naming option from the Template pop-up menu. For descriptions of the options, see Naming Options. If you select an option that uses a custom name, enter a name in the Custom Text field.
(Optional) If you want the custom number sequence to start with something other than 1, enter a value in the Start Number field.

Any design settings style can be applied to photos during import. This is especially useful for applying Develop settings to camera photos for which a Develop Style has been created.

In the Apply on Import panel on the right side of the import window, select a setting from the Develop Settings menu.

In the Apply on Import panel on the right side of the import window, select one of the following options from the Metadata menu.
- Select No to not apply metadata to photos during import.
- To apply a metadata set saved as a template, select a metadata style from the menu.
- To apply a new set of metadata to photos on import, select New and enter information in the New Metadata Style dialog box.
When adding metadata to photos, Lightroom Classic applies the data not to the camera's native RAW files, but to their accompanying .xmp files.
To add keywords to photos on import, enter them in the Keywords text box. Use commas to separate keywords.

Lightroom Classic uses the same naming options when importing, renaming, and exporting photos.

Custom name (x of y)

Naming photos using a custom name followed by a sequential number relative to the total number of imported photos. For example, 1 out of 10, 2 out of 10, 3 out of 10, and so on.

Custom name - source file number

Naming photos using a custom name followed by the numeric portion of the original photo file names.

Custom Name - Sequence

Naming photos using a custom name followed by a serial number starting with the number you specify.

custom name

Naming photos using the name you specify.

date - file name

Naming photos using the date they were taken (taken) followed by the full name of the photo's original file.

File name - sequence

Naming photos using the names of the original photo files followed by sequential numbers starting with the number you specify.

File name

Naming photos using the names of the original photo files.

Shooting name - source file number

(Import) Naming imported photos using the shooting name followed by the numeric portion of the original photo file name.

Snapshot Name - Sequence

(Import) Naming imported photos using image names followed by sequential numbers starting with the number you specify.

Session Name - Sequence

(Import with camera connected) Naming photos using the session name followed by sequential numbers starting with the number you specify.

Editing

Naming photos using the options set in the file name template editor. See File Name Template Editor and Text Template Editor.

If you have certain import settings configurations that are frequently reused, you can save them as styles to speed up the import process.

To create an import style, specify the import options, and then select Import style > Save current settings as new style at the bottom of the import window.
To apply an import style, select it from the Import Style menu at the bottom of the import window and click Import.
To delete, update, or rename an import style, select it from the Import Style menu, and then click the appropriate command.

Photo folders can be imported using a simplified import window that provides quick access to basic import options, including styles.