To put presets in Lightroom Classic, open the Develop module, find the Presets panel and choose Add (+), then Import Presets. In Lightroom on a computer, use File, then Import Profiles & Presets. On a phone, the steps depend on the preset file you have.
Before you open a download, check two things: the name of your Lightroom app and the letters at the end of the file. Those details help you choose the right steps below.
Start with your app and file type
Lightroom Classic and Lightroom are separate apps. Classic has a Develop module. Lightroom on a computer uses an Edit view. A phone or tablet uses the Lightroom mobile app.
A preset download may include more than one folder. Open the instructions from its maker and look for the folder meant for your app.
- XMP: A preset file that can hold saved editing settings. Use the preset import controls in the app.
- LRTEMPLATE: An older Lightroom preset format. For Classic, extract these files from their ZIP before importing them.
- DNG: A photo file that may carry an edit you can save as a preset. The mobile steps below explain that route.
- ZIP: A compressed folder. What is inside it matters. Classic can import a ZIP of XMP presets, but older LRTEMPLATE files must be extracted first.
Keep the download in a folder you can find again. Leave the original file names in place until you have checked that the presets work.
Import presets into Lightroom Classic
- Open Classic and select a photo in your catalog.
- Go to Develop. Find the Presets panel on the left.
- Select the Add (+) button beside Presets, then choose Import Presets.
- Find your download. Select the XMP files, a ZIP containing XMP presets, or the extracted LRTEMPLATE files.
- Select Import. Open User Presets and look for the imported preset.
Adobe’s Classic preset guide covers the importer and the ZIP file limits. The importer handles the preset files.
Once you find the preset, try it on one photo. Finding the preset confirms the import. Judging how it looks on that photo is the next part of editing.
Import presets into Lightroom on a computer
If your app is named Lightroom, open File and choose Import Profiles & Presets. Select the preset files and choose Import.
To find them, open a photo in Edit view, then open Presets. Check User Presets. Adobe’s desktop-to-mobile preset guide shows this workflow.
Presets imported into Lightroom on a computer can sync to its mobile app when you use the same Adobe account and cloud sync is available. Installing a preset in Classic alone does not set up this Lightroom desktop workflow.
Add a DNG preset on your phone
If your mobile download contains DNG files, extract them from the ZIP first. Save them where your phone can access them.
- In Lightroom, use Add photos to bring in a DNG file.
- Open that DNG as a photo.
- Open the Options menu and choose Create Preset.
- Give it a name and choose a preset group.
- Review which settings to save, then save the preset.
- Open one of your own photos and find the saved preset in Presets.
Adobe’s DNG import lesson includes the current phone steps. It also explains how to choose the saved settings. Menu placement can differ between phone systems and app versions.
For an XMP download, use the instructions for your mobile app and version. You can also use the Lightroom desktop import-and-sync route above when it is available to you. Do not follow DNG photo steps for an XMP file.
If an imported preset does not appear
In Classic, start with a selected photo that is available in the catalog. Then check the preset group and whether it is hidden. Some presets are only partly compatible with the selected photo.
Under Preferences, open Presets and look for Show Partially Compatible Develop Presets. A preset that uses a profile for a certain camera or file type may not work with every photo.
If the preset appears in one catalog but not another, check Store presets with this catalog. Adobe’s missing-preset guidance explains how that setting affects where presets are available.
Before importing the same set again, check the app, file type and group name. If the importer gives an error, save its exact words. Include those words, your app version and the file type when asking the preset maker for help.
Try one preset on one photo
Choose a photo with light and colors you know well. Apply one imported preset. Look at the subject, the brightest area and any white objects.
Ask what changed. Is the subject brighter? Are the colors warmer? Has a white shirt picked up a color cast? Change one setting at a time so you can see what each change does. Our Lightroom white balance lesson can help when a photo looks too warm or too green.
Your check is complete when you can find the preset, apply it and explain one change it makes. From there, you can decide whether it suits the photo you want to edit.
Explore the Brittley Preset Suite
If you are choosing a preset set, explore the Brittley Preset Suite from Jordan Brittley, Photo Equation’s founder. The product page explains what is included. Follow the setup notes supplied with your purchase, then use the steps above for your app and file type.
