A professional preset can be one of the most powerful tools to add to your photography tool belt. However, those just beginning in professional photography often wonders how professionals can edit photos quickly and with such quality results. The answer is presets, which are available on the internet for free or for very little money. These presets help give your photos an aesthetically pleasing look and quick processing time in Lightroom. The best presets vary from professional to amateur, and each preset offers different options depending on the specific download. This article guides you through the simple process of saving a preset in Lightroom to help make your images better than ever!
Step 1: Browse Presets
The first step is to find professional quality presets that you want to install on your computer. There are several places online where professional photographers share free Lightroom presets. Examples of such sites include Adobe Creative Cloud’s Free Assets Section, Fix the Photo, NorthLandscapes, and Shuttersweets, to name a few.
Step 2: Download Presets
After finding the right professional preset(s) for your needs, it is time to download them. Generally, this will involve clicking a button to download the preset to your desktop or downloads folder. This saves the professional preset in a ZIP folder, consisting of two main file types: an XML file and a .lrtemplate file.
Step 3: Open Lightroom
Next, the preset is ready to be installed. To do this, open up the Lightroom application on your computer or laptop. If you are using a Mac, the preset will automatically open within Lightroom when it is downloaded. However, Windows users will need to manually locate the presets in their downloads following the installation process outlined below.
Step 4: Locate Presets Folder
For Mac users, the presets should be located directly inside the Develop Presets folder if they open automatically when downloading them onto your computer.
On Windows, professional presets are located inside of the ZIP file. Right-click on the ZIP file and select Extract All to access them. This will open a folder containing both Lightroom presets and an Import Presets option that allows you to quickly manage presets with the click of a button.
Step 5: Open “Develop Module” in Lightroom
To complete presets installation, navigate to the Develop Module within Lightroom. On a Mac, it is labeled with a small picture of a flower while PC users will see this as a pencil with “Develop” written under it. On either platform, your presets should be located to the right of the histogram under “Presets.”
Step 6: Select Preset
Selecting Lightroom presets is fast and easy. Once inside the Develop Module, simply select your preset from the list on the right. From there, you may want to make adjustments based on personal preference or if you think your image needs it. If not, professional presets do a fantastic job at adding an aesthetically pleasing look to photos in one click with minimal effort from users!
Optional Adjustments
Presets can be easily adjusted by clicking on the original design. This allows users to finely tune the preset effect if they so choose, whether it is an overall change or a minor one. Overall adjustments are made in the top basic panel while more particular changes are made further down in sliders for things like color tone and vibrance.
Installing Multiple Presets
Installing multiple Lightroom presets is easy. For example, if you wanted to install three Lightroom presets on your computer, all you would have to do is drag each preset into the presets folder. Then when you are in the Develop Module, simply click “Import” instead of selecting a specific preset! This will allow you to quickly enable several presets with one click.
Note: Applying more than one preset at once may lead to image degradation or overly heavy effects that can be hard or impossible for users to remove.
Step 7: Saving the Preset
Once presets are applied to the image it is time to save them so they can be used on other images. To do this, simply select the checkmark located in the top right corner of the basic panel. The preset should now appear checked next indicating that it has been saved. This preset will then show up in any future projects that you import into Lightroom!
Installing Presets on Your Smartphone
Installing Lightroom presets on your mobile device is slightly different from installing them to a desktop or laptop, but not much. On mobile devices, Lightroom presets can be imported in the same manner as when doing so on a computer by importing the preset ZIP file onto your phone or tablet. But once downloaded, Lightroom presets for Android smartphones and iPhones must be placed inside of an “On Device Presets” folder that will automatically sync with Lightroom’s main interface on your PC or Mac computer after it has been backed up via USB cable connection. Once backed up, simply drag presets into the regular “Develop Presets” folder just like a computer. From there presets will automatically appear inside of your Lightroom mobile app under the “Presets” tab once you have been hooked up via USB cable!
In summary, simple yet professional presets save time and work well for professional and amateur photographers alike! Having professional presets installed on your laptop means they are readily available at the click of a button. This allows you to edit photos quickly and easily, giving you more time to spend doing what you love. For those looking to take their photography business to the next level, Lightroom presets are a must-have! In addition, presets help new users learn how editing works within Lightroom by using them as an example of what is possible with professional software. Finally, presets allow professionals from all walks of life to produce high-quality images each and every time they import a photo into Lightroom. These professional results save time and give customers that beautiful final product they deserve.
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