How to Install Presets in Lightroom?
How to Install Lightroom Presets
Many photographers are lost when they download a Preset and ask themselves “How to install Lightroom Presets.” It can get confusing sometimes, especially with the newest change in the file type for presets.
The Lightroom 7.3 Update introduced a significant change in the way Lightroom works with presets. The old .Irtemplate files have been exchanged with the newer .xmp format. While this change might seem strange to some people, it makes a lot of sense and makes working and installing presets easier for us.
The .xmp format has been used solely by Camera Raw before, while Lightroom used the .Irtemplate format. This means that Camera Raw and Lightroom work with the same .xmp format now. Your old Presets have been automatically converted into .xmp once you updated to Lightroom Classic 7.3, but how do you install newer presets that come in .xmp from the get-go?
Scroll down to find out the quickest way on how to install Lightroom Presets, Profiles and Brushes!
Image by Jennifer Moher – Edited with her Slate & Ivory 2.0 Preset
How to install the new .xmp Lightroom Presets?
- Open Lightroom.
- Go to your Develop Module ( Top right corner )
- Click the + on your Presets tab and hit “Import Presets”
You made it! The Preset can be used in Lightroom now, and you will find it when you open the Presets tab under User Presets. This is by far the quickest and easiest way to install Lightroom Presets in the newest version of Lightroom. You can even install .Irtemplate files in the same way.
While it might be the quickest, it is not the best way, especially if you want to have a clean folder structure for your Lightroom Presets.
Installing the .xmp format as a folder?
- Open Lightroom.
- Go to Lightroom in your main menu and hit Preferences
- Click on Show Lightroom Develop Presets in the Preferences Menu
- Paste your Preset Folder containing the .xmp files into Settings
- Restart Lightroom and enjoy your Presets
You should be able to see all of your imported Presets as a folder in Lightroom and Camera Raw as well now. Play around with them and have fun!
How to install Presets with the old .Irtemplate format?
- Open Lightroom
- Go to Lightroom in your main menu and hit Preferences
- Click on Show All Other Lightroom Presets in the Preferences Menu
- Paste your Preset Folder containing the .Irtemplate files into Lightroom > Develop Presets
- Restart Lightroom and enjoy your Presets
You should be able to see all of your imported Presets as a folder in Lightroom now.
How to install Profiles in Lightroom & Camera Raw?
- Open Lightroom Classic 7.3 or newer
- Select the Profile Browser in the Develop Module
- Click on Import Profiles and select your .xmp files
Your new profiles will show up in the Profile Browser now. They will also be available in Camera Raw now.
If you only use Camera Raw, you just need to open the Profile Browser, right-click into it and import your profiles!
How to install Brushes in Lightroom?
- Open Lightroom Classic CC or Lightroom 4-6 (or older)
- Go to the Preference Menu in Lightroom
3. Click on “Show All Other Lightroom Presets”
4. Double-Click on the “Lightroom” folder
5. Double-click on the “Local Adjustment Presets” folder
6. Paste the downloaded “Meridian-Chinelle Rojas-The Melanated Film-Local Adjustment Brushes” into the Local Adjustment Presets folder.
7. After that restart Lightroom, and go to the Adjustment Brush Tool section. When you click on the brush icon (1), you will activate the brush tool in Lightroom, and you’ll be able to click on “custom” in the effect row (2).
8. This will open up a drop-down menu, where you can select your new brushes!
We hope you liked our “How to install Lightroom Presets” guide and wanted to let you know that you can also download our Free Lightroom Preset to add to your collection.
