If you’re trying to figure out how to install your presets in Lightroom, you might be getting a little confused with all the different versions. There are a few different installation steps depending on which Lightroom you’re using so check yours and choose from the options below:
Lightroom Classic CC version 7.0 and up (XMP files)
Lightroom Classic CC version 4.0 – 7.0 and Lightroom 4, 5 and 6 (lrtemplate files)
Lightroom CC Desktop
Lightroom CC Mobile App (DNG Files)
Phew, that’s a lot of version! But if you don’t have Lightroom Desktop yet, which version should you get? In our opinion, if you are serious about photography, you should get Lightroom Classic for Desktop. The mobile app is not as powerful as the desktop version.
And between Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC, the Classic version is more professional and has way more functions. It is also the only one that allows you the ability to create your own Mobile presets and export them for sale as DNG files. And of course, it’s best to have the latest version as it will allow you to use XMP files which are much easier to install. Lightroom subscription is only $9.99 a month or $19.99 with Photoshop, so it’s definitely worth the investment if you do photography professionally.
Check out our custom Lightroom Presets for Desktop and Mobile here:
How To Install Presets In Lightroom Classic v7.3 And Up (XMP files)
To install your presets, first you need to download them to your computer. They could be in XMP or ZIP format. You do not need to unzip if they are in ZIP format.
Next, open your Lightroom program and head to the Develop module. The modules/sections are on the upper right corner of your screen.
Once you’re in Developer, look for the Presets section on the left side of the screen.
Then click on the [+] button and then Import Presets.
Navigate to the folder in your computer where you saved the presets, select them and click on Import. If the presets are in ZIP format, you can directly import them in that format. It is actually better as it will keep your presets in the same folder.
You will find your newly imported presets in the Preset section.
How To Install Presets In Lightroom Classic v4.0 – 7.3 and Lightroom 4, 5 and 6 (lrtemplate files)
First, if your presets came in a ZIP folder, extract it to your computer.
Then, open Lightroom, navigate to the menu on the top left corner of your program and click on Preferences.
Next, head to the Presets tab and click on Show Lightroom Develop Presets.
Now you just need to copy the presets you just unzipped and paste them into this presets folder. You can directly copy-paste an entire folder with presets inside it to keep things more organized.
Restart Lightroom and the next time you open it your presets will be in the Presets section in the Develop module!
How To Add Presets To Lightroom CC
First, unzip the presets you downloaded.
Open, Lightroom CC and navigate to File -> Import Profiles& Presets.
Next, select the XMP files you unzipped, and click on Import. And your presets are now installed into Lightroom!
To use your presets, just select any photo you want to edit and click on the Edit icon at the top right corner. Then at the bottom of the screen select Presets. Your presets will be listed to the left of the Edit module.
Just select the one you want to use and keep editing your photo!
Lightroom Mobile (DNG files)
These are all the instructions on installing presets for Lightroom Desktop! For instructions on Mobile head to our separate guide here: How To Add Presets To Lightroom Mobile.
Hope this was useful! If you have any questions or problems with the installation, let us know in the comments and we’ll do our best to help 🙂
