Why use Lightroom presets?

If you’re new to Adobe Lightroom, you’ve probably heard the word “presets” but aren’t sure what they are or how to utilize them. In this post, we’ll define Lightroom presets, explain how they may save you time and help you establish a consistent appearance in your photos, and give you some pointers on how to find the ideal presets for your purposes.

What is Lightroom Presets?

Lightroom presets are predefined settings for Adobe Lightroom’s numerous editing tools. They let you create a certain appearance or effect to a shot with a single click. Presets are very beneficial for photographers who edit a large number of photographs on a regular basis, such as wedding or portrait photographers.

Photographer editing photos on her laptop

They can also be handy for novice photographers who wish to produce professional-looking effects but lack the time or skill to manually tweak all of the many Lightroom settings.

Lightroom presets come in a variety of styles, from those that apply specific colour treatments to those that modify a photo’s brightness, contrast, and other fundamental parameters. Presets of the following sorts are common:

Colour presets: These presets apply specific colour treatments to a photo, such as a black-and-white conversion or a specific colour grade.
Tone presets: These presets to adjust the overall tonal balance of a photo, including the exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, and whites and blacks.
Black and white presets: These presets convert a photo to black and white and may also adjust the tonal balance and contrast of the photo.
Vintage presets: These presets give a photo a vintage or retro look by applying a specific colour treatment and adjusting the tonal balance and contrast.
Film presets: These presets emulate the look of specific film stocks by adjusting the colour and tonal balance of a photo.

How to Use Lightroom Presets

Using Lightroom presets is simple. First, open a photo in the Develop module in Lightroom. Then, navigate to the Presets panel on the left side of the screen. You will see a list of preset categories, such as “Color” and “Tone.” Click on a category to see the individual presets within that category. To apply a preset to your photo, simply click on the preset.

You may also make your own presets by adjusting a photo in the Develop module and then clicking on the Add button next to the Presets panel. This will open the Create New Preset dialogue box, where you can name your preset and choose which parameters to include. Save your new preset by clicking the Create button.

How much time can I save using Lightroom presets?

The amount of time you may save by utilizing Lightroom presets will vary depending on the presets you choose and how much you customize them to match your needs. Presets, in general, can save you time by allowing you to apply a certain appearance or effect to a shot with a single click, rather than having to manually tweak all of the many Lightroom settings.

This is especially beneficial if you’re altering a big number of photographs and want to maintain a uniform aesthetic across the board. It is crucial to remember, however, that utilizing presets will not necessarily save you time if you are still tweaking the presets to match your needs or if you are using many presets on each shot. In many circumstances, using presets may be more time-consuming than manually adjusting the parameters.

Pros and Cons of Using Lightroom Presets

One of the primary benefits of utilizing Lightroom presets is that they may help you save time. Rather than painstakingly tweaking all of Lightroom’s parameters, you may apply a preset with a single click. This is especially beneficial if you’re altering a big number of photographs and want to maintain a uniform aesthetic across the board.

However, bear in mind that presets are not a substitute for a thorough mastery of Lightroom and how to manually change the various parameters. While presets can be a good place to start, you may still need to fine-tune the parameters to match the demands of a particular shot. Furthermore, presets are frequently designed to be broad and perform well with a wide range of photographs, so they may not yield the greatest results when applied to a single photo with its own unique qualities. In certain instances, it may be preferable.

Are there any good free presets?

Yes, there are plenty of excellent free Lightroom presets accessible online. Free presets are frequently available for download from Adobe’s website.

Many websites, such as LightroomPresets.com and Freepreset.net, provide collections of free Lightroom presets.

Some photographers and designers provide free preset as a method to promote their work and gain exposure.

These free presets are frequently found by searching online or following photographers and designers on social media.

It’s crucial to remember that free presets may not be as high-quality or well-designed as commercial presets, and you may need to experiment with numerous different presets before finding ones that work well for your needs.

Wrapping up

Finally, Lightroom presets may be a valuable tool for photographers of all skill levels. They enable you to add a certain appearance or effect to a shot fast, saving you time and assisting you in achieving a consistent style in your editing process. However, bear in mind that presets are not a substitute for a thorough mastery of Lightroom and how to manually change the various parameters. While presets can be a good place to start, you may still need to fine-tune the parameters to match the demands of a particular shot.

Furthermore, it is critical to select presets that generate a natural and beautiful look rather than ones that inject artifacts or other undesirable effects into the shot. You may expedite your editing process and generate professional-looking results by utilizing Lightroom presets.