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Installing Lightroom Presets

Summary: Learn more about installing Lightroom presets on your Desktop computer or Mobile device. This article discusses how to install DNG, LRTEMPLATE, and XMP presets.

Lightroom presets are available in a few different formats on Creative Market. This article will answer your questions about installing Lightroom presets on your desktop or mobile version of Lightroom. With the release of Adobe Lightroom CC Mobile, it’s now possible to get the benefits of Adobe’s powerful photo post-processing app on your mobile device!

To get started, how are you installing Lightroom presets?

Click on a topic for specific instructions.


Common Questions:

Can I use any Lightroom Presets on Creative Market in Lightroom CC Mobile?

Lightroom presets offered in DNG format work best with Lightroom CC Mobile, since they can be directly imported without a computer. You can browse through Lightroom presets that offer the DNG format here. (As always, we recommend that you review the product listing carefully to verify that the product is supported on Lightroom CC Mobile.)

While it’s possible to export Desktop Lightroom presets (.LRTEMPLATE or .XMP) to Lightroom CC Mobile, there are a few extra steps involved that require a computer with an active Adobe CC subscription.

Do I need a Creative Cloud Subscription to use Lightroom CC Mobile

No, the Lightroom CC Mobile app is free to download and use, though a free Adobe account is required. However, if you’d like to sync presets (like those in the .lrtemplate and .xmp format) from the Lightroom CC desktop version to your mobile device, you will need an active Adobe CC subscription

Do Lightroom Presets come in different formats?

Yes, Lightroom Presets are delivered in any of the following formats:

Format
Lightroom CC Mobile

Lightroom CC Desktop*
*(requires Adobe Creative Cloud Subscription)

DNG

🚫

XMP

Synced with Desktop

LRTEMPLATE Synced with Desktop

Installing Lightroom Presets on Lightroom Desktop

To install Adobe Lightroom presets, follow these steps:

  1. After unzipping the product files, locate the folder containing .lrtemplate files.
  2. Go to View > Edit Panels > Preset Browser
  3. Click the ... icon in the Presets Browser. Click Import Presets...
  4. Locate your .XMP or .LRTEMPLATE presets in the file browser. 
  5. You can now begin using your presets! They'll be found under User Presets in the Preset Browser.

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Syncing your Presets from Desktop to Mobile

Instructions may apply to Lightroom CC Mobile on an iPhone or iPad. To get started, follow these steps:

  • Download your Lightroom presets and unzip them on your computer. You can unzip a file on your computer by following these directions.
  • Lightroom Presets may be delivered in any of these formats: DNG, XMP, or LRTEMPLATE. Installation instructions can be found below for each format:
DNG Lightroom Presets

DNG presets are the best adapted to Lightroom CC Mobile. However, you’ll need a way to transfer these DNG files from your computer to your phone’s Camera Roll. This can be done via Airdrop or Dropbox.

Airdrop

Screen_Shot_2018-12-17_at_9.03.45_AM.png

Dropbox: (Do this for each preset)

LR-1.jpg

Next, open your Lightroom mobile app. Create a couple of albums by clicking the + icon beside Albums. Use one to store your presets, and create another album in which to add your photos. On the album where you store your presets, click the three dots to add photos from your Camera Roll:

LR-2.jpg

Next, select all of the DNG files you’ve transferred to your phone’s camera roll. They’ll be added to that album.

LRTEMPLATE or XMP Lightroom Presets

If the preset you’ve purchased doesn’t come with DNG presets, you can sync LRTEMPLATE or XMP presets from the Lightroom Desktop to Lightroom Mobile.

Note: Keep in mind that this syncing method requires a subscription to Adobe Lightroom CC. You will need to be logged into Lightroom CC Mobile using the same Adobe account as your active CC subscription.

First, copy your presets to the appropriate user presets folder on your computer:

Mac: Press ⌘ + shift + G to navigate to a specific folder (“Go to folder”)

  • For LRTEMPLATE presets: Paste the following path into the text box:
    ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom CC/Develop Presets/User Presets . Copy the files ending in .lrtemplate to the User Presets folder.
  • For XMP presets: Paste the following path into the text box:
    ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/Settings . Copy the files ending in .xmp to the Settings folder.

PC: In Windows Explorer:

  • For LRTEMPLATE presets: Navigate to C:/Users- [your user name] /AppData/Roaming/Adobe/Lightroom CC/Develop Presets/User Presets . Copy the files ending in .lrtemplate to the User Presets folder.
  • For XMP presets: Navigate to C:/Users- [your user name] /AppData/Roaming/Adobe/CameraRaw/Settings . Copy the files ending in .xmp to the Settings folder.

Next, open Adobe Lightroom CC and import those same presets into Lightroom by going to File > Import Profiles & Presets… . Locate one of the above folders to import either LRTEMPLATE or XMP presets. After you select all the presets you’d like to import, click Import.

After your presets are imported, they should begin to sync with Adobe CC. (You can check syncing progress at the top right corner of Lightroom.) When they’re done syncing, you can use the synced presets in Lightroom CC Mobile on the photos of your choice.

In Lightroom CC Mobile, select a photo from your albums, then at the very bottom of the screen, find the Presets option at far right. Select User Presets, then apply the preset of your choice.

LR-5.jpg

Using the Presets

When you’re ready to apply a preset to a photo, visit your preset album. Select the preset of your choice, then click the three dots to copy its settings:

LR-3.jpg

To apply those settings to a photo, visit the album that contains your photos and tap on a photo. Click on the three dots to paste those settings to the photo:

LR-4.jpg

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Installing Lightroom Presets on Lightroom CC Mobile Only

Note: This applies to DNG presets only. If you intend to install .lrtemplate or .xmp presets on Lightroom CC Mobile, you will need to follow these steps.

Downloading and Unzipping the Presets

To get started, please follow these steps:

  • Download your presets and unzip them on your phone/tablet. You can unzip a file on a mobile device by following these directions. (Note: As all files you download on Creative Market will use .zip compression- even single files- you'll need to use a third-party app to unzip files if you're downloading and installing presets on your mobile device.)
  • After unzipping the files, locate the files ending in DNG. On each file, tap on the (i) icon and then tap Save Image to save it to your Camera Roll. Repeat for the rest of the DNG files.

Alternatively, if you use our Dropbox Sync to sync products from your Creative Market account to Dropbox, please follow these steps:

  • In Dropbox, locate the .zip file containing your new presets in the Apps > Creative Market folder.
  • Tap on the .zip file, then click the small [...] icon and click Export. Click Open In... and tap Copy to ZipApp (or your app that helps you unzip files). Use these directions to finish unzipping the files.
  • After unzipping the files, locate the files ending in DNG. On each file, tap on the (i) icon and then tap Save Image to save it to your Camera Roll. Repeat for the rest of the DNG files.

Installing DNG Presets

Open your Lightroom mobile app. Create a couple of albums by clicking the + icon beside Albums. Use one to store your presets, and create another album in which to add your photos. On the album where you store your presets, click the three dots to add photos from your Camera Roll:

LR-5.jpgLR-2.jpg

Next, select all of the DNG files you’ve transferred to your phone’s camera roll. They’ll be added to that album.

Using the Presets

When you’re ready to apply a preset to a photo, visit your preset album. Select the preset of your choice, then click the three dots to copy its settings:

LR-3.jpg

To apply those settings to a photo, visit the album that contains your photos and tap on a photo. Click on the three dots to paste those settings to the photo:

LR-4.jpg

Presets used in displaysSilver Creamy Blogger presets by Best Lightroom Presets

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