Step-by-Step Guide: How to Install Lightroom Presets
Do you find yourself spending hours editing your social media photos?
Are you frustrated because you can't get your Instagram photos to look like your favorite influencers'?
We've got you covered in our step-by-step guide!
With the help of the menu bar, you can easily enhance your photos and achieve the desired look.
Use the menu bar wisely to avoid over-editing and maintain a natural appearance.
But what if you could edit the perfect Instagram photo with a single click?
Lightroom presets are files with pre-configured settings that give your photo a specific look.
When you learn how to use the presets panel in Adobe Lightroom, you can give your photo a professional look and create a cohesive social media feed that reflects your brand.
Keep reading if you're ready to take your social media presence to the next level.
Our guide has everything you need to know about the easiest way to install paid or free presets in Adobe Lightroom Classic and newer versions for mobile devices or Lightroom desktops.
Why Presets Are Important
There are two huge reasons why presets are essential for your social media feed.
First, as an influencer or business owner, you must simultaneously focus on so many aspects of your business.
So, you probably don't have time to edit the same photo for hours. Streamlining your workflow can help you save time and increase productivity.
Presets save you precious time because they let you edit your photos with a single click using your own presets.
While you may need to make minor adjustments later, you'll still save yourself hours.
If you encounter any issues with your presets or need to start fresh, you can easily restart Lightroom to ensure a smooth editing process.
The second reason is that presets can give your social media pages a cohesive look.
Imagine if you hand-edited all your photos and had one bright and colorful photo while another was dark and moody.
You can maintain a consistent aesthetic across your social media feed using classic cc presets.
This would give your brand a strange, mixed look and confuse your followers. Instead, you want all your photos to reflect a similar theme and reflect your brand's message on mobile devices.
This is especially important for your Instagram feed tutorial, which must entice your followers immediately.
Installing presets and showing consistent brand messaging can be the key to improving your presence on social media and getting more engagement from your followers.
Choose Your Presets (Download Adobe App Presets for Mac or Desktop)
The first step in learning to use presets in Lightroom is to figure out what presets you want to use.
To figure this out, you must build your social media brand.
If you're starting your business or your social media accounts, think about the overall look you want your brand to have and what kind of impression you want to give your audience.
For example, if you're a travel blogger, you may want your Instagram feed to be bright and colorful to make each Android /iPhone-captured travel destination pop.
Meanwhile, if you're a fashion influencer, think about your style.
If it's minimalist, you might want a light and neutral preset.
But if your style is colorful and whimsical, you'll want a preset emphasizing color.
It's also a good idea to experiment with different presets, including new presets if you're unsure what your brand is quite yet.
This way, you can see what kind of look works best with your brand and what gets the most engagement from your followers.
While you can try free Lightroom or Photoshop presets, we recommend a professional preset bundle like our best-selling preset pack, the Influencer Starter Pack, which comes in a convenient zip file (double click to extract and start the installation process into the new folder required path and lightroom folder with the free lightroom mobile app).
This pack has different presets, from light and airy to cinematic, so you can simultaneously figure out your style and stand out from your competition.
Installing Lightroom Presets CC vs. Lightroom Mobile (Android & iPhone)
Before you go in and install presets to Lightroom, you need to figure out which version of Lightroom you're using.
Three versions of Lightroom are the most popular right now.
These are Lightroom Classic, Lightroom CC, and Lightroom Mobile.
Lightroom Classic is the original Lightroom software.
This is also the desktop version of the program, so you'll need a Mac or PC to edit your photos.
You can also apply presets to more than one photo at a time on this program.
Lightroom CC is still meant to be used mostly on desktops, but it's more streamlined and focuses on letting you save photos to the cloud.
Lightroom Mobile is the cell phone version of Lightroom CC.
You can access the photos you saved to the cloud.
The mobile version of Lightroom is a good choice for beginners as it's more streamlined than the original Lightroom.
You can sync your account to the mobile app if you have Lightroom CC for your desktop.
Ensure you're using the same Adobe account for both so they can sync.
This feature is especially useful if you're uploading to Instagram on the go and don't have your laptop.
Import Your Photos
Next up, you'll want to import your photos to Lightroom so you can edit them.
You can upload photos from a folder, a hard drive, or a memory card or connect your camera to your computer.
If it's your first time importing photos, decide how to organize them and where to store them.
You'll want to do this before importing your photos so you don't have to keep moving things around later.
If you have many photos, tick the button labeled "Don't Import Suspected Duplicates."
This will save you time later.
If you only use Lightroom Mobile, you can also take photos directly through the Lightroom app, so you don't have to import anything into the app.
How to Install Lightroom Presets
The next step in learning to install presets in Lightroom is downloading the files once you've bought them. Depending on which version of Lightroom you have, the file type for your preset will be different.
For Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC, the file type will be XMP. For Lightroom Mobile, the file type will be DNG.
XMP Files
To install Lightroom presets, first, you want to download the files to your computer. The files may already be in XMP format, or they could be in Zip format.
Next, open Lightroom. Click the "Develop" area at the top right of the screen. A window titled "Presets" will then open on the left side.
Click the "plus" icon here and select "Import Presets."
For Lightroom CC, you'll want to unzip your preset files. Then, go to File→"Import Profiles and Presets." Choose the files and select "Import."
DNG Files
Learning how to install Lightroom presets is a little different for Lightroom Mobile.
First, you'll need to send the DNG files to your device. You can do this through Airdrop or Dropbox, for example.
If the files come zipped, you will need to unzip them first.
The next step in learning to load Lightroom presets is to open the Lightroom app and select the plus sign next to "Albums."
This will let you create a new album.
Open the new album, tap the three dots, and select "Add Photos."
The photos should be on your camera roll. If you unzipped them, they might be in the folder for the app you used to unzip.
Select your presets and add them to the photo album. Then, tap each preset and tap the three dots again. Select "Create Preset."
Then, you can name your preset and choose which folder you want to save it in.
Apply Your Preset
Now you're ready to learn how to load Lightroom presets to apply your preset to Lightroom.
To apply a preset, click on the photo to which you want to add the preset.
If you're on Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC, open the "Presets" tab and select the preset you want to apply.
For Lightroom Mobile, open the photo you want to edit.
Then, tap the "Presets" icon on the bottom menu.
Apply your preset, and tap on the checkmark to confirm.
Final Steps
You're almost ready to upload your new image to social media.
Once you've applied your preset, check if you need to adjust the tone curve or edit anything like exposure and highlights.
As our presets are professionally designed, very little to no edits are generally required.
If you make changes go slowly--- a little fine-tuning can go a long way!
Next, crop your photo for your desired social media site.
For example, many people use the 4:5 ratio for Instagram to display the image well on the feed.
Finally, export your image and upload it to your next social media post!
Elevate Your Social Media Strategy With Lightroom Presets
After reading this article, we hope you won't have to search "Lightroom install presets" any longer.
Learning how to use Lightroom presets can save you hours of precious time so that you can focus on growing your social media presence.
And to make it easier for you to give your brand a more cohesive look and keep every photo looking professional, Flourish Presets is here to help.
No matter what business owner or influencer you are, our presets can help you build a business you love while making meaningful connections with your followers.
Check out our preset bundles today!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of using Lightroom presets?
Using Lightroom presets offers several benefits. They save time by allowing you to apply consistent edits to multiple photos with just one click. They also help maintain a cohesive look and style across your images and can be easily customized and adjusted to suit your preferences and needs.
Leave a comment