What Are Lightroom Presets (Beginners’s Guide)

In this post, we will cover the full step-by-step directions to get Lightroom Mobile Presets installed, working, so you can enjoy professional edits in seconds. We will also cover the key areas to make adjustments if you feel necessary and some general information beforehand. 

Let’s begin. 

What are Lightroom Presets?

Lightroom presets are much like advanced Instagram filters. You upload a photo, click a button, and the preset applies set changes to the image. And in seconds, you can completely change the look, mood, and style of the photo. PX Presets offers a wide selection of styles, from clean or minimalistic to vibrant and radiant, all in the trendiest fashions. 

How do Lightroom presets work?

We adjust the settings in Lightroom Mobile during development, adjusting tones, sharpness, luminance, color, and more. And once complete, we save these changes to a file you’ll load to apply these settings to any photo. 

Why do influencers use presets? 

Not all do. But the ones who do create consistency and speed up their workflow. Instagram is visual. And the highlight characteristic of a catchy feed is the first impression. Consistency in mood and color is what separates casual uploaders from a professional brand. Not to mention, simplifying the process of editing allows them to spend more time generating new content. 

What do photographers think about Lightroom presets? 

This is a mixed bag. On the one end, many think they are invaluable and lifesavers, as they minimize editing time. But, others feel they’re generic, understandably so if you lean toward cheaper products. Even so, they’re valuable resources and tools in one’s arsenal, particularly if you do a lot of bulk editing. For example, say a wedding photographer who edits hundreds, if not thousands of images. Presets allow them to ensure consistency between the entire album and remove much of the pain in doing so manually. 

How to install Lightroom presets?

Scroll down to read the full detailed instructions. Or consider clicking the embedded video below to watch a short YouTube video instead. 

How to install Lightroom presets on iPhone or iPad (iOS installation instructions)

1 – Download your files onto your mobile device, either through the browser or email. 

2 – Open the Files app, select the “Downloads” folder, then the preset pack .zip file. 

3 – Files will automatically unzip the archived files. 

4 – Open Lightroom Mobile.

5 – Once launched, you’re greeted with the Library View. 

6 – In the bottom right corner, select the Photo (+) icon.

7 – Then select “From Files”, which opens the Files window. 

8 – In this window, navigate to your “Downloads” folder, select the preset pack. Here you’ll see blank photos, which are the Lightroom Mobile presets.

9 – To select them all, press “Select” in the top right corner, then tap each of the files. 

10 – Once selected, press the “Open” button in the top right corner to add them to your library. 

11 – Lightroom then automatically opens the Library View window. And now, you’ll see the Preset collection name and the individual preset name. 

12 – To create the preset, select any of the preset files. Lightroom will then automatically open the Loupe View editing window.

13 – In the top right corner for iPad or bottom of the screen for iPhone, select the Presets Panel. 

14 – Then tap the three-dots icon to bring up the options menus. In the pop-up window, select “Create Preset.” 

15 – Lightroom now automatically opens the New Preset screen. Here write the Preset Name, then select a group. By default, Lightroom saves custom presets to the User Presets group. 

16 – Once done, tap the Checkmark icon at the upper-right corner to save.

17 – Your new preset is now available in the Presets menu.

18 – Now open any of your photos.

20 – Find the Presets icon in the menu at the bottom of the screen for iPhone or top-right for iPad, then tap on it.

21 – Now browse for the preset you saved, then tap it to apply it to your photo.

How to install Lightroom presets on Android phone or tablet (Android installation instructions)

1 – Download your files onto your mobile device, either through the browser or via email. 

2 – Open the Files by Google app, then select “Browse” and select “Downloads” category. 

3 – Then select the preset pack .zip file. 

4 – Files will then prompt you with a preview window with an option to extract the files—hit “Extract” to unzip the archived files.

5 – Open Lightroom Mobile.

6 – Once launched, you’re greeted with the Library View. 

7 – In the bottom right corner, select the Photo (+) icon.

8 – Now, you’ll see PX Lr Mobile Presets with “RAW” written in the top right corner in this window. These are the Lightroom Mobile presets. 

9 – Select them all by tapping the selection circle adjacent to each of the files. 

10 – Once selected, press the “Add” icon to add them to your library. 

11 – Now back in the Library View, select “All Photos.” And now, you’ll see the Presets images in Lightroom. 

12 – To create an individual preset, select any of the preset images. Lightroom will then automatically open the Loupe View editing window.

13 – At the bottom of the screen on phones or the top right on tablets, select the Presets icon in the Edit panel. 

14 – Then tap the three-bars icon at the upper-right corner of the Presets pop-up screen to bring up the options menus. In the pop-up window, select “Create Preset.” 

15 – Lightroom now automatically opens the New Preset screen. Here write the Preset Name, then select a group. By default, Lightroom saves custom presets to the User Presets group. 

16 – Once done, tap “Done” to save.

17 – Your new preset is now available in the Presets menu.

18 – Now open any of your photos.

19 – Find the Presets icon in the Edit menu, then tap on it.

20 – Now browse for the preset you saved, then tap it to apply it to your photo.

How to install Lightroom presets on MacOS

How to install Lightroom presets on Windows