Getting a preset into Lightroom

1. 1

   Unzip first, if you got a .zip

   A .zip usually holds several .xmp files — one per look — and sometimes a folder structure. Double-click it on macOS, or right-click → Extract All on Windows. Import the .xmp files, never the .zip itself.

2. 2

   Open the Develop module

   Press D, or click Develop in the top-right module picker. The Presets panel sits on the left; if you can't see it, use Window → Panels → Presets, or press ⇧⌘0 / Ctrl+Shift+0 to reveal the left column.

3. 3

   Right-click any preset group → Import Presets…

   In the file picker, select every .xmp you extracted (click the first, shift-click the last). Lightroom copies them into its own settings folder — you can delete the downloads afterwards.

   Use the + button at the top of the Presets panel → Import Presets… if you prefer menus to right-clicks.

4. 4

   Find them under User Presets

   Imported looks appear in the group they were saved in, or under “User Presets”. Hover a preset name to see it previewed live in the Navigator at the top-left before you commit.

5. 5

   Apply, then adjust exposure and white balance

   Click the preset to apply it. Every camera meters differently, so treat the preset as a starting point: nudge Exposure, then Temp/Tint, and the look will land the way the creator intended.

• Manual install (only if the importer misbehaves): quit Lightroom, then drop the .xmp files into ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/Settings on macOS, or C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\CameraRaw\Settings on Windows, and relaunch.
• If Preferences → Presets → “Store presets with this catalog” is ticked, Lightroom looks inside your catalogue folder instead of the path above.
• Presets in the shared Camera Raw folder sync to the Adobe cloud, which is how they reach your phone — see the mobile tab.

1. 1

   Extract the .zip if there is one

   You want loose .xmp files before you start. Everything else in the archive — previews, a readme — can be ignored.

2. 2

   Edit → Presets → ••• → Import Presets…

   Open any photo in Edit (E), click Presets at the bottom of the right-hand panel, then the three-dot menu at the top of the Presets pane. Choose Import Presets… and select your .xmp files.

3. 3

   Let it sync

   Because this app is cloud-backed, imported presets appear on every device signed into the same Adobe account — including Lightroom on your phone and on the web — usually within a minute.

   No Wi-Fi? The preset still works locally and syncs the next time you're online.

4. 4

   Apply and fine-tune

   Presets → your group → click the look. Use the Amount slider at the bottom of the panel to dial the whole preset back to 60–80% if it's heavier than your frame wants.

1. 1

   Save the file to your device

   On iPhone/iPad the download lands in Files → Downloads (tap the blue arrow in Safari). On Android it's in Files → Downloads. A .zip has to be extracted first — tap it in Files and iOS/Android will unpack it in place.

2. 2

   The .dng route — import the photo

   A .dng preset is a tiny RAW frame carrying the edit. In Lightroom mobile tap Add Photos → Files (or Browse), choose the .dng, and it appears in your library looking already-graded.

3. 3

   Turn that .dng into a preset

   Open the imported .dng → tap ••• (top right) → Create Preset. Name it, pick or create a preset group, then tap the checkmark. Untick Tools, Optics and Geometry so the look doesn't drag the original photo's crop and lens corrections onto your own frames.

   Leave White Balance unticked too — your photo's own WB is almost always the better starting point.

4. 4

   The .xmp route — import directly

   Recent Lightroom mobile versions can take .xmp files straight: open any photo → Presets → ••• → Import Presets → pick the .xmp from Files. If your version has no such menu item, use the .dng route above, or import on desktop and let it sync.

5. 5

   Apply it to your own photos

   Open a photo → Presets → your group → tap the look → checkmark to commit. Then fix Exposure and White Balance for your frame; a preset can't know how bright your scene was.

• Creating and applying presets is free in Lightroom mobile — you don't need a Creative Cloud subscription for it.
• Signed into the same Adobe account on desktop? Presets you imported there show up here automatically; you never need to install twice.

What the file extensions mean

When it doesn't look right