For many photographers, High Quality Lightroom Presets are a vital part of their workflow, but others might not even understand their purpose and benefits. In order to help you find out more on Lightroom presets, I’ve decided to explain the basics and answer some of the frequently asked questions regarding the use of Lightroom presets.
In case you’re using Lightroom to edit or improve your images, the Develop module is surely something you’re familiar with. It’s where you are able to adjust various variables such as color, contrast, exposure etc. You can save these settings, and once you save them, they are known as Presets. In the Lightroom, open the Develop module and you can see on the left side of your screen the Presets Panel.
In order to create presets, you have to make some edits or changes to one of your images. Once the results make you satisfied, you should save the adjustments. You can do this by clicking the small “+” icon you’ll see in the presets panel to the right of the Presets heading; that displays the “New Develop Preset” dialogue. There you’re able to name the preset in order to identify the adjustments your preset is going to make. You can also create folders in the Presets panel that can help you organize the presets for future uses. This is highly recommended if you intend to install a lot of presets.
It’s also possible to specify the settings you’d like to save with certain presets, since it isn’t always needed to save each setting and there are benefits of splitting out certain categories of adjustments and modifications. There’s a possibility you’d like to save separate adjustments, for example, grain, vignettes and toning in order to build up these effects in layers. Most companies that sell Ligthroom Presets take this approach too.
Finally, it’s easy to use the Ligthroom Presets. First, you need to select the image(s) you want to apply this preset to and then you should switch to the Depelop module. Choose the desired preset by clicking on it. Because it might be difficult to remember what certain preset does, Lightroom offers a lovely preview feature.