How to Install Lightroom Presets

This page shows the steps for installing Lightroom presets. We’ll start with develop presets, and then we’ll cover brush presets (local adjustment presets).

Our Lightroom presets are compatible with all versions of Lightroom going back to version 4. However, the process of installing those presets changed slightly from the older versions to the newer versions. The instructions on this page will be relevant to you if you are using Lightroom 7, Lightroom 8, or Lightroom 9 (also known as Lightroom Classic). If you are using Lightroom 4, 5, or 6, please see this page for instructions. Please see this page if you are trying to install presets in Lightroom CC.

If you’re not sure which version of Lightroom you’re using, please open the software and go to Help > System Info and you should see a window like the one shown below that will indicate the version.

How to Install Develop Presets in Lightroom

There are two different ways to install presets into Lightroom Classic and this page has instructions for both.

After you have completed the checkout process, you will be led to a page where you can download the presets that you purchased. Download the zip file and store it somewhere on your computer for future reference. You will be installing the presets in Lightroom, but you should also have the actual preset files somewhere else on your computer as a backup. We recommend using Google Drive, Dropbox, or another cloud service as a backup in case your hard drive fails.

Importing Presets

The easiest and fastest way to install presets into Lightroom Classic is to import them. To get started, go to the Develop Module by clicking on “Develop” at the top of the screen.

Next, you should see “Presets” in the left sidebar. Lightroom comes with a few presets pre-installed and you can install others here as well. Click on the + sign and then select “import presets”.

This will open up a window that allows you to find the files that you want to import. Find the location of the files that you downloaded from PhotographyPla.net and it should look like this:

Open the folder for LR Classic and LR CC and then select the zip file shown below and click the “import” button.

The process of importing will take a few seconds to complete. Once it is done, your presets should be listed as shown below.

To use the presets, simply click on the arrow to the left of any of the preset packs and then click the name of the preset that you want to apply to the photo.

Option Two for Installing Presets

The importing process is easier, but if for some reason it is not working for you, there is another way to install the presets

Step 1: Open the Presets Folder in Lightroom

With Lightroom open, if you are using a PC go to Edit > Preferences, and if you are using a Mac go to Lightroom > Preferences. This will open a window like the one shown below.

Go to the “Presets” tab at the top. We recommend that the “store presets with this catalog” box is unchecked. Then click on the “Show Lightroom Develop Presets Folder” button. That will open folders as shown below.

Click to open the “Settings” folder. If you have other presets installed, you may seem them listed here.

Step 2: Paste in the Presets

Copy the presets that you downloaded from PhotographyPla.net and paste them into the “settings” folder as shown below. IMPORTANT: copy and paste the folders, but not the zip file (and make sure that you are using the files from the folder for LR Classic and LR CC, not the files for older versions of Lightroom).

Step 3: Restart Lightroom

Now, go back to the preferences and click the button to restart Lightroom (you can also manually close Lightroom and then re-open it).

Step 4: Start Using the Presets

After Lightroom restarts, your presets should be installed. To access them, go to the develop module and you will see them in the left-hand side. Click on the name of any preset to apply it to your photo.

How to Install Local Adjustment Presets (Brush Presets)

If you are downloading or purchasing local adjustment presets, you will need to install them before they can be used (our Master Workflow and Portrait Power packs both include brush presets). These presets must be placed in a different folder, so it’s important to follow these instructions. To start, go to Edit > Preferences (on a PC) or Lightroom > Preferences (on a Mac). Then click on “Show All Other Lightroom Presets”.