Lightroom Presets: Use the settings optimally

We’ll show you how to use the Photoshop Lightroom settings in 5 steps:


1. Apply Lightroom Presets


Especially important in Lightroom are the so-called development specifications for complex contrast corrections: Lightroom adjusts many values ​​at the same time, for example "exposure", "contrast" and "saturation", as well as focus, perspective correction and noise reduction Br>

2. Preset preview


Just go to the "Develop" lightroom section, open the "Presets" panel on the left, and use a section like "General Preferences," "Effects," or "Color Preferences." Click a preset such as "Medium Contrast Curve," "Rounded Corners," or "Cross Development," your image will change.


3. Create your own preferences


As always, the interventions are loss-free. If the preset has changed the image, use the sliders on the right of the program window to fine-tune the result.


4. Exporting presets


Tip: The default "Null" returns everything.


Test a preset before final application. To do this, open the "Navigator" in the upper left corner of the program window. This control panel always displays the overall image.


Open several "presets" folders, such as "Effect presets" and "Color presets". Now just hold the mouse pointer over a predefined "old photo" - already the preview appears at the top of the "navigator" field. You do not need to click. This allows you to quickly recognize what specific requirements, such as the many black-and-white versions in the "B & W filter settings" folder.


Do you always change your photos with the same slider values? Then save this setting as your own default.


Set the controls as desired. Go to the Presets and click the plus sign in the upper-right corner of the panel. The following dialog is complex, but usually you only specify a name and click "Create". These settings end up in the "User preferences" section as a new 1-click default.


Tip: Do you want to optimize an existing custom specification? Change the sliders accordingly, then right-click on the default and then click "Update with current settings."


Save a preset as a file. It can then be used on other computers and passed on to friends. To do this, click on a preset with the right and select "Export". This creates a new file with the ending ".lrtemplate."


To load the preset on other machines: Open the "Preferences" in the "Develop" area, right-click the desired folder (for example, "User Preferences"), and then click "Import."

Tip: With "Import", you can also import the free settings from the Internet into your Lightroom.


5. Preferences for Slideshow, Print, Web


Templates are also available in the "Slideshow", "Print" and "Web" program areas. There you define by default how many pictures appear as large - picture border, screens, caption and other properties.


Here are the same tips as for the development specifications (steps 1 to 4): Hold the mouse pointer over a preset in the bar on the left, the preview already appears in the control panel above. Our picture shows Lightrooms preview on a web page layout. You can click the preset again, and then change the settings, and save this as a new, own preset (as in step 3)


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