31. CREATING LIGHTROOM PRESETS

LIGHTROOM IS NOT just about getting the best out of your pictures; it is also about creating special effects and different treatments for your files. That said, when you spend all of your time working on a specific treatment, you’d probably like to be able to use that treatment again on another type of image. This is where Lightroom presets can definitely help you with your images.

At the top of the Presets panel on the left side of the Develop module there is a plus sign that allows you to save the current develop settings as a preset (Figure 31.1). Clicking on the plus sign opens the New Develop Preset dialog, where you can give your new preset a name (Figure 31.2). I named my preset “RC Selenium 1.” Under Settings, you can check all of the changes you made for the development of the current picture. When you click Create, you will see the new preset appear under User Presets in the Presets panel (Figure 31.3).

You can now select another image to which you would like to apply your new preset, and simply single-click on the preset in the User Presets area. And just like that, the image is complete.

Figure 31.1 I made adjustments to this image in the Basic panel and the B&W panel, and I added some grain and vignetting in the Effects panel. I would like to save all of this information so I can use it again later on, so I’ll click on the little plus sign at the top of the Presets panel.

Figure 31.2 I named my new preset “RC Selenium 1.”

Figures 31.3–31.4 Presets give you a one-click treatment that’s uniquely yours. You can easily reuse the settings for other pictures.

Figure 31.5 Exporting your Presets in Lightroom.

Figure 31.6 A preset file saved to my Desktop.

If you want to share your preset with others, simply right-click on the preset and select Export (Figure 31.5). You can save it anywhere on your computer, and then share the file with other individuals (Figure 31.6).

If you receive a preset from someone, the import process is just as easy. Right-click in your Presets area and select Import. Select the preset that you want to import and it will appear in the User Presets area.