How to Import Lightroom Presets to Desktop & Mobile

Step-by-step guide by Tomas Havel | @tomashavel

HOW TO IMPORT DESKTOP PRESETS!

There are two methods for installing presets to Lightroom CC: 

1. Import the presets directly into Lightroom,
2. Drag your Presets into the specific presets folder.

1. Import the presets directly into Lightroom

If you have the latest version of Adobe Lightroom the process of installing presets cannot be any easier. You can install the presets in XMP format them directly into Lightroom in one single step.

1) Open Lightroom and go to the Develop Module and locate the Presets Panel.

2) Click the + on your Presets tab and hit “Import Presets”.

3) Navigate to the location on your computer where you saved the zipped or unzipped file with the presets, select it and click the Import button. (It’s highly recommended to select the preset folders, so that Lightroom will keep the organization structure.)

4) You are done. Lightroom locates the presets in the new XMP format and you will find it when you open the Presets tab. If your presets are not automatically there, you can restart Lightroom.

Note: This method only works if you are installing presets in the new XMP format.

2. Drag your Presets into the specific presets folder

1) Open Lightroom Classic on your desktop and click on the Lightroom tab in the top left corner of the screen .

2) Click on Preferences then Presets

4) Click On 'Show Lightroom Presets Folder'

5) This shows all the Lightroom preferences, but we want to just see the presets - Go to the "Develop Preset Folder". You should see all the presets you were previously using in there.

7) Unzip the file, then just copy the entire folder into Develop Preset Folder. 

8) Restart your Lightroom, you should now see the presets added.

HOW TO IMPORT MOBILE PRESETS!

There are three methods for installing presets on Lightroom Mobile:

1. Install presets with DNG files (included in every pack),
2. Import XMP presets from your local storage (Android only),
3. Sync Lightroom Classic with Lightroom Ecosystem.

To start off, download the free Adobe Lightroom CC App from the Apple App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android). Once downloaded, if you haven't already, you will then need to create an Adobe account. Quick and free to do!

1. Install presets with DNG files (included in every pack)

1) Unzip the folder and transfer the DNG files to your phone via Dropbox, WeTransfer or any other method you prefer. You can use apps like iZip to unzip the file directly on your phone. Note that DNG file might look like a completely unedited photo. Don’t worry, it does have edits to it and it will act as your preset once it’s installed in your Lightroom app!

2) Import all DNG files to your Lightroom mobile app: Open the Lightroom app and create a new album. Tap on the 3 dots in the upper right corner and then tap on Add Photos. Select all DNG presets from your phone and import them into the newly created album in Lightroom mobile.

4) Create and save your presets: Go into the presets folder and click on the first preset. Now click on the the three on the top right corner then select the 'Create Preset' button. Under 'Preset Name' type the name of the preset.

5) Follow the same process for the other DNG files and save them all.

2. Import XMP presets from your local storage (Android only)

To directly import presets to the Lightroom app, do the following:

1) Open a photo in Loupe view. In the Edit screen, tap the Presets icon in the bottom panel.

2) Tap the three-dots icon in the upper-right corner and select Import Presets.

3) Tap the presets you want to import either from Google Drive or any folder on your mobile. You can select individual xmp files but also select zip files that contain multiple xmp files. 

4) The imported presets then appear in the Presets pop-up menu. 

The imported presets sync across Lightroom desktop and Lightroom for mobile (iOS) so that you can access them from any device. 

3. Sync Lightroom Classic with Lightroom Ecosystem

Learn how to set up Lightroom Classic desktop to sync photos with Lightroom ecosystem of apps with official instructions by Adobe here: /lightroom-mobile-desktop-features.html

Note: You need a Creative Cloud membership or trial to sync photos across all your devices.

Lightroom for mobile | Premium features
Please note, premium features only available to subscribers. All selective adjustment tools are only available on a mobile device when you purchase Adobe Lightroom CC App subscription. /lightroom-cc/using/premium-features.html

How to edit with Lightroom Presets!

Tom