Supported File Formats
XMP — the modern preset format used by Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw.
DNG — image files with embedded editing settings, commonly used for installing presets in Lightroom Mobile.
ABR — Photoshop brush files.
ATN — Photoshop action files.
What Are Presets and What Are They Used For?
Presets are pre-made photo editing settings that allow you to quickly achieve a specific color, contrast, skin tone, mood or overall look.
Think of a preset as a recipe for editing. You can apply it to a photo with a single click and then fine-tune the settings to match your image.
In this guide, we’ll walk through how to install presets in Photoshop, Lightroom and Lightroom Mobile on both Windows and Mac.
What Types of Presets Are There?
Before installing a preset, it’s important to understand which file format you’re working with.
The most common preset formats are:
- .xmp — the most common modern preset format for Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw in Photoshop.
- .lrtemplate — an older preset format used by Lightroom Classic.
- .dng — an image format commonly used for installing presets in Lightroom Mobile.
- .zip — a compressed archive containing preset files. The archive usually needs to be extracted before installation.
If you downloaded your presets as a .zip file, don’t try to import the archive blindly. Extract it first and check what files are inside.
Installing Photoshop Presets on Windows
Method 1 — Using Camera Raw
- Open Photoshop.
- Open any photo.
- Go to Filter → Camera Raw Filter.
- On the right side of the Camera Raw window, find the Presets section.
- Click the three-dot menu or settings menu and select Import Profiles & Presets.
- Locate the folder containing your presets. Select the preset files or the archive and click Import.
Your presets should now appear in the Camera Raw Presets list.
Method 2 — Manually Using the Presets Folder
If importing through Photoshop doesn’t work, you can install the presets manually.
On Windows, Camera Raw presets are usually stored here:
C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\CameraRaw\Settings
Replace Admin with your Windows username if necessary.
What to do:
- Close Photoshop.
- Open the folder containing your presets.
- Copy the .xmp files.
- Paste them into the Settings folder.
- Launch Photoshop again, open Camera Raw and check your presets.
If you can’t see the AppData folder, enable Hidden items in Windows File Explorer.
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Installing Photoshop Presets on Mac
Method 1 — Using Camera Raw
- Open Photoshop.
- Open any photo.
- Go to Filter → Camera Raw Filter.
- On the right side of the Camera Raw window, find Presets.
- Click the three-dot menu or settings menu and select Import Profiles & Presets.
- Locate your preset files and click Import.
Your presets will then appear in the Camera Raw Presets panel.
Method 2 — Manually Using the Presets Folder
If importing through Photoshop doesn’t work, you can install the presets manually.
On Mac, Camera Raw presets are usually located here:
Users/YourName/Library/ApplicationSupport/Adobe/CameraRaw/Settings
What to do:
- Close Photoshop.
- Open Finder.
- In the top menu, click Go.
- Hold the Option key to reveal the Library folder.
- Go to Application Support → Adobe → CameraRaw → Settings.
- Copy your .xmp files into this folder.
- Restart Photoshop.
How to Apply Presets
Once your presets are installed, using them is simple:
- Open your photo.
- Go to the Presets panel.
- Select the preset you want to use.
- Click the preset to apply it.
- If necessary, adjust the exposure, white balance, contrast and skin tones.
One important thing to remember
A preset isn’t magic.
The same preset can look completely different depending on the lighting and conditions of the original photo. A preset may behave differently on a photo taken in direct sunlight, in the shade, indoors near a window or under artificial light.
After applying a preset, you will often need to fine-tune:
- Exposure
- White balance
- Contrast
- Saturation
- Skin tone
- Highlights and shadows
This is normal — presets are designed to speed up your editing workflow, not replace the editing process entirely.
What If My Presets Don’t Install?
1. You’re trying to import a ZIP archive that needs to be extracted
Sometimes a ZIP archive contains another folder, additional files or an installation guide.
If Lightroom or Photoshop doesn’t recognize your presets, extract the archive first and try importing the .xmp or .dng files directly.
2. You’re using the wrong file format
Photoshop and desktop versions of Lightroom most commonly use .xmp presets.
Lightroom Mobile without a computer commonly uses .dng files. However, .xmp presets can also be used in Lightroom Mobile in certain workflows.
If you try to load a .dng file into Photoshop as a preset, it won’t appear in the preset list.
Likewise, trying to install an .xmp preset directly into Lightroom Mobile without the appropriate workflow or synchronization may not work.
3. Your software is outdated
Older versions of Lightroom and Photoshop may not support newer preset formats or features.
Update your Adobe applications through Adobe Creative Cloud and try the installation again.
4. Your presets were imported but are hidden
Sometimes imported presets appear inside a separate preset group.
Check the entire Presets panel, including collapsed folders and groups.
5. The presets were installed in the wrong folder
If you’re installing presets manually, make sure you’re using the correct folder path.
This is especially important on Mac, where the Library folder may be hidden by default.
6. Maybe you simply don’t need presets
Sometimes presets aren’t the right solution for your workflow.
If you’re looking for a specific visual style, you may be better off learning how to build your own color and editing workflow instead. 🙂
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