Frequently asked questions

The download contains a Lightroom-Camera-Raw folder with .xmp files. In Lightroom Classic: open the Develop panel, click the plus next to Presets and choose Import Presets. Select the .xmp files. In Lightroom (cloud) and Camera Raw it works the same way. Restart Lightroom if you don't see them right away.

Use the Capture One folder with the .costyle files. In Capture One: open the Styles panel, click the three dots and choose Import Styles. Select the .costyle files. They appear under User Styles.

Every preset comes in four strengths. 100% is the full effect, 25% a subtle hint. A preset is a starting point, not the finish line: begin at 50% or 75% and then fine-tune exposure, shadows and contrast for your photo.

That's the same look as a 3D LUT, handy for video or software that uses LUTs instead of Lightroom presets. Don't need it? Just ignore the LUT folder.

Yes, on RAW and JPEG, any camera. RAW gives you the most room to adjust. Colour rendering differs per camera and scene, so a preset may land slightly differently on your photo. That's normal: just fine-tune it.

Examples were made on other photos, in other light. Start with white balance (temperature) and exposure, then contrast and shadows. Often you're there. Try the different strengths too.

The link is valid for 90 days. If it no longer works, email michielheijmans@gmail.com with your email or order number and I'll send a new one.

Check your spam or promotions folder first. Nothing there? Email michielheijmans@gmail.com and I'll find your order.

No. You order without an account and get the download link by email. For all your purchases or an invoice later, log in with your email via a login link.

After your purchase you request one yourself via our website: the link is in your confirmation email. Fill in your details and you get a PDF invoice with VAT right away.

Because you get the download immediately, you waive your right of withdrawal at purchase. Something wrong or not working? Email me and I'll fix it.

With a single purchase or the Personal subscription you use the presets for your own photos. For commissioned commercial work there is the Commercial subscription.

A preset is a set of slider settings in Lightroom or Capture One that you can still adjust afterwards. A LUT is a lookup table that converts colours directly and also works in video software. Every download includes both: the preset to fine-tune with and the .cube LUT for video. Read more in the thesaurus.

Yes. Every download includes a .cube LUT with the same look. You load it in video software such as DaVinci Resolve or Premiere as an adjustment or effect, so your photo and video share the same mood. See also the LUT explanation.

Yes. The presets are XMP files and work in Lightroom Mobile. Import the .xmp file in the Lightroom app via Presets, the three-dots menu and then Import Presets. They are then ready on your phone or tablet.

A single preset (€3.99) is a one-time purchase you can use forever. A subscription gives unlimited access to all presets and packs for a fixed yearly price. For two or three presets a year, buying single is better value; above that, the subscription usually wins.

Yes. Every preset page has a tester that shows the effect on several test photos, at all four strengths. Want to actually work with a real download without paying? Get the free pack The Observer.

Yes, a preset does not care how old a photo is, only about the colour and light values in it. Older RAW or JPEG files work just as well as recent work, as long as you open them in Lightroom or Camera Raw.

Fewer than most bundles make you believe. Most photographers end up using two to four presets structurally: one for their main style and a few for specific situations, such as black and white or evening light. Start small and expand once you notice you are missing something.

Not necessarily. Price reflects how much work went in, not automatically whether the style suits your photos. A €3.99 preset that matches your style perfectly is worth more than an expensive bundle where you only use two presets.

Because you get the download immediately, you waive your right of withdrawal at purchase. If a preset does not work technically as expected, email michielheijmans@gmail.com and we will sort it out. Not sure beforehand? Use the free tester first.

A single preset costs €3.99. A pack with a series of presets in the same style costs €17.99 or €19.99. Using multiple styles structurally? A yearly subscription from €49 is often better value than single purchases.

That depends on how much you buy. The Personal subscription costs €49 a year, roughly equivalent to twelve or thirteen single presets. Buy more than that per year and the subscription is better value; stay under it and single purchases cost less.

View the subscriptions →

Yes, the XMP file works in both versions. In Lightroom Classic you import via the Presets panel, in Lightroom (CC) via the presets panel in the Edit module. The preset itself does not change between versions.

Not directly, but via Camera Raw you can: open your photo as a Smart Object or through the Camera Raw filter, and the XMP preset shows up in the same panel as in Lightroom. For pure Photoshop work you can also use the included .cube LUT as an adjustment layer.

Yes, the files (XMP, .costyle, .cube) are not operating-system dependent. Lightroom, Capture One and most video software read them the same way on Mac and Windows.

An .xmp file only contains the edit settings and is the standard format for Lightroom. A .dng preset is tied to one specific image file. On this site you always get the .xmp format, so you can apply the preset to any photo.

Lightroom always applies one preset fully at a time, but you can apply a second preset afterwards: its settings then add on top of the first. For predictable results, one preset as a base with manual fine-tuning afterwards works best.

No. A preset in Lightroom works non-destructively: it only adjusts the edit settings, the original file stays unchanged. You can remove or adjust the preset at any time without any loss of quality.

Yes, Lightroom reads HEIC files just as well as JPEG or RAW, and a preset works on them identically. For the most editing room, switch your iPhone's camera settings to RAW (ProRAW) if your device supports it.

Yes, and that is the whole point. A preset is a starting point: after applying it you can still adjust every slider, from exposure to white balance, based on your own photo.

Example photos are shot under specific light and on a specific camera. Colour rendering differs per scene and device, so a preset always lands slightly differently on your photo. Start with white balance and exposure, and use a lower strength if the effect feels too strong.

That varies per workflow, but the biggest time saving is consistency: instead of judging every photo separately, you apply a preset once and work from there. On larger series (a wedding, a trip) that saves the most work fastest.

Presets are especially useful for beginners: they show in one click what exposure, contrast and colour do to a photo, after which you can learn by adjusting the sliders yourself. Experienced photographers mostly use them to work faster.

A preset gives you the same starting point a professional uses, but the final result also depends on composition, the light you shot in and how you fine-tune the preset afterwards. It is a tool, not a guarantee.

Both work, but RAW gives more room. A RAW file holds more image information in the highlights and shadows, so a preset is less likely to show clipping or banding than on a JPEG, which has already discarded data when it was saved.

A filter is usually a fixed, non-adjustable layer over your photo. A preset in Lightroom is a set of individual settings (exposure, colour, contrast) that you can still fully adjust after applying it, based on your own photo.

With a single purchase or the Personal subscription you use the presets on your own photos. Selling photos as stock or to clients requires the Commercial subscription (€89 a year).

No, a purchase or subscription is personal. Want someone else to work with the same preset too? They are best off buying it themselves, or taking their own subscription.

Yes. The Commercial subscription is specifically for client work, commissioned shoots and stock sales, and includes a VAT invoice and a downloadable licence certificate with your name, so you can send it to a client as proof.

View the subscriptions →

Photos you already edited and delivered during your subscription remain validly used. After cancelling you can no longer download new presets or deliver new work with presets you do not hold a separate licence for.

A profile is the base colour interpretation Lightroom applies to your RAW file before you start editing. A preset sits on top of that: a set of adjustments (exposure, colour, contrast) you deliberately add for a specific look.

A preset is faster as a starting point, but does not replace manual fine-tuning: you still adjust exposure and details after applying it. The time saving is in skipping building a look from scratch, not in skipping editing altogether.

Sometimes, but less often than you would hope. Paid presets are usually tested on more photos, cameras and skin tones, making them more reliable across a larger set of images. Free presets are fine to try, less so to rely on structurally.

For individual photos a preset is by far the cheapest and fastest option. Hiring an editor only becomes worthwhile for large series where consistency across hundreds of photos matters, such as a wedding. For personal work and hobby projects, a preset is more than enough in practice.