How do I save a color grade as a preset for future projects in Premiere Pro?

March 6, 2026 · caitlin

Saving a color grade as a preset in Adobe Premiere Pro allows you to quickly apply consistent looks to your footage across multiple projects. This feature is invaluable for streamlining your workflow and maintaining a cohesive visual style. You can easily save your Lumetri Color adjustments as a custom preset for future use.

Saving Your Premiere Pro Color Grade as a Preset

Applying a sophisticated color grade to your video footage can elevate its entire mood and aesthetic. However, manually recreating that exact look for every clip or project can be incredibly time-consuming. Fortunately, Premiere Pro offers a straightforward method to save your color grade as a preset, which you can then reuse with a single click. This powerful feature is a game-changer for editors looking to boost their efficiency and ensure visual consistency.

Why Use Custom Color Grade Presets?

Imagine you’ve spent hours perfecting a specific cinematic look for a client’s video. You want to apply a similar vibe to their next project, or perhaps to other clips within the same project. Instead of meticulously adjusting sliders again, you can simply recall your saved color grade preset. This not only saves significant time but also guarantees that the color grading is identical, maintaining your brand’s visual integrity.

Consistency: Ensures a uniform look across all your videos.
Speed: Dramatically reduces the time spent on repetitive color adjustments.
Professionalism: Helps establish and maintain a distinct visual style.
Reusability: Perfect for recurring projects or specific client aesthetics.

Step-by-Step Guide to Saving Your Color Grade Preset

The process of saving a color grade as a preset in Premiere Pro is remarkably simple. It primarily involves using the Lumetri Color panel, where all your grading adjustments are made. Once you’re happy with the look you’ve created, you can export these settings as a reusable file.

1. Apply and Perfect Your Color Grade

First, ensure you have the Lumetri Color panel open. You can find this under Window > Lumetri Color. Apply your desired adjustments to a clip. This could include basic corrections like exposure and contrast, creative looks using LUTs, or advanced color wheels and HSL secondary adjustments. Take your time to achieve the exact look you want.

2. Access the Lumetri Color Panel Menu

Once your color grade is finalized on a clip, locate the Lumetri Color panel. In the top-right corner of the Lumetri Color panel, you’ll see a small icon with three horizontal lines (often referred to as the "hamburger menu"). Click on this icon.

3. Select "Save as Preset"

From the dropdown menu that appears, select the option that says "Save as Preset…". This action will prompt a small window to appear, asking you to name your new preset.

4. Name and Save Your Preset

Give your preset a descriptive name. Something like "Cinematic Teal Orange," "Warm Documentary Look," or "Vintage Film Vibe" will help you easily identify it later. After naming it, click "OK".

Premiere Pro will then save this preset to your Lumetri presets folder. You can find this folder within your Premiere Pro user directory. The next time you need to apply this specific color grade, you can simply drag and drop it from the Effects panel.

How to Apply Your Saved Color Grade Preset

Applying a saved color grade preset is just as easy as saving it. This allows you to quickly apply your custom look to any clip or sequence.

1. Locate the Lumetri Color Panel

Open the Lumetri Color panel again.

2. Navigate to the "Creative" Tab (or other relevant tab)

While you can apply presets from various tabs, the most common place to apply a saved look is often within the "Creative" tab, under the "Look" dropdown. However, you can also drag and drop presets directly from the Effects panel.

3. Browse Your Saved Presets

Click on the dropdown menu for "Look" (or navigate to Effects > Video Effects > Color Correction > Lumetri Color > Presets in the Effects panel). You should see your newly saved preset listed there. Simply select it to apply the color grade to your selected clip.

Alternatively, you can go to the Effects panel, navigate to Video Effects > Color Correction > Lumetri Color > Presets. You’ll find your custom preset here, ready to be dragged and dropped onto any clip in your timeline.

Managing Your Lumetri Color Presets

As you create more custom presets, you might want to organize them. Premiere Pro allows you to manage these presets effectively.

Organizing Your Preset Folder

Your custom Lumetri presets are typically saved in a specific folder on your computer. Knowing where this folder is can help you back them up or transfer them to another computer.

Windows: C:\Users\[Your Username]\Documents\Adobe\Premiere Pro\[Version Number]\Lumetri\LUTs\Creative
macOS: Documents/Adobe/Premiere Pro/[Version Number]/Lumetri/LUTs/Creative

You can create subfolders within the Creative folder to categorize your presets, such as "Client A Looks," "Project X Styles," or "Black and White Tones." This makes finding the right preset much quicker.

Tips for Effective Color Grade Presets

To get the most out of saving color grades as presets, consider these best practices. They will help you maintain a professional workflow and achieve stunning visual results.

Start with a Clean Slate: Ensure your clip has basic corrections (exposure, white balance) before applying a creative preset. This allows the preset to have a more predictable effect.
Use Descriptive Names: As mentioned, clear naming conventions are crucial for managing a growing library of presets.
Test on Different Footage: A preset that looks great on one type of footage might not work as well on another. Always test your presets on various clips to understand their versatility.
Consider LUTs: While you can save Lumetri settings, you can also export your grade as a .cube file (a LUT). This is especially useful if you want to share your look with others who might not have Premiere Pro or want to use it in different editing software.

### How do I export a Lumetri Color grade as a LUT?

To export your Lumetri Color grade as a LUT (Look-Up Table), open the Lumetri Color panel, click the three-line menu icon, and select "Export.cube." You’ll then be prompted to name your LUT and choose a destination to save it. This .cube file can be used in Premiere Pro and other video editing software.

### Can I apply a color grade to multiple clips at once?

Yes, you can apply a color grade to multiple clips simultaneously. Select all the clips you want to grade in your timeline, then apply the Lumetri Color effect to one of them. The adjustments will then be applied to

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