Create and Apply Color Effects Using Lookup Tables in Photoshop
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Create LUTs in Photoshop by saving any color grade you build with Adjustment Layers as a reusable Color Lookup Table you can apply to other photos and videos.
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to Create Color Lookup Tables from scratch using Adjustment Layers.
This tutorial shows two ways to create LUTs in Photoshop: loading one Adobe already built in, and building your own from scratch.
Note: The video was recorded in Photoshop 2015 (version 16.0), and every step still works the same way in the current version of Photoshop.
Key Takeaways
- A Color Lookup Table (LUT) applies a whole color grade to an image in one click, with no manual color adjustments needed.
- Photoshop cannot build a LUT on its own. You create the look first with Adjustment Layers, then export it as a LUT.
- A layer group needs a Background Layer underneath it before Photoshop will let you export a Color Lookup Table.
- The ICC Profile format keeps a LUT usable in any color mode, which is why it is the safer export choice over CUBE.
- Once exported, the same LUT file works in Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, and After Effects.
- A LUT you export as an ICC file loads back in under Device Link in the Color Lookup adjustment, not under Load 3D LUT.
Table of contents
What You Will Learn
- How to apply a built-in Color Lookup Table to a photo.
- How to build a custom color grade using Curves and a Solid Color adjustment layer.
- How to group your adjustment layers and convert a photo layer into a Background Layer.
- How to export your color grade as a Color Lookup Table.
- How to load your new LUT onto another image with the Color Lookup adjustment.
Requirements
Before you start
- Photoshop 2015 (version 16.0) or the current version
Keyboard Shortcuts to Create LUTs in Photoshop
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Select multiple layers | Shift | Shift |
| Group the selected layers | Ctrl G | Command G |
Applying Color Lookup Tables
Color Lookup Tables are a great way of adding a color grade effect to an image with very little work.
To apply a Color Lookup Table, go to Adjustment Layer > Color Lookup Table.
From the Properties panel, Open the Load 3D LUT dropdown. Select any 3D LUT you like. This is the result of the Teal Orange Plus Contrast.
And the result from Night From Day.CUBE.
As you can see, they’re very easy to apply, and you can create them easily as well.
How To Create a 3D Lookup Table (3D LUT)
To create a 3D LUT, you first must apply a creative effect to your images using Adjustment Layers and Blending Modes.
For this example, we will create an effect using three adjustment layers that we will later turn into a 3D LUT.
Start by creating Curves Adjustment Layer and creating an S curve to add contrast.
Create a second Curves Adjustment Layer, and from the Green channel, raise the highlights.
Then create a Solid Color Fill Layer, and apply it with the Multiply Blending Mode.
Reduce the Opacity of the solid green layer to tone down the effect.
Now that we have a basic color adjustment, let’s turn this effect into a 3D LUT to apply it to any other image.
Creating a Color Lookup Table From Adjustment Layers
- Start by placing the Adjustment Layers and Solid Color Fill into a group.
- Hold Shift (Windows) or Shift (macOS), click the topmost layer, then click the layer just above the photo to select them all.
- Then press CtrlG (Windows) or CommandG (macOS).
- Convert the photo layer into a Background Layer.
- Go to Layer > New > Layer from Background. To create a Color Lookup Table, you must have a Background Layer.
To create the Color Lookup Table, go to File > Export > Color Lookup Tables.
You can name the file from the Export Color Lookup Tables dialogue box and apply other settings. Check the Format ICC Profile box so that the Color Lookup is not dependent on any color profile.
Then Press OK and save your new 3D LUT on your computer.
Loading the new Color Lookup Table into Photoshop
Click on the New Adjustment Layer icon and choose Color Lookup.
Then click on Device Link and load your 3D LUT. You will have to find it on your computer.
Once you load your new Lookup Table, you will see it in the Layers Panel with the effect you created
Frequently Asked Questions
A Color Lookup Table, or LUT, is a file that remaps every color in an image to a new one. Applying it with the Color Lookup adjustment layer instantly recreates a color grade.
To create LUTs in Photoshop, build a color grade with Adjustment Layers like Curves and a Solid Color fill. Group them over a Background Layer, then go to File > Export > Color Lookup Tables.
Photoshop needs a Background Layer under your adjustment group. Convert your photo layer with Layer > New > Background From Layer, then try exporting again.
Choose ICC Profile if you want the LUT to work regardless of color mode. Choose CUBE only when another application specifically requires that format.
Yes. A Color Lookup Table you export from Photoshop also works in Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, and any other application that supports LUTs.
Add a new Color Lookup adjustment layer. Choose Device Link if you exported an ICC file, or Load 3D LUT if you exported a CUBE file.
No. Once you load a LUT there is nothing to adjust beyond the layer’s own Opacity and Blending Mode.
Final Thoughts
The Color Lookup Tables you create in Photoshop also work in Premiere Pro and After Effects.
Creating your own Color Lookup Table turns a color grade you already like into a one-click preset you can reuse on any photo.
The whole process comes down to Adjustment Layers, a Background Layer, and one trip to File > Export > Color Lookup Tables.
Watch the video above for the full walkthrough, and comment on the video if you have a question.
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Keep going
Next, check out our full guide to exporting and using LUTs in Photoshop.
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