I won’t lie… I’m a Lightroom preset junkie. But I’ve been playing with Photoshop’s Color Lookup Table adjustment for a while now, and I’m really diggin’ the results. I think, as photographers, we all go through different changes and moods when it comes to our photography. These Color Lookup Tables (also called, “LUTs”) have given me a new look on some styling that I can do on my photos.
Free Download
If you watch the video below you’ll see, toward the end, I mention a download. It’s a PSDÂ file that lets you cycle through Photoshop’s built-in 3DLUTs in an easier and more visual way. Just open the PSD file > Go to Window-Layer Comps >Â and press the arrows at the bottom to cycle through the various presets.
Here’s the link to download the Sample PSD File.
The Video
As promised, here’s a video that talks a little about how to use the lookup tables, why/when I use them, and some tricks to help get the most out of them. Enjoy!
I love teaching and photography... In that order. I feel that enjoying photography, and photo editing can get WAY too complicated. So my personal mission (and favorite thing to do), is to create education that simplifies the process of taking great photos, and how to edit them to get the results you’ve always wanted.
please tell me how to downlaod 3d luts like fuji and kodak and all others.
Thanks for making it easy Matt!
Thanks! Learned something new today. Awesome-sauce.
Thanks Matt. Saved it with your PS CC Course
What would be great is if you could keep the action oriented psd 3DLUT file as a saved extension or else affixed file tool.
This way, it would always be available within photoshop for whenever you would like to use it. Other than that it’s best saved in the Photoshop Folder.
As I am a New B as for PS please tell me how to install this file into PS. I enjoyed watching your video and very much wish to try it out. thanks for doing and helping.
Thanks Matt! Perhaps you can share how to create this so it work in both portrait and landscape and with large files – maybe another tutorial.
Thank you for sharing the video on this awesome technique and giving us the PSD file for free AWESOME 🙂 Cheers Lucy
Hi Matt,
Really enjoying the course – have got to Portrait. This tutorial is brill but has drawn my attention to the fact that my files are too big for the PSD you have produced so I must be saving them at the wrong resolution. Please will you let me know what size I should be saving them at or maybe I should be flattening them first so they are smaller? I have been Saving As and changing name.
Thanks for all your help.
C
Hi Catherine – the file I saved as a PSD is very small (so it’s not too large to download). It’s meant to be a “proof”, not a final image. SO yes, everything you paste in will be large and need to be resized down so that you can “proof” the various LUTs and their effects. Then you can see which one worked and use the tutorial to apply it to your full image.
Thanks.
Thanks, Matt!
Too cool, thanks
Thanks for the tutorial and video. Looks like something I would love to use, but is it available on Elements 14?
No Lee. Only Photoshop CS6 and above.
Too bad, thanks
Thank you for the .psd file, Matt. I knew about color lookup, but it is much handier to have the options arrayed in a way that allows me to quickly compare effects. Besides using the arrows, I can click between effects that are not adjacent without having to turn one off before going to the other. Thanks again for all your tips and tutorials!
Hi Matt, thanks for taking the trouble to produce the file and sharing it – makes it so easy to see the different looks, and some of those looks are really quite amazing. Just been playing with it and shall certainly be using this adjustment again now that I know what it can do.
Thank you for all you do – I’ve probably learnt most of what I know about Photoshop from you over the years.
I don’t see that square in adjustments in cs 5
Hi Gary – I believe it’s CS6 and above only.
Hi Matt:
Thanks for creating and sharing this file and associated video. I love that photo you used from Yosemite, with El Cap and the Three Brothers. You don’t often see this view. Most shots are taken from Tunnel View, but this is super with the reflection!
Matt, Your intro to Color Lookup Tables is fascinating, but do you have to code each of the CLTs into the PSD by hand? If so, would it be hard for a user to do so? And would it be hard to create new CLTs for Photoshop? Is there a guide to do so? Thanks
Thanks Matt Now i downloaded it I”try in the weekend.
Betty
This is amazing. However I seem to not be understanding on how to have it make the changes to my photo after I drag it and and transform it. I think I must be missing a step.
Hey Deb – you need to press Cmd E / Ctrl E to merge the new photo layer down with the background below it. I forgot that Layer Comps remember the visibility so when you cycle through them, they remembered that I had the background layer turned on and will always revert to that.
Thx.
Hi Matt,
Thanks for sharing the clue and making it clear and easy to understand. Tried it on some waterfall shots from last weekend and loved the results.
Much appreciated,
Allen
You’re welcome Allen. Enjoy!
Hi again! I successfully downloaded the PSD file and pasted my image on on top your image, but I cannot get the layer to stay visible when trying to cycle through the effects. It turns off every time. Thanks!
Ruth, you need to Merge Down to eliminate the default photo and keep your photo active. You can’t just delete the default photo either. Your photo has to be merged with it.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I’m looking forward to trying the PSD file and see how the different affects look on one of my images. Can we save new presets that we make here just like other presets are made in PS? I’m sure I speak for many, we appreciate your generosity and how clearly you teach.
Thanks Matt for the beautiful tutorial en the psd file. It works and i’m very happy with it.
marijke
Matt
The link to download the PSD file is not working May you please look at it? Thanks in advance
Betty
The page doesn’t open, it just downloads the file automatically into your downloads folder.
Matt,
When I click on Download the Sample PSD file, I get a message that the webpage cannot be found.
Barbara
Oooops. It’s working now 🙂 Thanks.