LUT Installation Guide (.cube files)

What are LUTs?

LUT stands for Look-Up Table. It is a file, most commonly in .cube format, used to transform the colors of an image or video. A LUT works by remapping color and brightness values to create a consistent or stylized look.

LUTs are widely used in video editing and photography for color grading. They can either correct footage (for example converting LOG footage to a standard color space) or apply a creative style.

There are two main types of LUTs. Technical LUTs are used for color space conversion, while creative LUTs are used to achieve a specific visual look. The ones you find on my site are creative LUTs.

ff?

All the example videos you see here are filmed with either a Canon EOS 5d Mark II or IV, and filmed in Rec 709 - not LOG (which is like a raw format). The result of the LUTs will vary depending on how your original video file looks.

Tips & tricks

-Play around with strength of the LUT

-I usually work with LUTs in separate adjustment layers which I place on top of the video clips, that way you can easily work with more than one LUT

-Add the LUT from the ‘creative’ tab in Premiere

Installation

There are two main ways to use LUTs in editing software.

The most common method is to import the LUT directly inside the program using a color grading panel. This works in almost all modern software.

The second method is to install LUTs into specific folders so they appear automatically in the software’s LUT menus. This is mainly used in professional workflows.

Adobe Premiere Pro (Mac and PC)

  1. To quickly use a LUT, select your clip and open the Lumetri Color panel. Under Basic Correction or the Creative tab, locate Input LUT and choose Browse to load your .cube file.

For permanent installation, Adobe now supports both user-level and system-wide folders.

User-level installation (recommended for 2026):

On macOS:

~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Common/LUTs/

On Windows:

C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Common\LUTs\

System-wide installation (optional):

On macOS:

/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Common/LUTs/

On Windows:

C:\Program Files\Adobe\Common\LUTs\

Inside these folders, create subfolders named “Creative” and “Technical” to organize your LUTs. After copying files, restart Premiere Pro. The ones you’ve purchased from me belong in the “Creative” folder. You can drag the whole folder with the .cube files over to the “Creative” folder - but make sure to save a copy in another location as well.

Note that newer Adobe versions may include folders named “Input” and “Output”. These do not replace “Creative” and “Technical”, which are still used for proper categorization.

Avoid installing LUTs inside the Premiere Pro application folder, as this method is outdated and may break when the software updates.

DaVinci Resolve (Mac and PC)

  1. Open Preferences and navigate to the Color section. Under Lookup Tables, click “Open LUT Folder” and copy your .cube files into that directory. Then click “Update Lists” to refresh.

  2. To apply a LUT, go to the Color tab, right-click in the node area, select 3D LUT, and choose your file.

Final Cut Pro (Mac only)

  1. Apply the Custom LUT effect to your clip. In the Inspector panel, select “Choose Custom LUT” and load your file.

  2. For permanent access, LUTs can be placed in: ~/Library/Application Support/ProApps/Custom LUTs/

Using LUTs on Mobile

LUTs can also be used on mobile devices, but they are not installed system-wide. Instead, they are imported directly into supported apps.

Apps such as CapCut, VN Video Editor, and LumaFusion allow you to import .cube files directly into your project. Some apps now allow saving LUTs for reuse, but they remain app-specific.

Other apps, such as Premiere Rush and Lightroom Mobile, do not support .cube files directly.

To use LUTs on mobile, you must first transfer the files to your device using methods such as direct download, AirDrop, USB transfer, or cloud storage.

Tips for Managing LUTs

Keeping LUTs organized in clearly named folders makes them easier to use. It is also important not to stack too many LUTs on a single clip, as this can produce unnatural results. Many programs allow you to adjust the intensity of a LUT, which helps fine-tune the final look.

Common Issues

If a LUT does not appear in your software, restarting the program often resolves the issue. If the colors look incorrect, it may be necessary to apply a technical LUT before a creative one. If a file is not supported, converting it to .cube format is usually the solution.

Sometimes when you’re switching from one LUT to another, it becomes completely washed out. You may need to go back to no LUT and then add it again.