Consistency is essential for your Instagram feed. But it can get tedious to edit each photo. Do you even remember what you did on the last picture to get your signature look?
Presets are the perfect solution to getting a consistent look quickly! Here’s a roundup of the best free presets for Lightroom to help you edit your Instagram photos.
What Are Instagram Presets?
A preset is just another term for a filter. Instagram presets change the exposure and color values to enhance the quality of your image and reach a vintage look.
So are Instagram presets worth it? The simple answer is yes! In most cases, the colors in your photos don’t look as vibrant straight from your camera. That’s why you’ll need to make various adjustments in post to liven up your images.
Of course, you can always adjust your exposure and color manually. But that takes a lot of time to do. With a preset, simply click on the option you want and apply to your Instagram photos. The program then automatically applies the changes and saves you a lot of time.
What makes Instagram presets so useful is that you have the option to tweak them. For instance, if the colors are too saturated for you, you can always tone them down.
Instagram presets also make your photos look more consistent. Why? Because they produce specific ‘looks’. If you chose a vintage preset, for instance, you could expect your digital files to look like old photos every time.
How Do I Achieve The Instagram Look in Lightroom?
You already know how Instagram filters work. You tap them, and you see the colors in your photos change.
Instagram filters make your picture unique because of their film and vintage look. It is understandable if you want to mimic their mood on the photos you took with a DSLR.
Good news! You can also add Instagram style presets using third-party apps! In this article, we’ll talk about Lightroom Classic and Lightroom Mobile in particular.
In many ways, Lightroom presets work just like a regular Instagram filter. All you have to do is tap the option you like, and you’ll see the app transform the photo automatically.
But you have to remember that Lightroom is a third-party app. So the real challenge lies in how you upload the photos with presets to Instagram.
The easiest way is to use Lightroom Mobile. All you have to do is apply the preset and post the photo to Instagram within the Lightroom app itself.
The tricky part is if you edit your photos using Lightroom Classic on your desktop. So how do you share your files, then? The secret is to sync your Lightroom Classic with your Lightroom Mobile app.
To sign up to Lightroom Mobile, you have to use the same Adobe Creative Cloud account you use to log into Lightroom Classic. So thankfully, whatever collection of photos you have in Classic will automatically appear in your Mobile galleries through the cloud.
Knowing this, all you have to do is to pick the photo you want from the collection. Then you can post your image to Instagram from within the Lightroom Mobile app. Easy, right?
8 Best Free Presets for Instagram
All the presets below are Lightroom presets. So the information you just learned will come in handy!
Presetpro is our top pick overall: the biggest in-house collection here, sorted so you can sample before you buy. If you're short on time, start there. Want something quicker with no upsell? Greater Than Gatsby and No Man Before are both single downloads. Want more to sample? The Presets Room and ON1 have the widest range. And if you already know your look (warm and sun-bleached, moody and dark, or clean with protected skin tones), skip ahead to the matching entry below.
1. Presetpro
Looking for a one-stop-shop for a variety of presets to sample? You may want to check out the free Lightroom presets collection from Presetpro.
They have an extensive collection of preset bundles. They’re broken down into categories, and each allows one free preset download. It’s the best opportunity to sample before you buy!
Feel free to try their film-inspired Instagram presets. They are some of the best we tested on this list.
One thing to know: the presets sit inside categories rather than one master pack, so plan on a minute of browsing before you land on your look.
2. Greater Than Gatsby
Greater Than Gatsby is a well-known creator of presets and actions for portraits and weddings. They offer a free 10-preset sample pack for download.
Unlike other Instagram preset packages, the free options that Greater than Gatsby offers retain skin tones. That means you won’t get unnatural colors that make your beautiful subjects look anaemic.
Because the presets are built to protect skin tones, they won't give you punchy, saturated color if that's the effect you're after.
3. The Presets Room
The Presets Room gives away over 250 free Lightroom presets, and it's the biggest free collection on this list.
Every preset comes in both a desktop and a mobile version, and they're sorted into categories, so you can go straight to the look you want instead of downloading the lot.
There's a free preset of the day and a most-downloaded-this-week section, which are both good places to start if you don't know what you're after.
The 250+ core presets download directly, no email required, though the site keeps nudging a newsletter sign-up for extra freebies and a discount on its paid bundles.
4. Cole’s Classroom
Cole’s Classroom offers a free Lightroom presets bundle. It’s packed with a mix of looks that can fit a variety of photo subjects.
With the stylized looks of these presets, though, they’re a good fit for portraits.
Cole’s Classroom offers a set of stylized presets best suited for casual portraits with a vintage flair.
These lean moodier and vintage-tinted, so they're a mismatch if your feed runs bright and airy.
Cole’s Classroom offers a set of stylized presets best suited for casual portraits with a vintage flair.
5. Fix the Photo
Fix the Photo is a website that specializes in photo retouching services. But it also offers a large collection of presets for Lightroom for a variety of categories!
They do also sell presets that they refer to as “Pro.” But the presets you can get for free will serve you well for finding that Instagram-worthy look.
The free presets live on a site built to sell photo retouching, so expect the occasional pitch for paid work alongside them.
6. ON1
ON1, a company with photo-editing software for sale, has a section of free presets. They give away whole packs—All Seasons Adaptive Presets, Kids Matte B&W, plus collections from Shotkit, Contrastly, and Sleeklens.
It's a great way to sample their style before investing. The page also walks you through importing presets into Lightroom, step by step, if this is your first set.
ON1 pairs the free presets with a steady pitch for its paid desktop software, so skip it if you'd rather not see the upsell.
7. No Man Before
If travel photos are your main Instagram topic, then you’ll want to take a look at the presets bundle created by No Man Before a travel site for the modern explorer.
These Instagram presets give a warm look full of sunshine to any photo. Take a look at their site’s images to give you the overall feel that these presets will create for you.
Just four presets, and all built around warm, sun-heavy travel shots, so indoor or studio shooters won't find much use here.
8. Helene in Between
Do you aspire to reach influencer status or be a full-time travel blogger? Then, it only makes sense to use Instagram presets from a travel blogger or influencer!
Helene sells Lightroom presets in her online shop. But the free bundle is a fantastic introduction to looks that are tailored to Instagram.
Helene in Between’s presets make your photos look like a professional’s work, with inviting soft colors and dark shadows. It’s a great start to editing travel photos.
The soft colors and dark shadows suit a moody feed, not a bright, high-key one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these Instagram presets really free?
Yes. Every site on this list gives away at least one preset pack with no purchase required. A few, like ON1 and Fix the Photo, also sell paid bundles or software alongside the download, but the free pack works on its own.
Do free Lightroom presets work on Lightroom Mobile?
Most do. Look for a DNG file alongside the XMP: the DNG version is the one that imports into Lightroom Mobile on iPhone and Android. Check each site's download page to confirm before you pick one.
Can I apply a preset and post straight to Instagram?
Yes, if you're using Lightroom Mobile: apply the preset and share the photo to Instagram from inside the app. On desktop, sync your edit through Adobe Creative Cloud first, then post from your phone.
Will one preset look the same on every photo?
Not exactly. Lighting, exposure, and color vary from shot to shot, so expect to nudge the exposure or white balance slightly after applying a preset. The overall look holds even when the numbers don't match exactly.
Conclusion
While it’s not very difficult to create your own presets, having some at your disposal to play with is helpful. These days, most online shops that sell presets will also offer some for free download.
If you only try one, start with Presetpro: it's our top pick for range and quality. With so many options out there, what’s stopping you from creating your perfect Instagram look?
Looking for more awesome ideas on Lightroom presets? Check out our new post on the best Lightroom presets for portraits!
Don’t forget to check our new ebook – Social Success Strategies, for all the best social media tips!