Will Lightroom Presets Work in Photoshop?

Like most people who spent their formative years snapping bad photos of sunsets, I’ve had my fair share of run-ins with Lightroom presets. These magical, one-click wonders are supposed to take your otherwise unremarkable photos and turn them into art so dazzling it could hang in a dentist’s office. But what happens when you venture out of Lightroom’s snug embrace and into Photoshop’s labyrinth of buttons, sliders, and options you’re too afraid to touch? Can your trusty presets come along for the ride?

Spoiler: They can. Mostly.

But getting them there feels a bit like trying to fit a goat into a wetsuit—possible, but unnecessarily complicated. Allow me to explain.

The Photoshop-Lightroom Relationship

The relationship between Lightroom and Photoshop is like that of a wealthy widow and her unruly stepson. Sure, they’re related, and they occasionally play nice at family functions (like Adobe’s Creative Cloud), but spend any real time with them, and you’ll see their differences.

Lightroom is straightforward and user-friendly, a place where presets reign supreme. You click a button, and voila! Your photo is now a dramatic masterpiece with enough moody shadows to make Edgar Allan Poe jealous. Photoshop, on the other hand, is where creativity goes to both flourish and die. There are no presets waiting to rescue you here—at least not in the traditional sense. You have to work for it.

The Technical Answer

Yes, Lightroom presets do work in Photoshop, but not without some effort. You see, presets in Lightroom are actually adjustments to your photo’s settings, like exposure, contrast, and color grading. Photoshop doesn’t have a “presets” button sitting on its toolbar, but it does have something called Camera Raw, which is essentially Lightroom’s alter ego.

Here’s how it works:

1. First, you need to save your Lightroom presets as .xmp files. Don’t worry; this sounds techy, but Lightroom does all the work for you.
2. Once your presets are in .xmp format, Photoshop’s Camera Raw can use them. Open a photo in Photoshop, navigate to Camera Raw, and—if the stars align and Mercury isn’t in retrograde—you’ll see your presets waiting for you like an old friend who still owes you money.

It’s not exactly plug-and-play, but it’s close enough to keep you from throwing your laptop out the window.

But Should You Even Bother?

The better question is whether this is worth your time. If you’re someone who thrives on Lightroom’s simplicity, dipping your toe into Photoshop might feel like wandering into a lecture on quantum physics when all you wanted was to pass Intro to Photography.

Photoshop is powerful, no doubt about it, but it’s also overwhelming. I once opened it with the intention of “learning Photoshop,” and within minutes, I was Googling “how to close Photoshop without crying.” If you’re already comfortable in Lightroom, you might not need Photoshop for most of your editing needs. But if you want to explore its endless possibilities—adding layers, compositing images, or creating something truly surreal—then it’s worth figuring out how to get your presets to play nice with Camera Raw.

Final Thoughts

So, will Lightroom presets work in Photoshop? Yes, but not without a little hustle. Is it worth the effort? That depends on how patient you are and whether you’re okay with feeling slightly inept for 20 minutes.

For me, the joy of a good Lightroom preset is its ability to transform my images quickly, no fuss required. And while Photoshop might allow me to do more, I’ve learned to accept that sometimes less is more—especially when it means preserving my sanity.

If all else fails, there’s always the black-and-white filter.