Lightroom to Capture One: Preset Conversion Guide

Want to move your Lightroom presets to Capture One? 

Lightroom has long been a favorite tool for photographers, but many are now exploring Capture One for its powerful features and color control. 

If you're making the switch, one question likely comes up: how can you bring your favorite Lightroom presets with you? 

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of converting Lightroom presets for Capture One, so you can maintain your editing style and workflow consistency in the new software. Whether you’re a seasoned Lightroom user or just curious about Capture One, these steps will help make the transition smooth and straightforward. Here's everything you need to know:

What converts well:

• Basic exposure settings
• White balance
• Contrast
• Curves
• Simple color adjustments

What doesn't convert:

• Dehaze
• Camera calibration
• Complex LUTs
• Some HSL adjustments

Quick steps:

1. Export Lightroom presets as XMP files
2. Use Picture Instruments ($47) to convert them
3. Import into Capture One as styles
4. Fine-tune colors and curves as needed

You'll need:

• Capture One Pro (20 or newer)
• Your Lightroom presets
• Picture Instruments Preset Converter
• About 1-2 hours for testing and adjustments

Most basic edits convert smoothly, but you'll need to tweak color settings manually. The process takes some time, but it beats recreating everything from scratch.

Featured Video: Preset Converter Lightroom to Capture One Tutorial

Before You Start

Here's everything you need to switch your presets from Lightroom to Capture One:

Before you jump in, let's get your files and system ready:

1. Back Up Everything

Make copies of your Lightroom catalog, presets, and current edits. Better safe than sorry!

2. Set Up Your Folders

3. Know What Works

"I switched to Capture One after seeing other photographers talk about its RAW conversion quality. Their webinars sealed the deal." - Bob DeLellis, Wedding Photographer

Quick Tip: Export your Lightroom presets as XMP files first. This keeps your data intact during conversion.

How Presets Work

Let's break down how presets work in both LR and Capture One.

Lightroom Preset Basics

Think of LR presets like recipe cards for your photos. One click applies all your favorite editing settings instantly.

Here's what you need to know:

Capture One Style Basics

Capture One splits things into two parts:

Key Differences Between Both

Here's what sets them apart:

Watch These Settings:

• White Balance
• Exposure
• Crop
• Color Editor
• Curves
• Film Grain
• Vignetting

Make Them Work Better:

• Don't go overboard with adjustments
• Try them on different photos
• Use them when importing
• Mix and match for custom effects

Want to use both programs? Check out Presets.io - they make presets that work in both Lightroom and Capture One.

Automatic Conversion Tools

Want to move your LR presets to Capture One? Here are the tools that can help.

Picture Instruments Preset Converter

Picture Instruments makes a tool that turns Lightroom presets into Capture One styles. Here's what it does:

How to Use the Converter

The process is simple:

1. Pick your LR presets (single file or folder)
2. Choose where to save your new Capture One styles
3. Turn off white balance settings to avoid issues
4. Hit convert and let it work

But heads up: Not everything converts perfectly.

"Since Adobe Lightroom and Capture One differ fundamentally in their RAW-conversion there are a few technical hurdles that we want to be clear and honest about." - Picture Instruments

Making It Work Better

Here's what I've learned:

• Try the converted styles in Capture One's free trial first
• Test your styles on different photos
• Fix color issues by hand if needed
• Use presets with moderate settings
• Convert in batches to work faster

The tool uses Capture One's Color Editor and Luma Curve Tools to match Lightroom's look. While it won't give you perfect copies, it beats spending hours doing it yourself.

Manual Conversion Steps

Here's how to turn your LR presets into Capture One styles:

Export from Lightroom

First, get your preset out of LR:

1. Go to the Develop module
2. Find your preset folder
3. Right-click your preset
4. Hit "Export"
5. Pick XMP as the file type

Create Capture One Styles

Here's what matches between the two programs:

Now, let's build your style:

1. Open a photo in both apps
2. Use your LR preset
3. Copy those settings in Capture One
4. Save it as a style

Fix Common Problems

Here's what might go wrong (and how to fix it):

Quick tip: Want to edit multiple photos at once? Turn on "Edit All Selected Variants" in Capture One.

To save your style:

• Click the three-line menu in any tool
• Pick "Save User Preset"
• Give it a clear name
• Put similar presets in style packs

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Improve Your Converted Styles

Here's how to fine-tune your presets after moving them from LRto Capture One:

Fix Color Settings

The Color Editor in Capture One lets you match colors with precision. Here's what works:

Want to fix those green tones in your nature shots? Just set Hue to -20 and Saturation to -17.9. That'll match what you had in Lightroom.

Adjust Curves

You've got two main curve options in Capture One:

Here's what works for curves:

• Drop in points for dark and bright spots
• Make an S-shape for pop
• Lock in your blacks and whites
• Keep those curves smooth

These settings nail it most times:

"The color editor helps fix those tricky skin tones that need work." - Pratik Naik, High-End Retoucher

Pro Move: Keep flipping between your LR edit and Capture One version. You'll spot what needs fixing right away.

Test Your Styles

Here's how to check if your Capture One styles match your LR presets:

When testing, focus on these key areas:

"When applying a Style or Preset, the changes should indeed be visible in every tool included." - Alex, Capture One Support

Here's what to do:

1. Pick a reference photo and apply your style
2. Look at each tool's settings
3. Use Compare View to see the whole effect
4. Check for any missing parts

Picture Instruments' Preset Converter ($47) helps find issues, especially with tools like Dehaze.

For multiple images:

• Sort by metadata
• Look at different versions
• Check focus points
• Compare similar photos

Organize Your Styles

Here's how to set up your styles for quick access and better workflow:

Your styles need a home. Think of it like organizing your closet - everything needs its place.

Here's what works:

"Styles aren't just presets - they're your secret weapon for faster editing." - Alexander Flemming, Product Manager at Capture One

Put these in your style groups:

• Curves
• Levels
• Color Balance
• Color Editor
• Highlight/Shadow Recovery
• Film Grain
• Vignetting

Keep these separate:

• White Balance
• Exposure
• Crop
• Contrast slider
• Rating tags

Save and Share

Back up your styles. No excuses.

Name your files like this:

YYYY-MMDD_StyleName_Version

For big catalogs:

1. Main styles go in root
2. Variations go in subfolders
3. Back up everywhere
4. Name everything clearly

Do this:

• Test on different photos
• Keep folders simple
• Update versions
• Write down special settings

Wrap-Up

Here's what you need to know about moving from LR to Capture One:

Before You Start:

• Back up your Lightroom stuff
• Clean up your presets
• Try converting a few test files

During the Switch:

• Use 100x100x100 color grid settings
• Focus on simple adjustments
• Skip the fancy stuff (LUTs, complex curves)

After You're Done:

• Check your styles on different photos
• Fix any weird color issues
• Set up your Capture One workspace

Here's what it'll cost you:

"If I were producing high-end commercial images, this would be the obvious choice as my retouching work would be a lot more detailed." - Andy Day, Photographer and Writer

What Works Right Away:

• Basic exposure
• White balance
• Color tweaks
• Curves
• Basic tones

What You'll Need to Set Up Again:

• Layers
• Local adjustments
• Advanced color work
• Camera profiles

The switch might take some time, but stick with it. Focus on getting the basics right first, then work your way up to the more advanced features.

FAQs

Do Lightroom presets work with Capture One?

Nope. Lightroom presets and Capture One styles are two different things. They both help you edit photos faster, but they're NOT compatible with each other.

Here's what you need to know:

How do I export from Lightroom to Capture One?

It's pretty simple. Here's what to do:

1. Open Capture One Pro
2. Go to File > Import Catalog > Lightroom Catalog
3. Pick your Lightroom catalog file

When you do this, Capture One brings over:

• Ratings
• Color labels
• Keywords
• IPTC data
• Basic edits (like White Balance, Exposure, and Saturation)

How do I add styles to Capture One?

Here's the quick way:

1. Open Capture One Pro
2. Drag your Styles Pack into the app window
3. Click the ••• icon in Styles and Presets
4. Hit "Import Styles"
5. Find your Styles Pack
6. Click Open

Your new styles will show up under Custom Styles. Want to use your old Lightroom presets? Picture Instruments' Preset Converter ($47) can turn them into Capture One styles.