Unlock Your Signature Look: A Deep Dive into Creating Custom LUTs from Your Color Grades

Create Custom LUTs: Turn Your Favorite Grades into Reusable Looks

If you want a recognizable visual style across films, commercials, and social posts, learn how to create custom LUTs from your best grades. In the first 100 words alone, let’s set expectations: we’ll cover export 3D LUT options, how a DaVinci Resolve LUT is generated, how to apply a Premiere Pro LUT via Lumetri, and when a Photoshop export LUT workflow makes sense. You’ll get a step-by-step method, pro tips from real projects, a quick comparison of Presets vs Manual Editing, and smart testing so your look holds up on different cameras and scenes.

Want a polished head start while you build your own library? Try a proven pack and then fine-tune: explore the Bestselling LUTs Collection, or browse the broader Premiere Pro LUTs collection. Try them today—Buy 3, Get 9 FREE.

LUTs in Plain Language (and Why 3D > 1D)

A LUT is a look-up table: a compact map that transforms color and tone from input to output. 1D LUTs adjust channels independently (good for simple tone curves). 3D LUTs map RGB in a 3-D cube, handling complex interactions for cinematic looks with fewer artifacts. For quality, 33-point and 65-point 3D LUTs are common choices.

The Payoff: Consistency, Speed, Creative Control

Consistency: One look across cameras, scenes, and episodes.
Speed: Apply a polished grade in seconds and refine locally.
Control: The look reflects your creative fingerprint, not a generic preset.

Step-by-Step: Craft Your Signature Grade First

The best LUTs start with a solid, repeatable grade on a representative reference shot. Here’s the workflow I use on paid projects:

Good source material: Use footage with clean exposure and skin tones. If possible, shoot LOG/flat to maximize latitude.
Primary correction: Balance white point, set contrast, and place black/white points with scopes (waveform/parade/vectorscope).
Secondary shaping: Use qualifiers/masks to protect skin, control skies/foliage, and isolate tricky hues.
Curves for character: Build a gentle S-curve for “snap” and use hue/sat/luma curves for tastefully selective changes.
Keep it clean: Avoid extreme saturation or crushing shadows; subtle, well-managed changes translate better to LUTs.

First-hand note: I tested this approach on a wedding highlight and a moody indoor interview; the same LUT held up after small exposure trims, which made client rounds much faster.

Exporting Your Grade as a LUT (By App)

DaVinci Resolve: “Generate 3D LUT”

On the Color page, right-click the node holding your final look and choose Generate 3D LUT. Save as .cube at 33 or 65 points for accuracy. Keep grain, halation, and heavy OFX off the final node if you want a clean, portable LUT.

Premiere Pro & After Effects: Use Lumetri & Apply Color LUT

Premiere Pro applies LUTs via Lumetri (Input LUT or Creative LUT) and lets you save and reuse the look (as a preset) across projects. See Adobe’s “Looks and LUTs” guide and Lumetri color management enhancements for current best practices. After Effects applies LUTs with the Apply Color LUT effect—details in Adobe’s Utility effects (Apply Color LUT).

Photoshop: Still-Based Export

Grading a still and want to export a LUT for video tools? Photoshop can export LUTs directly: File > Export > Color Lookup Tables. See Adobe’s “Export color lookup tables” for steps and format options.

Validation: How to Prove Your LUT Is Production-Ready

Stress test scenes: Daylight, tungsten, mixed light, low light.
Watch for artifacts: Crushed blacks, clipped highlights, banding in gradients, weird skin shifts.
Check monitoring chain: Calibrated displays and color-managed timelines reduce surprises. (For background, see the International Color Consortium on ICC color management.)
Scope it: Confirm your contrast and saturation targets on waveform, parade, and vectorscope.

Pro Tips That Make Better LUTs

Anchor mid-gray: A stable midtone keeps the look predictable across exposure swings.
Keep “utility” separate: Do transforms (LOG-to-display, gamut mapping) before the “look” node so your LUT isn’t camera-locked.
Name & version: Use semantic names (e.g., Moody_Warm_v3_33pt.cube) and keep a brief readme with usage notes.
Stack with care: Stacking multiple LUTs can compound rounding errors; prefer one primary look, then minor refinements in wheels/curves.
Deliver presets too: Alongside the LUT, save an app-native preset (e.g., Lumetri) for quick tweaks per scene.

Presets vs Manual Editing (and Where LUTs Fit)

Presets/LUTs: Speed and Consistency

Great for fast baselines, brand alignment, and multi-editor teams. Start with a LUT/preset and finish with subtle local adjustments (skin, windows, noise reduction).

Manual Editing: Maximum Precision

When the scene is atypical, or skin/wardrobe/art needs special handling, manual tools win. A hybrid approach is ideal: LUT for style, manual tweaks for perfection.

Advanced Uses for Custom LUTs

Cross-camera matching: Create camera-to-camera trims so mixed bodies land on the same target look.
Brand identity packs: Deliver a “house look” so teams keep visuals on-brand across YouTube, ads, and landing pages.
Monochrome looks: Build nuanced B&W transformations with controlled roll-off and tonality.
On-set monitoring: Use a show LUT on reference monitors for faster lighting decisions.

Practical Tools & Further Reading

When you want excellent looks you can learn from (and modify), start with a curated pack, then refine the grade and export your own variants:

700+ Cinematic Video LUTs — wide coverage for fast baselines.
Bestselling LUTs Collection — proven, flexible styles for commercials and social.
Cinematic LUTs for DaVinci Resolve — browse by genre and mood.
Photo cross-sell: 1000+ Master Lightroom Presets to keep stills aligned with your video look.

FAQ

What’s the difference between a 1D and 3D LUT?

1D LUTs alter channels independently and are best for simple tonal transforms. 3D LUTs map RGB in a 3-D space, capturing complex color relationships for richer, more reliable looks.

How do I apply a LUT in Premiere Pro?

Use Lumetri Color’s Input LUT (technical) or Creative (stylistic) slot, then fine-tune with curves and wheels. See Adobe’s official docs on Looks & LUTs and Lumetri enhancements.

Can I export a LUT directly from Adobe apps?

Photoshop can export LUTs from a graded still (File > Export > Color Lookup Tables). In Premiere Pro, save and reuse Lumetri presets, and apply custom LUTs through Lumetri’s slots. After Effects applies LUTs with Apply Color LUT.

Why does my LUT crush blacks on some clips?

Usually a mismatch: the look was tuned for a brighter exposure or different gamma/gamut. Fix by normalizing first (technical transform), then apply the look LUT, and trim exposure/contrast per shot.

Do LUTs replace color management?

No—LUTs are aesthetic transforms. Keep your color management (working space, monitoring, display transforms) consistent. ICC-based color workflows help reduce surprises when delivering across platforms.

If you ever need help choosing a pack or installing, our team is here. Browse the Cinematic LUTs collections, try a proven bundle like 700+ Cinematic Video LUTs, and keep your photography aligned with Lightroom Presets—Buy 3, Get 9 FREE. Have questions? Reach us via Contact.

Written by Asanka — creator of AAAPresets (10,000+ customers).