What is difference between Presets and Mood (LUTs)?

Both presets and LUTs are tools for transforming the visual style of your image—changing its light, hue, and tone. However, they serve slightly different purposes and are applied differently.

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🧩 Key Differences

📷 What is a Preset?

A preset is a saved group of edits that can be instantly applied to a photo. These include:

• Exposure

• Contrast

• White balance

• Color (HSL, curves)

• Toning

• Structure

• Sharpness

• ...and more

Example: In Luminar Neo, a preset can combine various tools and even include a LUT (Mood)

Main features:

• Instantly applies to one or more images

• Each adjustment can be modified independently

• Offers the most flexibility for creating unique styles

• Can be saved and reused across projects

🎞️ What is a LUT (Mood)?

A LUT (Look Up Table) is a file that remaps colors in an image to create a specific color effect or "mood".

Main features:

• Adjusts color, contrast, and tone uniformly

• Cannot be fine-tuned as precisely as presets

  • In Luminar Neo, only amount, contrast, and saturation can be adjusted

• Great for creating cinematic, vintage, or color-matched looks

Important: A preset can include a LUT, but a LUT cannot include a preset.

🕐 When to Use What?

✅ Use a Preset When You Want To:

• Dramatically transform the entire look of a photo

• Apply a consistent editing style to a series

• Standardize edits across multiple images

• Customize individual elements like structure, skin tones, light, etc.

✅ Use a LUT (Mood) When You Want To:

• Apply a precise color grade

• Match color tones from different cameras

• Give photos a specific color aesthetic (e.g. cinematic or vintage)

📝 Summary

Feature	Preset	LUT (Mood)
Scope	Broad range of edits	Color and tonal changes
Customizable	Yes (each tool individually)	Limited (amount, contrast, saturation)
Use case	Unique, personalized style	Cinematic or color-matching looks
Included in	Can include a LUT	Cannot include a preset