LUTs (Look-Up Tables) are color presets that instantly transform the mood, tone, and style of your footage. In Premiere Pro, they save time by applying complex color grading in a single click. Whether you’re editing a cinematic short, a documentary, or social media content, LUTs can turn flat footage into visually stunning visuals. For an even smoother color-grading workflow, make sure your interface is optimized with the best Premiere Pro workspace layout before applying LUTs.
Types of LUTs for Different Use Cases
Where to Find the Best LUTs for Premiere Pro
You can also expand your toolkit with curated free Premiere Pro presets that pair beautifully with LUT-based grading. For more advanced add-ons, explore this selection of the best Premiere Pro plugins to enhance your color grading and effects library.
How to Use LUTs Properly in Premiere Pro
- Import Your Footage
Load your clips into the Premiere Pro timeline. - Open the Lumetri Color Panel
Go to Window > Lumetri Color. - Apply the LUT
In the Basic Correction or Creative tab, click Browse and select your LUT file (.cube). - Fine-Tune the Settings
Adjust Exposure, Contrast, Saturation, and Temperature to match your desired style. - Use Adjustment Layers
Apply the LUT to an adjustment layer instead of each clip for a consistent look across multiple shots.
And if you're aiming for a cinematic finish, combine your LUT with this quick technique to add cinematic black bars (letterbox) for instant film aesthetics.
Best Practices for LUT Usage
- Always Color Correct First → Fix exposure and white balance before applying a LUT.
- Avoid Overuse → LUTs should enhance, not overpower your footage.
- Use Multiple LUTs → One for base look, another for creative styling.
- Match Across Cameras → Use LUTs to unify footage shot on different devices.
- Save Custom Versions → Adjust and save your own LUT presets for future projects.
You can also use subtle tonal adjustments like adding yellow contrast to complement the LUT and refine your look.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Applying LUTs without correcting footage first
- Using LUTs in the wrong color space (always match LUT to your sequence settings)
- Stacking too many LUTs causing unnatural colors
- Relying only on LUTs instead of learning basic color grading skills
Conclusion
LUTs are one of the fastest ways to elevate your video’s visual quality in Premiere Pro, but they work best when used with proper color correction and fine-tuning. From cinematic to documentary projects, the right LUT can save you hours and give your work a professional polish.
If you want to master Premiere Pro and unlock pro-level color grading techniques, join our Adobe Premiere Pro Course. You’ll learn not just how to use LUTs, but how to build your own for any project.
