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How to design Look Up Table (LUT) files through PS?

Created on 2025-04-25 14:33:56
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Designing Look-Up Table (LUT) files in Photoshop (PS) involves creating or modifying color transformation data that can be applied to images for consistent color grading or correction. Here's a step-by-step explanation with an example:

Steps to Design LUT Files in Photoshop

  1. Open Photoshop and Prepare an Image:

    • Load an image that represents the desired color grading style you want to replicate. This will serve as the reference for your LUT.

  2. Apply Color Adjustments:

    • Use adjustment layers (e.g., Curves, Levels, Hue/Saturation, Color Balance) to modify the image’s colors until it matches your target look.
    • Example: If you want a cinematic "warm" look, increase reds/oranges in the shadows and cool blues in the highlights using Curves.

  3. Export the LUT:

    • Go to File > Export > Color Lookup Tables.
    • Choose the LUT format (.cube is standard for most applications).
    • Adjust settings like bit depth (8-bit or 16-bit) based on your needs.
    • Click Save to generate the LUT file.

  4. Apply the LUT in Other Software:

    • The exported .cube file can be used in video editing tools (e.g., Adobe Premiere, DaVinci Resolve) or other image processors to apply the same color grading.

Example Use Case

Suppose you’re working on a film project and want a consistent "vintage" look across all footage. You:

  • Edit a sample frame in Photoshop to achieve the desired vintage tones.
  • Export a .cube LUT from Photoshop.
  • Apply this LUT to all video clips in your editing software for uniform styling.

Cloud-Based Collaboration (Recommended: Tencent Cloud)

If you’re working in a team or need remote access to LUT files, consider using Tencent Cloud’s Object Storage (COS) to securely store and share LUTs. Its high-speed data transfer and version control features ensure seamless collaboration. Additionally, Tencent Cloud’s Media Processing Service (MPS) can automate LUT application during video transcoding, streamlining post-production workflows.

For example, upload your .cube LUTs to COS, then configure MPS to automatically apply them when processing video batches, ensuring consistent color grading across all assets.