Where apps hide your files

Lightroom Classic's presets folder

Updated 2026-10-28 · 6 min read

Lightroom Classic stores Develop presets as .xmp files in the hidden CameraRaw Settings folder, unless you chose to store them with the catalog. Here is the path, Adobe's import route (zips included), and why a preset sometimes goes missing.

The location

Lightroom Classic saves Develop presets as .xmp files in a folder it shares with Adobe Camera Raw:

~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/Settings

That is the path Adobe's file-locations page gives for current versions: since Lightroom Classic moved to the XMP preset format, old .lrtemplate Develop presets are converted automatically and the converted files are saved there. The one exception is the Store Presets With This Catalog option, covered below.

In Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder (⇧⌘G), paste the path and press Return. From Terminal:

open ~/Library/Application\ Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/Settings

~/Library is hidden by default, which is why browsing from your home folder does not find it. Imported presets usually keep the folder names they came with.

The quickest route: Show in Finder

Lightroom can take you to any one preset. In the Develop module, Control-click a preset in the Presets panel and choose Show in Finder. Adobe documents this as the way to see where a user preset is stored, and it works whichever folder your setup uses.

There is also a button in the preferences. On a Mac, choose Lightroom Classic > Preferences, open the Presets tab, and look at the Location section. Adobe names the button Show Lightroom Classic Presets Folder. Some users report that it opens the general Adobe/Lightroom folder rather than CameraRaw/Settings, so if you land somewhere without your .xmp files, use Show in Finder instead.

Presets stored with the catalog

The Store Presets With This Catalog checkbox sits in the same Location section. When it is on, Adobe's file-locations page says presets and templates are saved in a settings folder inside the catalog's folder (Lightroom Settings/Settings). Adobe's preferences page calls that folder Lightroom Classic Settings, so look for a folder whose name begins with Lightroom next to your .lrcat file. The default catalog folder is:

~/Pictures/Lightroom

Two details from Adobe explain most "missing preset" reports. Turning the option on does not copy or move your existing presets; only presets you create afterwards go into the catalog folder. And with the option on, presets travel with that catalog, so opening a different catalog shows a different set.

Other kinds of presets

Only Develop presets moved to XMP. Adobe's file-locations page still lists this folder for presets and templates in the .lrtemplate format:

~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom

Adobe writes the path as Lightroom/[preset or template folder]/, so each kind (export presets, filename templates and so on) has its own subfolder. If you migrated from an old Lightroom, your original .lrtemplate Develop presets may still sit in their old subfolder there, but the copies Lightroom Classic uses are the converted .xmp files in CameraRaw/Settings.

Import a preset

Adobe's steps:

1. In the Develop module, click the + button at the top of the Presets panel.
2. Choose Import Presets.
3. Select the preset files, or a .zip file containing presets, and click Import.

There is no need to unzip a preset pack first. Adobe says a .zip can hold XMP presets and profiles, DCP camera profiles and LCP lens profiles, though .lrtemplate presets cannot be imported from a zip. Imported presets appear in the User Presets group.

Copying files into CameraRaw/Settings by hand is not a method Adobe documents. If you do it, quit Lightroom first and expect to restart it before the presets appear; if they still do not show, use Import Presets.

Profiles are not presets

Profiles (the Adobe Color style choices at the top of the Basic panel) are separate. The importer above handles .xmp profiles and .dcp camera profiles too, which is the safest route. For hand installs, Adobe community experts give this folder for custom .dcp profiles:

~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/CameraProfiles

It does not exist until you create it, and Lightroom needs a restart before new profiles appear. Lens profiles you add belong in the LensProfiles folder in the same CameraRaw folder.

Two Settings folders: leave Adobe's alone

There is a second CameraRaw/Settings folder at the top level of the disk:

/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/Settings

That one belongs to Adobe. On the Mac used for this guide it holds Adobe's own preset and profile folders (Adobe, Premium, Apple, Google and others), and a Camera Raw update rewrites it. Never add to it or tidy it. Your own presets go only in the folder inside your home Library.

In your own CameraRaw/Settings, Lightroom may also keep files it maintains itself (on that Mac, a single Index_ data file). Removing those is not something Adobe documents, so remove presets from the Presets panel rather than from the folder.

Back up and move to a new Mac

Quit Lightroom, then copy your CameraRaw/Settings folder to a drive, plus CameraProfiles if you have one. On the new Mac, install Lightroom Classic, open it once, then import the files through Import Presets, or quit and copy them into the same path. Presets stored with a catalog travel inside the catalog's folder. Time Machine covers ~/Library unless you excluded it.

Why a normal search misses these

~/Library is left out of Finder and Spotlight searches, and many preset packs are named after the photographer, not the look, so a search for "film" finds nothing.

Finding a preset again

Search Everywhere for the preset's name, or for the pack's folder name, which often carries the creator's name. Searching for .xmp alone is too broad, since Lightroom also writes .xmp sidecar files next to raw photos. ⌘↵ reveals the file in Finder. CameraRaw/Settings is covered by the normal scan; presets stored with a catalog in ~/Pictures appear once Everywhere has Full Disk Access. It matches file names only, not the settings inside a preset.

Common questions

Where are Lightroom Classic presets stored on a Mac?

Develop presets are .xmp files in ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/Settings, unless Store Presets With This Catalog is on, which saves new presets in a settings folder beside your catalog. Control-click a preset and choose Show in Finder to check.

Why did my Lightroom presets disappear?

Usually Store Presets With This Catalog is on and you opened a different catalog, or you turned it on and expected old presets to move, which Adobe says they do not. Check both locations.

Can Lightroom Classic import a zip of presets?

Yes. In the Develop module, click + in the Presets panel, choose Import Presets and select the .zip. Adobe says .lrtemplate presets are the exception and cannot be imported from a zip.

Can I copy presets between Macs?

Yes. Copy the .xmp files from CameraRaw/Settings with Lightroom closed, then use Import Presets on the new Mac. Presets stored with a catalog move with the catalog's folder.