{"id":92578,"date":"2026-06-10T13:07:32","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T09:37:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pixflow.net\/blog\/?p=92578"},"modified":"2026-06-30T15:55:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T12:25:11","slug":"davinci-resolve-luts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pixflow.net\/blog\/davinci-resolve-luts\/","title":{"rendered":"DaVinci Resolve LUTs: How to Import, Apply, and Create Custom LUTs"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1734342908250{margin-top: 125px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading css=”.vc_custom_1781084323897{margin-bottom: 25px !important;}”]You have the perfect grade in your head. A moody, teal-and-orange action look, or that soft Kodak film vibe. The footage on your timeline? Flat, gray, and lifeless. (We have all been there.) This is exactly the gap a good LUT closes in seconds.<\/p>\n

Here is the thing: LUTs are one of the fastest ways to transform footage in DaVinci Resolve, but most beginners install them in the wrong place, apply them in the wrong order, and then wonder why their highlights look blown out. In this guide we are walking through everything, how to install LUTs, how to import and apply them, how to fix the dreaded LUTs not showing up problem, how to control intensity, and how to create your own custom LUTs (including with third-party and AI tools).<\/p>\n

If you want a head start, our own Film Emulation Pro<\/a> pack ships real film-scan LUTs that drop straight into the workflow below, so you can follow along with looks that are already cinematic.<\/p>\n

Let’s dive in.[\/vc_custom_heading][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1734342908250{margin-top: 125px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading css=”” el_id=”What Is a LUT in DaVinci Resolve”]<\/p>\n

What Is a LUT in DaVinci Resolve?<\/h2>\n

[\/vc_custom_heading][vc_custom_heading css=”.vc_custom_1781084392227{margin-bottom: 25px !important;}”]A LUT (Look-Up Table) is essentially a recipe that tells Resolve how to transform the colors in your image. Feed it an input color, and it returns a specific output color. Apply that across every pixel and your footage instantly takes on a new look or a new color space.<\/p>\n

Not all LUTs do the same job, though. Understanding the two main types is the difference between using them correctly and fighting them the whole edit.[\/vc_custom_heading][vc_wp_text]\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t
LUT type<\/strong><\/th>What it does<\/strong><\/th>Example use<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Technical LUT<\/td>Converts or standardizes footage between color spaces<\/td>Log to Rec.709, camera input transforms, Apple Log to Rec.709<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Creative LUT<\/td>Applies a stylistic look on top of corrected footage<\/td>Teal-and-orange, film emulation, vintage, black and white<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n[\/vc_wp_text][vc_custom_heading css=”.vc_custom_1781084419312{margin-bottom: 25px !important;}”]If you are brand new to the concept, our beginner-friendly explainer on what a LUT is and how it works<\/span><\/a> breaks down the fundamentals before you go further.[\/vc_custom_heading][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1734342908250{margin-top: 125px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading css=”” el_id=”Where DaVinci Resolve Stores LUTs”]<\/p>\n

Where DaVinci Resolve Stores LUTs<\/h2>\n

[\/vc_custom_heading][vc_custom_heading css=”.vc_custom_1781090854973{margin-bottom: 25px !important;}”]Resolve only sees LUTs that live in (or are linked to) its LUT folder. That is why dropping a .cube file on your desktop and expecting it to appear in the LUT browser never works. Here is exactly where Resolve looks.[\/vc_custom_heading][vc_wp_text]\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t
Platform<\/strong><\/th>Default LUT folder path<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Windows<\/td>C:\\ProgramData\\Blackmagic Design\\DaVinci Resolve\\Support\\LUT<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
macOS (standard install)<\/td>Library\/Application Support\/Blackmagic Design\/DaVinci Resolve\/LUT<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
macOS (Mac App Store version)<\/td>A sandboxed app-container path. Use Open LUT Folder to find it.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n[\/vc_wp_text][vc_custom_heading css=”.vc_custom_1781090874304{margin-bottom: 25px !important;}”]A quick but important note: if you installed the free version of DaVinci Resolve from the Mac App Store, your LUT path is different (it lives inside the sandboxed app container), which is one of the most common reasons LUTs go missing. We will come back to that in the troubleshooting section.[\/vc_custom_heading][px_single_image_box px_image_box_position=”px_image_box_position_center” px_image_caption=”true” px_image_width_option=”true” px_image_url=”92587″ px_image_url_webp=”92587″ px_image_width=”700px” px_image_caption_text=”DaVinci Resolve Color Management settings showing the Open LUT Folder button”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1734342908250{margin-top: 125px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading css=”” el_id=”How to Install LUTs in DaVinci Resolve”]<\/p>\n

How to Install LUTs in DaVinci Resolve<\/h2>\n

[\/vc_custom_heading][vc_custom_heading css=”.vc_custom_1781091682629{margin-bottom: 25px !important;}”]You do not actually have to memorize those paths. Resolve gives you a one-click shortcut to the right folder, plus a second method for keeping your library somewhere else. Both are quick.<\/p>\n

Method 1: Use the Open LUT Folder button (recommended)<\/h3>\n

This is the cleanest way for most editors, and it matches the official Blackmagic workflow.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Open Project Settings (the gear icon in the bottom-right corner, or press Shift + 9).<\/li>\n
  2. Click the Color Management tab on the left.<\/li>\n
  3. Scroll down to the Lookup Tables section and click Open LUT Folder.<\/li>\n
  4. In the folder that opens, create a clearly named subfolder (for example, Pixflow Film Emulation) and drop your .cube files inside. Subfolders keep your browser tidy.<\/li>\n
  5. Back in Resolve, click Update Lists (in the same Lookup Tables section).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    That is it. Your LUTs now appear in the LUT browser on the Color page and in the right-click menu on any node.<\/p>\n

    Method 2: Link an external LUT folder<\/h3>\n

    Prefer to keep your LUTs in a shared drive or a single master library instead of copying them into Resolve? You can point Resolve at any folder.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Open DaVinci Resolve > Preferences and go to the System tab.<\/li>\n
    2. Open the General panel.<\/li>\n
    3. Under LUT directories, add the folder where your LUTs live.<\/li>\n
    4. Save, then return to the LUT browser and hit Refresh.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      This approach is great for teams and for anyone who reinstalls Resolve often, your library stays put and you just relink it.<\/p>\n

      The Storyblocks import and export tutorial<\/a> and the Boris FX 4-step guide<\/a> both walk through the Project Settings method if you want a second visual reference.[\/vc_custom_heading][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1734342908250{margin-top: 125px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading css=”” el_id=”How to Import and Apply LUTs”]<\/p>\n

      How to Import and Apply LUTs<\/h2>\n

      [\/vc_custom_heading][vc_custom_heading css=”.vc_custom_1781091756145{margin-bottom: 25px !important;}”]With your LUTs installed, applying them takes seconds. Resolve gives you several routes depending on whether you are on the Color page or just want a quick look in the Media Pool.<\/p>\n

      On the Color page (the most control)<\/h3>\n
        \n
      1. Select the clip you want to grade.<\/li>\n
      2. Open the Color page and make sure your node tree is visible.<\/li>\n
      3. Open the LUT Browser from the top-left toolbar, hover a LUT to preview it, then double-click to apply it to the selected node.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        You can also right-click a node, go to LUT, and pick your LUT from the list. Power users often add the LUT on its own dedicated node so it stays separate from manual corrections.<\/p>\n

        From the Media Pool or Edit page (the fastest)<\/h3>\n
          \n
        1. Select one clip or several clips at once.<\/li>\n
        2. Right-click and choose LUT, then your LUT from the menu.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          This applies the look instantly across every selected clip, which is perfect for setting a base look on an entire scene before you refine individual shots. If you are building a full grade from scratch, our walkthrough on color grading for beginners in Resolve<\/a> pairs perfectly with this step.<\/p>\n

          The three ways to apply a LUT on a node, at a glance:[\/vc_custom_heading][vc_wp_text]\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t
          Method<\/strong><\/th>How<\/strong><\/th>Best for<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
          LUT Browser double-click<\/td>Hover to preview, double-click to apply to the selected node<\/td>Fast previewing and look-hunting<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          Right-click node > LUT<\/td>Pick the LUT from the node's right-click menu<\/td>Precise, node-specific control<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
          Media Pool \/ Edit right-click<\/td>Select clips, right-click, choose the LUT<\/td>Applying one look to many clips at once<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n[\/vc_wp_text][vc_custom_heading css=”.vc_custom_1781091784766{margin-bottom: 25px !important;}”]This is also where a strong LUT pack earns its keep. Loading the cinematic looks from Film Emulation Pro<\/span><\/a> onto a base node gives you a polished starting point in one click, then you grade to taste from there.[\/vc_custom_heading][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1734342908250{margin-top: 125px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading css=”” el_id=”The One LUT Mistake That Ruins Your Footage”]<\/p>\n

          The One LUT Mistake That Ruins Your Footage<\/h2>\n

          [\/vc_custom_heading][vc_custom_heading css=”.vc_custom_1781091942151{margin-bottom: 25px !important;}”]Here is the mistake almost every beginner makes (and yes, the same one a lot of us made starting out): they apply a LUT, notice the highlights are clipped or the shadows are crushed, then add a second node after the LUT to pull things back. The problem? By that point the detail is already gone, permanently clipped, and no amount of pulling the highlights down will recover it.<\/p>\n

          The fix is simple but it changes everything: make your basic corrections on a node before the LUT, not after.<\/p>\n