How to Use the Preset Amount and Profile Amount Sliders in Lightroom
Adobe Lightroom is a powerhouse for photo editing. With all the panels, modules, sliders, and hidden features, it can be difficult to master everything at once. Luckily, if you’re using presets in your editing workflow, you really only need to focus on a few key areas in Lightroom where you can customize your edits. Aside from the Basic Panel, where your exposure, white balance, tint, and other core sliders live, we highly recommend getting comfortable with two amount sliders that can make a huge difference in your Lightroom workflow and overall photo editing results.
Image by Nina Goks
Edited with Marigold, Picture Perfect from Light & Truth, and tools from Eternal
What is the preset amount slider?
The Preset Amount Slider was introduced in Lightroom a few years ago, and it has made life as a photo editor much easier. At its core, the Preset Amount Slider works like an opacity control for presets and tools you use in Lightroom, even those that include multiple masks in the Masking Panel. It allows you to increase or decrease the strength of an effect without adjusting each individual slider, making it easy to create anything from subtle refinements to bold edits with just one adjustment.
Where is the preset amount slider in Lightroom?
You can find the Preset Amount Slider after you apply most presets on the left side, under the Navigator. You will see the Preset it’s affecting as well as the Amount slider, which goes from 0 to 200. The preset should start at 100, and you can decrease it or increase it based on your preference.
What to use the Preset Amount Slider For
We highly recommend not increasing the amount of base color grading presets, as the effect can become overblown quickly. For base color grading presets, it’s best to keep the amount at 100 or lower it if you prefer a more subtle edit (*base presets would be ones like ExFilm 01, Light & Ember 03, etc).
The Preset Amount Slider is ideal for adjusting the strength of tool presets, and it can safely be set anywhere from 0 to 200 depending on what you need the tool to do. For example, if you’re using a Sky Recover preset tool on an image where you need to pull back highlights and restore detail in an overexposed sky, or on a photo where sky detail was lost while exposing for the foreground, you can increase the Preset Amount Slider until you reach the desired result.
Adjusting Mask Amounts Individually
If the preset you’re applying contains multiple masks and you want to adjust them individually, rather than using the Preset Amount Slider for a global edit, head to the Masking Panel. You will find that each mask has an Amount Slider that you can adjust one by one.
Tip: The three dots (…) next to Show Overlay in your Mask will take you to a menu with additional options. If you’ve ever wanted to move a mask around but can’t find the pins to control it, your “Show Pins and Tools” option might be off! Select “Always” if you use masks and brushes often!
Image by Diana Jex
Edited with Chroma
What is the Profile Amount Slider?
The Profile Amount Slider in Lightroom controls the strength of a Creative Profile, giving you precise control over how the profile influences your edit. Not all presets come with Creative Profiles (well, all of Archipelago Presets and Quest Presets do, but we can’t speak for every photography preset company). When working with presets that include profiles, this slider adds an extra layer of customization you can’t achieve anywhere else in Lightroom, making it an essential step in your editing workflow.
What are Creative Profiles in Lightroom?
A Creative Profile in Lightroom is a non-destructive way to apply color, tones, dynamics, and even softness and diffusion to an image before any sliders are adjusted. Unlike presets, Creative Profiles don’t move your editing sliders. Instead, they shape the overall contrast, color response, and tone of your photo at a deeper level, giving you a consistent starting point for your edit.
Deep Dive: Creative Profiles are made using Look-Up Tables (LUTs) that are applied in Lightroom’s Profile system. These LUTs are typically created by color-grading an image or test file in software like Photoshop ACR or a color-grading program, then exporting that look as a LUT. Once imported into Lightroom, the LUT becomes a Creative Profile that can be blended using the Profile Amount Slider for subtle or bold results.
Where is the Profile Amount Slider in Lightroom?
After applying a preset that includes a Creative Profile (or one of Adobe’s built-in profiles), you’ll find the Profile Amount Slider at the top of the Basic Panel in Lightroom. This area shows the name of the active profile, an Amount slider that ranges from 0 to 200, and four small rectangles. Clicking the four rectangles opens the Profile Browser, where you can view and select all the Creative Profiles installed in Lightroom.
What to use the Profile Amount Slider for
Use the Profile Amount Slider to control how strongly a Creative Profile affects your image. Some presets include a profile that starts at 0, allowing you to build the effect from the ground up, while others default to 100 or another amount. The starting value depends on how the profile is designed to influence the overall look. For some presets, like our Eternal Presets, all of the color grading and tonality for the base presets live entirely within the Creative Profile. This approach gives you greater flexibility with the Basic Panel sliders, such as Highlights and Shadows, when fine-tuning your edit.
In the above screen recording, you can see how the Profile Amount Slider affects the Chroma profile, which is a more subtle profile that mainly alters color brilliance and vibrancy.
Image by Ramblincowgirl
Edited with Light & Ochre, profile at 100
By contrast, the Light & Ochre profile is more impactful to the edit. At 100, the default amount, it add warmth, richness, and balanced dramatic dynamics to the edit. At 0, the image is left with a cooler, lower contrast look, and at 200, the rich warmth and drama are amped up, giving the image a more sepia and higher contrast edit.
Image by Ramblincowgirl
Edited with Light & Ochre, profile at 0
Image by Ramblincowgirl
Edited with Light & Ochre, profile at 200
Mixing and Matching Lightroom Presets and Profiles
How to Mix and Match Presets and Profiles
You can easily mix and match presets and profiles by first applying the base preset you want to start with in Lightroom. Then, open the Profile Browser and hover over the different profiles you have installed to preview how each one looks when combined with that preset. This approach works best with base presets that don’t rely heavily on their Creative Profile for their overall look, since swapping profiles in those cases won’t strip the preset of its core character.
Why would you want to mix and match while editing?
Beyond creating a truly one-of-a-kind edit, mixing and matching gives you much more flexibility, especially when working through galleries with varied lighting or color conditions. For example, you might start with a preset that looks incredible on outdoor images, but when you apply it to an indoor photo, something feels off and the colors or contrast don’t quite pop. Instead of abandoning the preset, you can head into Lightroom’s Creative Profile Browser and experiment with different profiles layered on top of the preset. Swapping the default profile for another lets you keep the overall vibe of your edit while giving certain images a slightly different treatment so everything feels cohesive and intentional.
Image by Sarah Barton
Edited with Light & Ember
Image by Sarah Barton
Edited with Light & Ember + Marigold Profile
Image by Sarah Barton
Edited with Light & Ember + Nexus Day Profile from Quest 35 Nexus
Image by Sarah Barton
Edited with Light & Ember + Summer Fields Profile from Nomad
Image by Sarah Barton
Edited with Light & Ember + Nexus Night Profile from Quest 35 Nexus
Each of the edits above conveys a different emotion and mood depending on which Creative Profile replaces the default. The original Light & Ember profile has a slightly contrasty, cinematic feel, while the Marigold profile delivers a more muted, filmic look. Swapping in the Summer Fields profile from Nomad introduces a warmer, almost tea-stained vintage tone, while the two profiles from Nexus emulate different times of day, giving each edit a distinct and nuanced character.
How Preset Amount and Profile Amount Work Together
The Preset Amount and Profile Amount sliders are most effective when used in tandem, because each controls a different layer of your edit. Rather than relying on a one-click solution, these tools give you the flexibility to fine-tune both the structure and the style of your images.
The Preset Amount Slider lets you adjust the overall strength of a preset, scaling its slider adjustments and masks so your edit feels balanced across different lighting conditions. The Profile Amount Slider shapes the underlying color and tonal character through the Creative Profile, allowing you to refine the mood without disturbing your other adjustments.
Used together, these sliders make it easy to maintain consistency across a full gallery while still customizing each image. By dialing in the right balance between preset intensity and profile influence, you can adapt your edits quickly, work more efficiently, and create results that feel cohesive, intentional, and uniquely your own.
Image by Francesco Rossi
Edited with Eternal
Frequently Asked Questions:
Preset Amount & Profile Amount Sliders in Lightroom
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The Preset Amount Slider is a control that lets you increase or decrease the overall strength of a preset after applying it. Think of it like an “opacity” slider for the preset’s edits, including presets that use masks.
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After you apply a preset, you’ll typically see the Preset Amount Slider on the left side under the Navigator (showing the preset name and an Amount range from 0 to 200).
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It scales the preset’s overall impact so the edit becomes more subtle (lower than 100) or more intense (higher than 100), without manually tweaking every individual slider.
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Usually, no. Base color grading presets can get overdone quickly when pushed above 100. A safer approach is to keep them at 100 or reduce the amount for a more natural result.
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It’s especially useful for Lightroom “tool presets” (like sky recovery, highlight control, or detail tools). These are often designed to be safely adjusted anywhere from 0 to 200 depending on the photo.
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Go to the Masking Panel. If a preset includes multiple masks, each mask has its own Amount slider, so you can fine-tune them one by one rather than scaling everything with the Preset Amount Slider.
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In the Masking Panel, open the menu (three dots near overlay options) and check your “Show Pins and Tools” setting. If it’s off, choose “Always” so you can easily grab and reposition mask controls.
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The Profile Amount Slider controls how strongly a Creative Profile affects your image. It’s a separate layer from presets, letting you blend the profile’s look from subtle to bold.
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You’ll find it at the top of the Basic panel, next to the active profile name. It includes an Amount slider (0 to 200) and a button to open the Profile Browser.
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Creative Profiles apply color and tonal character without moving your editing sliders. Presets do move sliders (and may include masks). Profiles reshape the look “under the hood,” giving you a consistent starting point.
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No. Some preset systems include Creative Profiles, and some don’t. If a preset includes a profile, you’ll see it active in the Profile area and can adjust it with the Profile Amount Slider.
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Use Preset Amount to control the intensity of the preset’s slider/mask edits, and Profile Amount to control the mood and color character from the Creative Profile. Together, they’re a fast way to keep edits consistent across a gallery while still customizing each image.
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Yes. Apply your base preset first, then open the Profile Browser and preview other profiles. This is a great way to keep the preset’s structure while experimenting with different color moods.
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If a preset looks great outdoors but feels off indoors (or under different lighting), swapping profiles can fix the color/mood while keeping the overall edit cohesive—saving you from starting over with a different preset.
WHAT TO READ NEXT? → Beyond Lightroom Presets: Edit Photos with Archipelago Toolsets