How To Use Color Lookup Tables In Photoshop

On this interesting video Photoshop expert Jesús Ramirez (from the Photoshop training channel) demonstrates how to create lookup tables for still images in Photoshop.

Lookup tables (a.k.a LUTs) are typically used for video editing to apply a color scheme (color grading) to your video, however you can use them for stills as well as Ramirez demonstrate in this video in Photoshop.

So the idea is easy, you can apply a sort of color scheme to any image by simply adding a new adjustment layer and selecting>color lookup. Now you can select any one from a list (you have three different lists – just try the different options to see which one fits your style). There isn’t much to adjust here besides playing with things that you can do with any layer like opacity and blending layers – which are two things Ramirez demonstrates in the video. Do note that the MAC version of Photoshop has more Lookup tables – however you can create LUTs on your own (this is a bit complex but after you get the idea it should be fairly painless) and than use this LUT on any image – easily.

Bonus video – What Is A LUT? – color grading LUTs explained (for video) with cats!

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgL1Z7tsBz8[/youtube]

You can find many more Photoshop video tutorials on LensVid’s Photoshop section. You can also check some of Ramirez previous videos published here on the site on the following link.

Iddo Genuth

Iddo Genuth is the founder and chief editor of LensVid.com. He has been a technology reporter working for international publications since the late 1990's and covering photography since 2009. Iddo is also a co-founder of a production company specializing in commercial food and product visual content.