How to Sell Lightroom Presets for Free [Complete Guide 2023]

Last updated: June 14, 2023

Most photographers, filmmakers, video editors and content creators are familiar with presets in Adobe’s Lightroom and how it makes it possible to save time and create a consistent look. But did you know that you can make some additional income from selling Lightroom presets?

In this article, we’ll cover…

• Why should you sell Lightroom presets?
• Can you make money from selling Lightroom presets?
• How to sell Lightroom presets with NO BUDGET
  • Create your Lightroom presets
  • Get your presets ready for sale
  • Price your Lightroom presets
  • Choose a platform to sell your Lightroom presets
  • Create and customize your online store
  • Promote your presets to get more sales!

We’ve also caught up with Bria Celest and Andy Gray to get some on-the-ground reporting on what works — and what doesn’t when it comes to selling Lightroom presets. Ready to make some extra cash? Let’s dive right into it.

Why Should You Sell Lightroom Presets?

There are several reasons why photographers and creators choose to sell Lightroom presets as digital products:

• Passive Income: Once presets are created and marketed, they can generate passive income. Presets can be sold repeatedly without requiring additional effort, allowing photographers to earn revenue even when they are not actively working on client projects.
• Reach a Broader Audience: Selling presets enables photographers to reach a larger audience beyond their local or client base. Presets can be sold online, allowing photographers to connect with customers from different parts of the world who appreciate their editing style.
• Growing Market Demand: There is a significant demand for Lightroom presets among photographers, photography enthusiasts, and social media influencers. Presets offer time-saving convenience and help maintain consistency in editing styles. The influence of social media and the desire to achieve similar aesthetics as popular photographers and influencers further contribute to the demand for presets.
• Upsell Opportunities: Selling presets can be a gateway to upselling other products or services. Once customers are satisfied with a photographer’s presets and editing style, they may be more inclined to explore additional offerings such as workshops, tutorials, mentoring, or even personalized editing services.
• Share Creativity: Presets provide a way for photographers to share their creative vision and unique editing approaches with others.

Can You Make Money From Selling Lightroom Presets?

Yes, you can absolutely make money from selling Lightroom presets. The market for Lightroom presets has experienced significant growth in recent years due to the rise of digital photography and expected growth of social media users to a whopping 5.85 billion by 2027. Your Lightroom presets could be these social media users’ gateway to being able to build stunning social media feeds!

In other words, there is a huge market — so let’s find out how you can create and sell your own Lightroom presets (with little-to-no budget).

How to Sell Lightroom Presets in 6 Simple Steps

Selling Lightroom presets on your own website offers several advantages compared to third-party marketplaces. By selling presets directly on your website, you can retain the entire profit without sharing it with others. Additionally, you have full control over pricing, store design, and the checkout process.

Getting started is also simple, as you can create your own eCommerce website for free in just minutes using platforms like Payhip. Here’s a guide on how to begin.

1. How to Create Presets and Export Them to Sell

We’ll assume that you’re already somewhat familiar with Lightroom and have added a few photos to your library. You can make preset packs for any kind of photos including nature photos, portrait photos, and more!

Here’s how to make Lightroom presets to sell:

1. Select a photo and click ‘Edit’ to access the controls
2. Adjust the controls until you get the desired look on your photo
3. Select ‘Create Preset’, name it, and click ‘Save’
4. Go to ‘User Presets’ to access all your presets
5. Right-click on one of them and choose ‘Export’
6. Choose a location, name the preset, and click ‘Save’

Unfortunately, Lightroom doesn’t allow you to export multiple presets at the same time. To do that, locate the preset folder on your hard drive, select them, and copy them to the new location.

Need visuals? Check out this video tutorial on how to create Lightroom presets to sell:

So what about creating the preset names? There aren’t really any hard and fast rules or tips about naming your preset, but you’ll do yourself and your customers a disservice if you pick random names for your presets and make them really hard to find.

Here are three golden rules of thumb:

• Branded: If you have an overarching preset theme for your online shop or style of edits, then your preset product names should be in line with your brand as a preset artist and seller
• Memorable: Your potential customers will browse through many preset products, and eventually the names will blend together — so make sure preset product titles are creative, unique, and memorable
• Descriptive: The preset name should give the user an idea of what to expect when they apply it to their images, so make sure it does what it says on the tin

2. How to Get Your Presets Ready for Sale

Buying a bunch of single presets is both tiresome and time-consuming. To save your customers from doing that, it’s a good idea to organize your presets into themed preset bundles.

These preset bundles could, for example, have a summer holiday theme. Once you’ve organized the presets, simply create a zip file to bundle these presets up.

Wondering how to sell Lightroom mobile presets? No problem. Just note that mobile presets require a different format, so make sure you select ‘Export to DNG’ when you export your preset.

Now you just need the final touches to your presets…

Whether you package your presets for mobile or desktop, it’s important to have great example photos as your product listing images. “People are very visual and tend to be attracted to good photos,” Bria Celest says.

Finally, you should do a final review of your preset settings and make sure each preset works flawlessly. As Andy Gray says, it’s important you “don’t miss out on quality control when creating high quality presets. Be rigorous, and check and re-check each preset.”

As a bonus tip, you may also want to create a PDF guide or policy on how you’d like your customers to download and enjoy your preset. This includes whether or not they are allowed to use your preset for commercial purposes, to make substantial creative edits to your preset, to post their photos with your presets on specific websites, etc.

3. How to Price Your Lightroom Presets

We browsed the web for Lightroom presets for sale to check their preset prices, and found that they are selling with a price range from as little as a few dollars for a single preset to as much as several hundred dollars for a preset bundle.

It’s worth bearing in mind that some preset Lightroom sellers are more niche or more established than others, which can affect the price. Newcomers might want to consider an introductory offer. In the words of Payhip seller Bria Celest: “People love a good sale.”

That said, it’s also important that you “don’t undervalue your presets,” according to Andy Gray. Finally, there’s also another factor that’ll affect price — and that’s where you sell the presets.

4. Selling Presets Direct vs. Using Marketplaces

You’ve made your presets, bundled them up, and decided on a reasonable price. So far so good. The next question is where do you actually sell these presets online?

You have two options: a website or a marketplace.

The main benefit of selling presets from your own site is that you can brand it however you like and control the point of sale. The downside, of course, is that you’ll have to buy a domain and hosting, design the site, maintain it, promote it, and pay for all the overheads.

Marketplaces, such as Etsy or Adobe Addons, can take care of all the extra work in exchange for a commission on your sales. They’ll handle the branding, marketing, and maintenance while you focus on making money. The downside here is that their terms can change on short notice. Marketplaces like Etsy also have sellers with various other products, making it difficult for you to target a very specific audience who wants to purchase Lightroom preset. Not to mention, these platforms often take a hefty chunk of the revenues that you make.

It makes sense to join a marketplace to capitalize on their audience when you’re just starting out. However, running your own website is not just for advanced sellers.

We’re about to show you how to set up your own sales page and/or online store quickly and for free…

5. How to Set Up a Store or Sales Page on Payhip

Head over to Payhip, enter your email address and click ‘Get started’ to create an account in a matter of seconds.

Here’s how to add your preset bundles to your new store:

1. Click ‘Add your first product’ and choose ‘Add Digital Product’
2. Click ‘Upload product file’ and locate your preset bundle
3. Fill out the title, price, description, and add a cover image
4. Finish by clicking on ‘Add Product’ at the bottom of the page

And here’s how to accept payments for your sales:

1. Click ‘Setup checkout’ and link your PayPal or Stripe account
2. Choose which currency you’d like to be paid in
3. Enter a description for your customers’ bank statements
4. Hit ‘Save settings’ and you’re ready to roll

That’s it! You’re now ready to sell your Lightroom presets.

As promised, everything is automated. That means the customer automatically receives the preset bundle and you automatically get paid via your preferred payment option.

6. How to Market Your Lightroom Presets

Not made any sales yet? That’s because we need to cover one last thing: marketing your presets. It’s difficult to sell presets when no one knows where to find your presets and buy them.

Here are a few tips to help you market Lighroom presets and drive traffic to your new Payhip store:

• Add your store link to your social media profiles and bio sections
• Before and after images that use your presets to show what they can do
• Offer limited-time coupon codes for first-time visitors
• Run a social media contest and offer the winner a free preset
• Build a mailing list and sell your presets with a nurturing campaign
• Create a blog and share valuable photography tips and tricks as blog post to attract more organic traffic to your website

Bria Celest advises you to “use before and after pictures and have people test them out on their photos so you can use that as a way to show the versatility of your preset” and Andy Gray says you should “show your presets in action so customers know you use them yourself.”

There are many more ways you can promote your presets on Payhip, but these tips are a great way to get started.

FAQ on Selling Presets Online

Can you make money selling presets?

Yes, it is possible to make money selling Lightroom presets, especially given the rising pressure to produce high quality content on social media. Avid social media users will tend to purchase high quality Lightroom presets that can be applied to their photos to achieve their desired look and style.

Can I sell my preset files through my own website?

Yes, you can sell preset files as digital downloads through your own website for free using Payhip. Payhip will also automatically send your preset files to your customers as soon as they complete their purchases.

How can I earn money with Adobe Lightroom?

You can create and sell Lightroom presets through your own website or through online marketplaces such as Etsy and Creative Market. If you have advanced Adobe Lightroom skills, you can also teach others how to use the software or how to create Lightroom presets by selling online courses. Payhip provides an online course platform for free!

Final Thoughts – Sell Lightroom Presets as Your Income Source

Hopefully, you now have a good understanding of how to sell your Lightroom preset. As you can see, it’s not complicated, and the rewards can more than make up for the little bit of extra work you’ll put in.

Ready to get started? Head over to Payhip and create a free account in a matter of seconds.