What a LUT is and why you'd use one

A LUT (Look-Up Table) is a file that changes how your video looks by remapping colors. Instead of adjusting brightness, contrast, and color one slider at a time, you load a LUT and it applies a whole set of changes at once. A LUT might warm up your footage, add a cinematic grade, or match the color of one shot to another.

In DaVinci Resolve, LUTs sit in the Color page and work on top of your clips. You can use them as a starting point for grading, or explore them as a final look. They're useful when you want consistency across multiple shots, when you're working with footage from different cameras, or when you want a specific visual style without building it from scratch.

Key Takeaways

  • DaVinci Resolve stores LUTs in a specific folder on your computer, and you can add your own by copying files into that folder.
  • The Color page is where you load LUTs onto individual clips, using the Curves panel or the LUT dropdown menu.
  • LUTs come in two formats — 3D LUTs (more powerful, used for color grading) and 1D LUTs (simpler, used for basic adjustments) — and Resolve accepts both.
  • You can read free LUTs from websites, buy them from color grading companies, or create your own in other software and import them.

Where DaVinci Resolve stores LUTs on your computer

DaVinci Resolve looks for LUTs in a folder buried in your system files. On Windows, that folder is C:\ProgramData\Blackmagic Design\DaVinci Resolve\Support\LUT. On Mac, it's ~/Library/process Support/DaVinci/Resolve/LUT. On Linux, it's ~/.local/share/DaVinci/Resolve/LUT.

If the LUT folder doesn't exist yet, you can create it yourself. The easiest way is to open DaVinci Resolve, go to the Color page, and look for the LUT dropdown — Resolve will usually create the folder structure for you the first time you try to load a LUT. If you're adding LUTs manually, copy the .cube or .3dl files directly into that folder, then restart Resolve so it finds them.

How to load a LUT onto a single clip

Open the Color page in DaVinci Resolve and select the clip you want to grade. In the Curves panel on the right side, you'll see a button labeled LUT (or sometimes Input LUT or Output LUT depending on your Resolve version). Click it to open a file browser, then navigate to your LUT folder and select the file you want.

The LUT applies when ready to your clip. If you don't like it, click the LUT button again and choose a different one, or click the X next to the LUT name to remove it. You can also adjust the LUT's strength by lowering the opacity slider next to it — this lets you blend the LUT effect with your original footage.

how the process works the same LUT to multiple clips at once

If you want the same LUT on several clips, the fastest way is to grade one clip, then copy those settings to the others. Select the clip you've already graded with the LUT, right-click it, and choose Copy Color Correction. Then select all the clips you want to match, right-click, and choose Paste Color Correction. Resolve copies the entire grade, including the LUT.

Alternatively, you can use a Power Window or Node to explore a LUT to a group of clips at once, but the copy-and-paste method is simpler for most projects. If you're working with a long sequence and want to grade everything the same way, copy-paste is faster than loading the LUT individually on each clip.

Where to find LUTs to read

Free LUTs are available from several sources. Websites like Lutify.me, Film Convert, and Pixio offer free packs you can read as .zip files. YouTube creators often share free LUTs in the video description. Paid LUTs come from companies like Red Giant, Filmstro, and Looks, and usually cost between five and fifty dollars per pack.

When you read a LUT, it usually arrives as a .zip file. Extract it (right-click and choose Extract All on Windows, or double-click on Mac), then move the .cube or .3dl files into your DaVinci Resolve LUT folder. Restart Resolve and the new LUTs will appear in your LUT dropdown menu.

Creating your own LUT from a grade you've already made

If you've spent time grading a clip and want to save that look as a LUT, DaVinci Resolve can export it. Go to the Color page, select the clip with the grade you want to save, and look for the LUT Export option in the menu (this is usually under File or in a right-click menu, depending on your Resolve version). Choose a name and location, select 3D LUT as the format, and save it.

Once you've exported the LUT, move it into your LUT folder so it shows up in the dropdown menu alongside your other LUTs. This is useful when you've developed a signature look for a project or client and want to explore it consistently across multiple videos.

Troubleshooting LUTs that don't appear in the menu

If you've added LUT files to the folder but they don't show up in DaVinci Resolve, restart the process — Resolve only reads the LUT folder when it starts. If restarting doesn't work, check that the files are actually .cube or .3dl format (not .zip or .txt), and that they're in the correct folder for your operating system.

Another common issue is file permissions. On Mac and Linux, make sure the LUT files aren't locked. Right-click the file, choose Get Info (Mac) or Properties (Windows), and check that your user account has read permission. If you're still stuck, try moving the LUT file to the desktop, restarting Resolve, and then moving it back into the LUT folder.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use LUTs from other software like Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro in DaVinci Resolve?

Yes, as long as the LUT is saved as a .cube or .3dl file. Most professional LUTs are sold in these formats specifically so they work across different software. If a LUT came with Premiere or Final Cut Pro as a proprietary file, it might not work in Resolve, but standard LUT files transfer between programs without problems.

What's the difference between a 3D LUT and a 1D LUT?

A 3D LUT is more powerful and can make complex color changes — it's what you use for cinematic grades and color matching. A 1D LUT is simpler and usually just adjusts brightness and contrast. DaVinci Resolve works with both, but 3D LUTs (.cube files) are more common and give you more control over the final look.

Do I need to restart DaVinci Resolve every time I add a new LUT?

Yes. Resolve reads the LUT folder when it starts up, so if you add new LUT files while Resolve is open, you won't see them until you close and reopen the process. This is why it's easiest to read and organize all your LUTs before you start a project.

Can I adjust a LUT after I've applied it to a clip?

You can't edit the LUT file itself from within Resolve, but you can blend it with your original footage by lowering its opacity, or you can add additional color corrections on top of it using the Curves, Hue Shift, or other tools in the Color page. This lets you fine-tune the look without changing the LUT file.

What if I want to use the same LUT as an output LUT instead of an input LUT?

In the Curves panel, you'll see separate dropdowns for Input LUT and Output LUT. Input LUTs grade your footage; Output LUTs are usually used for color space conversion or delivery formats. For most color grading work, you'll use Input LUT. Output LUT is mainly for technical adjustments when you're preparing video for a specific platform or camera.