We have made a bunch of wonderful updates to the Lightroom 4 Preset System to bring us up to version 1.2! Of course updates are free for existing users. We will be sending an email everyone that has already purchased the Lightroom 4 Preset System with the new 1.2 download. New purchases will receive links to the new system automatically.

The SLR Lounge Lightroom 4 Preset System is designed to enable users to achieve virtually any look and effect within 3-5 simple clicks. From basic color correction, vintage fades, black & white effects, tilt-shift effects, faux HDR, retouching, detail enhancing, and so much more. The sky is the limit with what has been dubbed the most powerful and intuitive preset system available. Click the link above to learn more/purchase.

You can also purchase the LR4 Preset System as part of the Lightroom 4 Workshop Collection.

Learn what is new in this update by watching the video and reading the article below.

Watch the Update Tutorial

LR4 Preset System Downloadable Digital DVD

There are two primary updates to the Lightroom 4 Preset System version 1.2, the first of these is that we have taken all of the instructions, Mixology, brush and advanced effect tutorials combined them into a single Digital DVD with menu system and player. The tutorials are in full 1080p HD resolution and the Digital DVD is nearly 6 hours long, so we split the downloads into two 1.4 GB downloads. Keep in mind that since some of the tutorials were recorded prior to the updates, some of the Mixology names have changed, but the effects and instruction remain the same.

Preset System Adjustments

We have done quite a bit of “under-the-hood” fine tuning to the overall system, primarily focusing on modifying and enhancing the curves. Each adjustment is described below:

Mixology Names– The previous Mixology section named COLOR FADES has been changed to VINTAGE FADES. We felt that this was a more appropriate name since fades are essentially all vintage effects. Two of the Mixologies (45 Warm Punchy Vintage and 46 Subtle Poppy Vintage) which are vintage effects that were stored in other sections have been recategorizd to the VINTAGE FADES section.

Mixology Tweaks – We have made minor tweaks to the Mixologies to reflect the adjustments that were made to the curves.

Base Adjustments – We added a new heavier level of skin softening (22 Heavy Soften) for close up shots where you need additional softening to skin. We also added a new section called 80 Tone Curves Adjustments – The curves have seen some major adjustments. Each and every curve has been modified in two ways. We first wanted to tone down some of the curves as they were a bit too powerful in the majority of situations. Second, we wanted to distinguish curves from one another as we felt that some of the effects were just a bit too similar. For example, the differences between a Bright Wash vs a Wash vs a Dark Wash weren’t quite different enough. Overall, the changes made should greatly improve your overall results with each of the curves.

Local Area Adjustments – We have added 2 new brushes as well as modified the retouching brushes and naming organization a bit. Previously, we had two different brush presets for creating catchlights in eyes. We felt that this was a seldom used preset in and of itself, so we combined those effects into one preset. The two new presets are below:

16 Unenhance HDR (Skin) – We noticed that a lot of people are applying HDR effects to shots with people in them. This is something we warn against since anytime you turn a portrait into an HDR image the skin tones go quite wacky. So, we created a preset to help you guys out. The 16 Unenhance HDR (Skin) is designed to reverse the oversaturated and high contrast HDR look from skin tones. Simply paint this brush over the subjects skin and viola!

22 Skin Desaturater – When you have slightly too much red/orange in your skin tones in particular areas, say in the shadows, use 22 Skin Desaturater to subtly remove some of the color. It is designed to be very subtle, so if you need more strength, simply paint in and adjust the sliders accordingly.

Conclusion and Installing Updates

That’s it for the updates guys. Now remember, when you are installing the updated presets, be sure to remove the existing Lightroom 4 Preset System files. Keep only the Mixologies that you have custom modified/created. If you don’t remove the existing presets, then you will see a lot of duplicate presets wherever the preset names have changed from version 1.1 to 1.2. If you have questions, watch the video below which will show how to install the presets for the first time, as well as how to delete existing files and update the system when new versions come out (update instructions starting at 2:35 seconds into the video).