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A step-by-step guide to importing LUTs in After Effects through the Lumetri Color effect, covering technical vs creative LUTs, motion graphics use cases, and common grading mistakes to avoid.
If your footage, graphics, and effects are already sitting inside an After Effects composition, there’s usually little reason to send everything somewhere else just to apply LUTs in After Effects.
After Effects can use the same LUT files as many popular editing applications. The challenge is usually knowing where Adobe has hidden the controls.
This guide walks through the setup step by step, along with a few tips for using LUTs in motion graphics and compositing projects. We’ll also look at Envato’s new LUTs category, which lets you preview LUTs before downloading them and even test them against your own footage.
After Effects can load LUTs through the Lumetri Color After Effects, allowing you to apply the same .cube files used in Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and other editing applications.
This tutorial covers the full process, teaching how to install LUTs in After Effects, along with tips for adjusting LUTs, building reusable setups, and avoiding common mistakes.
.cube file.If you’ve ever applied a filter to a photo, the basic idea behind a LUT isn’t too different. LUTs (Look-Up Tables) are files that change the colours in your footage according to a predefined set of instructions. Editors use them to create a particular look or to convert footage from one colour space to another.
There are two types of LUTs that you need to understand:
Technical LUTs are used as part of a colour management workflow. Their job is to transform footage between different image formats or display standards.
They are often used with log recording formats, including Sony S-Log and Canon Log (C-Log). One common use is converting log footage into Rec. 709 for standard viewing and editing workflows.
Technical LUTs are typically applied near the start of the editing process, before any creative colour work begins.
Creative LUTs are applied after the main correction process to alter the image’s appearance.
Different creative LUTs can shift color response, contrast, and tonal balance to produce different visual styles. Many downloadable LUT packs, such as those available from Envato, are intended for this stage of the workflow.
Imagine a composition containing camera footage, motion graphics, and a few visual effects layers. Each asset may have been created separately, which can make them feel slightly disconnected once they’re brought together.
Some common use cases include:
It’s common to apply a LUT first and then make smaller adjustments afterwards, rather than building the entire look from scratch.
Finding LUTs is one thing. Finding the right LUT for your footage can be even more difficult. Which is why Envato’s LUTs marketplace comes with thousands of easily searchable LUTs.
Each LUT has its own page, complete with preview videos that show before-and-after results. You can also upload your own frame to see how a LUT might look on your footage before downloading it.
LUTs are supplied with commercial licensing and can be used across a range of editing and colour grading applications, including Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, After Effects, CapCut, Final Cut Pro, and many other popular tools. You can also upload your own frame to see how a LUT might look on your footage before downloading it.
Before importing a LUT into After Effects, you’ll need a compatible LUT file.
.cube file.Tip: If you’re browsing multiple LUTs, preview them on Envato before downloading. This can save time later when testing different looks against your footage.
Once you have your .cube file ready, open up Adobe After Effects and move on to the next step.
Import your footage and create a composition as you normally would.
Before adding a LUT, it’s usually worth getting the main elements of the shot in place first. That might include footage, graphics, text, effects, or pre-compositions.
With your composition ready, it’s time to add the effect that handles LUTs in After Effects:
Once the effect has been applied, open the Effect Controls panel. You should now see the Lumetri Color settings, including the Input LUT option that we’ll use in the next step.
If you’re applying the LUT to an adjustment layer, everything underneath that layer will be affected by the grade.
Now for the part you’ve been working towards. Inside the Lumetri Color After Effects controls:
As soon as the LUT loads, you’ll see the change in the Composition panel.
Don’t worry if the result doesn’t look quite right straight away. Many LUTs are designed as a starting point rather than a finished grade, especially if they’re being applied to different footage than they were originally created for.
We’ll make some adjustments in the next step.
After loading the LUT, spend a moment looking at the result before making any changes. Sometimes a LUT will look great straight away. Other times the image may appear too dark, too bright, too saturated, or simply different from what you had in mind.
If you’d like to fine-tune the look, try adjusting a few of the controls inside Lumetri Color:
Small adjustments usually go a long way. If you find yourself making large corrections, it may be worth trying a different LUT and comparing the results.
Not every project needs a different look.
If the same LUT appears across multiple projects, keeping a template version of the setup can make sense. To do this, you can just save the base project as a template. The adjustment layer, Lumetri Color effect, and LUT are already in place when the project opens.
Some teams keep separate project files for different looks and grades, pulling them into new projects whenever they’re needed.
Most LUT problems aren’t caused by Adobe After Effects. They’re usually caused by applying the wrong LUT, applying it at the wrong stage, or simply expecting too much from it.
Applying a LUT before major compositing or exposure adjustments can make it harder to evaluate yourwork accurately.
Many artists leave LUT application until later in the process so that creative grading decisions are basedon a more complete image.
Color management settings can influence how LUTs appear. If colors look unexpected, check your working color space, imported footage settings, and project color management options before assuming the LUT is at fault.
It’s easy to get carried away with a dramatic grade.
What looked good on a single frame can feel very different once the animation is playing. Text may stand out less, colours can become harder to distinguish, and graphic elements may not feel as clean as they did before the LUT was applied.
Some editors place LUTs on adjustment layers rather than footage layers. It keeps the grade separate from the underlying clips and makes it easier to see exactly where the colour changes are coming from.
If you frequently produce similar content, create project templates that already contain your preferred grading setup. This can save time and help maintain consistency across future work.
Many projects end up being delivered in multiple formats. Keeping the same LUT and grading approach across each version can help maintain a consistent look throughout the wider project.
Awesome! You now know where LUTs live in After Effects and how to load them through Lumetri Color.
The bigger challenge is usually deciding which LUT to use. Envato’s LUTs marketplace was built around that problem, with searchable LUTs, preview videos, and the option to test LUTs against your own footage before downloading.
Does After Effects Support .cube LUTs?
It does. In fact, .cube is probably the format you’ll come across most often when downloading LUTs. After Effects load these files through Lumetri Color using the Input LUT option.
Can I Share LUTs Between Premiere Pro and After Effects?
In most cases, yes. If a LUT works in Premiere Pro, there’s a good chance it will work in After Effects as well because they both support standard LUT formats such as .cube files.
Should LUTs Be Applied Before or After Effects?
There’s no single rule here, but many people leave LUTs until later in the process. It’s often easier to judge compositing, keying, and other visual effects work before a colour grade has been added on top.
Learn how to import LUTs in After Effects using the Lumetri Color effect, from loading your first LUT to fixing common mistakes.
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