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Learn how to import LUTs in DaVinci Resolve, install .cube files, refresh the LUT library, apply LUTs on the Color page, and create professional colour grades.
DaVinci Resolve already comes with ways to change the look of your videos. For many projects, those will do the job just fine. Spend enough time editing, though, and you’ll likely want to expand your creative options with additional LUTs.
Most editors start with hundreds of DaVinci Resolve color grading LUTs. But after a while, you might find that you’ll start using the same handful over and over because you’ve settled on a style or you like exactly how those LUTs behave.
This guide walks through the process step by step, from importing .cube files to applying them on the Color page. 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 to see how they’ll look before you commit.
Downloaded a .cube file from Envato? This tutorial covers the full process of how to import LUTs in DaVinci Resolve, along with tips for adjusting LUTs, building reusable setups, and avoiding common mistakes.
Some LUTs are built for specific cameras and recording formats. Others exist purely to create a certain look. If you’ve ever downloaded a pack called something like “Film LUTs” or “Cinematic LUTs”, those fall into the second category.
In DaVinci Resolve, both types are used in much the same way. The difference lies in what they’re designed to do to your footage.
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.
Before you install LUTs in DaVinci Resolve, take a quick look through your download.
Downloaded a LUT from Envato? Take a look inside the download folder before opening DaVinci Resolve. Most LUT downloads include one or more .cube files, along with preview images or documentation.
If you’re working with LOG footage, pay close attention to any notes that come with the LUT. A LUT built for LOG footage may produce unexpected results on Rec.709 footage, and the opposite is often true as well. When in doubt, check the LUT description before importing it into your project.
Downloaded a few LUT packs before?
Then you’ll know that finding the right LUT for your footage is often the hardest part. This is where Envato comes in. Envato’s LUTs marketplace includes thousands of searchable DaVinci Resolve color grading LUTs, which means that you can browse individual LUTs rather than downloading large ZIP packs and hoping something works.
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.
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.
Now we want to install LUTs in DaVinci Resolve. With your .cube file ready, it’s time to open DaVinci Resolve’s LUT folder.
A new folder window will open. This is where DaVinci Resolve stores the LUTs that appear in the software.
Leave this folder open and move on to the next step.
You should now have two folders open: your LUT download folder and DaVinci Resolve’s LUT folder.
.cube file you downloaded earlier.That’s all there is to the import process. Once the LUT has been copied into the folder, the next step is to refresh Resolve’s LUT library so it can detect the new file.
The LUT file is now in the correct folder, but DaVinci Resolve won’t see it until the LUT library has been refreshed.
DaVinci Resolve will scan the LUT folder and add any new LUTs it finds.
Once that’s done, you’re ready to Apply LUTs in DaVinci Resolve to your footage.
The LUT is now installed and ready to use.
The effect will be applied immediately, allowing you to see how the LUT changes the image.
Don’t worry if the result doesn’t look quite right straight away. In the next step, we’ll look at a few ways to fine-tune the effect.
Applied a LUT and the effect feels a little too strong?
That’s quite common, especially when working with footage from different cameras or lighting conditions.
You can also move the LUT to a different point in your node tree. Many editors place colour correction nodes before the LUT and creative adjustments after it, making it easier to fine-tune the final result without replacing the LUT altogether.
Most LUT imports go smoothly, but every now and then something doesn’t behave quite the way you expect.
Copied the LUT into the folder but can’t see it in Resolve?
Go back to Preferences > Color Management and click Update Lists again. If the LUT still doesn’t appear, double-check that you’ve copied the .cube file into the correct LUT folder rather than one of the download folders.
Applied a LUT and the image doesn’t look the way you expected?
Take another look at the LUT description. Some LUTs are designed for specific camera profiles or LOG formats. A LUT built for LOG footage may produce unusual results when applied to Rec.709 footage, and vice versa.
Seeing colours that look too strong or contrast that feels a bit excessive?
Try lowering the Key Output value on the LUT node. You can also add a correction node before the LUT and make basic exposure or colour adjustments before applying the look.
Once you’ve imported a few LUTs, you’ll probably start developing your own way of working with them. Here are a few habits that can make life easier inside DaVinci Resolve.
Apply the same LUT to two different clips and the results won’t always match.
One clip might be darker than the other. Another might have a stronger colour cast. Small corrections before the LUT can help bring clips closer together before you start building a look.
Working with more than one LUT?
Many Resolve users keep technical LUTs and creative LUTs on separate nodes. That way, it’s easier to swap one LUT without affecting the rest of the grade.
Some LUT libraries get quite large over time.
When you come across a LUT that works particularly well, save the name somewhere easy to find. It makes future projects a little easier to navigate.
Adding LUTs in DaVinci Resolve only takes a few steps, and the process stays the same regardless of which LUT you choose.
If you’re looking for new LUTs to try, Envato’s LUTs category includes preview videos, frame testing, and individual LUT pages, making it easier to see how each LUT looks before you download it.
Can Resolve use .cube LUTs?
Downloaded a .cube file? That’s the format we expect, so you can add it to the DaVinci Resolve LUT folder and use it like any other LUT.
Why does my LUT look wrong?
Take another look at the LUT description. A LUT designed for LOG footage won’t always behave the same way on Rec.709 footage. Camera profiles can make a difference too.
Can I stack multiple LUTs?
Yes, although many editors place each LUT on its own node. That makes it easier to switch LUTs on and off without affecting the rest of the grade.
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