Guide

How to export a LUT from Photoshop.

Updated November 7, 2026

Photoshop can turn a still-photo grade into a .cube LUT you load in any video editor. The trick is building the look only with adjustment layers.

Step 1: Use the right frame

• Export a still from your video that is already converted to Rec.709 (not flat log). Conversion first: Convert log to Rec.709.
• Pick a frame with skin, sky, and shadows so you can judge the look across the range.
• Open it in Photoshop and make sure it sits as the Background layer.

Step 2: Grade with adjustment layers only

1. Add global adjustments from Layer → New Adjustment Layer: Curves, Hue/Saturation, Color Balance, Selective Color, and similar.
2. Avoid masks, brushes, filters, and retouching. A LUT applies one color mapping to every pixel, so local work cannot be exported.
3. Keep the grade gentle; you can push it later with intensity controls. Tips: How to adjust LUT intensity.

Step 3: Export the LUT

1. Choose File → Export → Color Lookup Tables.
2. Add a short description and copyright if you like, set the quality (grid points), and tick CUBE.
3. Save. If the menu is grayed out, check that you have a Background layer plus at least one adjustment layer.

Step 4: Load it in your editor

Use it like any creative look: Resolve, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or CapCut. Check it on several shots before you commit. Applying LUTs to photos instead: Apply a LUT in Photoshop.

FAQ

Can Photoshop export a .cube LUT?

Yes. Build your look with adjustment layers on a photo, then use File > Export > Color Lookup Tables. Photoshop writes .cube (and other formats such as 3DL, CSP, and ICC) that video editors can load.

Why is Export Color Lookup Tables grayed out?

Photoshop needs a Background layer and at least one adjustment layer above it. Flatten pixel layers into a Background layer and keep your grade as adjustment layers; pixel edits like retouching or blur are not captured by a LUT.

Which adjustment layers work in a LUT?

Global color adjustments: Curves, Levels, Hue/Saturation, Color Balance, Selective Color, Channel Mixer, Black & White, Photo Filter, and Color Lookup. Masks, local edits, and filters cannot be stored in a LUT, because a LUT maps each input color to one output color everywhere in the frame.

What grid point setting should I choose?

Photoshop's quality setting controls the cube size. Higher quality (more grid points) gives smoother gradients and larger files; a 33-point or larger cube is a common, safe choice for video work.

Skip the build

Want finished looks instead? Every Filmsilk look is a standard 3D .cube for Rec.709. Try every look on your own frame first. The Collection is $29 one-time; Filmsilk Complete is $39 with Studio export so you can tweak a look and save your own .cube in the browser.