How to Install Final Cut Pro Presets

Final Cut Pro is a powerful program for post production and video editing. Working with the color grading tools in Final Cut Pro makes it easy to add beautiful looks to your footage.

One way to save your edits is with Final Cut Pro Presets. There are many types of different presets you can use including: Effects Presets, Color Presets, Export Presets, Transitions, and more

In this tutorial we’ll be going over how to install Final Cut Pro Presets. We’ll also cover some common issues and errors you may experience. Compared to other programs like Lightroom and Premiere Pro, it is a bit harder to install presets with Final Cut Pro.

1. Open Your Finder Window

Start by opening your files or Finder Window and navigating to the Final Cut Pro Presets you downloaded. For this tutorial I’ll be using the new presets by Justin Burbage. Once you find the .effectsPreset files, select them and copy them. You can do this by clicking Command C or right clicking and selecting ‘Copy X items’.

2. Find the Library

This is where things got a bit tricky for me when trying to install Final Cut Pro Presets in the past. I ran into two issues at this step. The first was finding the /library/ folder itself.

To access the library folder, keep your finder window open and hold down the Option Key. While you are holding down the key, click Go in the top menu bar and you’ll find the Library button. Check out the GIF below to see what I mean. Just make sure you are holding down the Alt Option Key or ‘Library’ will not show up.

Once you click Library, your finder window will redirect to the selected folder and from there you have to navigate through a few more folders to install your presets.

When in the Library Folder look for Application Support > ProApps > Effects Presets

This is where you’ll paste your Final Cut Pro Presets to install them. If you don’t see a folder titled ‘Effects Presets’ or ‘Color Presets’ when you open the ‘ProApps’ folder, don’t worry. You can just create the folder and paste any presets in there. Final Cut Pro will recognize this and the presets will show up next time you restart the program.

3. Restart Final Cut Pro

If Final Cut Pro is running in the background while you are doing steps 1 and 2, go ahead and restart it now. Otherwise, open it up and import your videos.

Once your video is imported, navigate to the ‘Effects Browser’. I’ve pointed at the icon in the screenshot below.

After clicking that icon, the Effects Browser will appear showing all of your Installed Effects.

You can use the search bar at the bottom of the browser to find the exact preset you are looking for. Once you find the effect you’re looking for, simply double click it or drag the effect onto your clip.

Hope this tutorial helps. If you have any questions about any of the steps, feel free to leave a comment below. Happy to help.

Read Next: How to Install LUTs in Final Cut Pro X →

Additional Video and Post Production Resources

• View all Final Cut Pro Products →
• Download the Free Cinematic LUTs →
• View all Video Products →
• View tutorials and exclusive walkthroughs on Youtube →

Finally, you can find out more about saving and applying Final Cut Pro color presets on Apple’s website here.