Import Custom LUTs

What are LUTs?

LUT stands for "Look Up Table" — a file that maps input colors to output colors to transform the appearance of your photos. Professional photographers and filmmakers use LUTs to achieve consistent color grading across their work.

PNG: The recommended format. Square PNG LUT images provide lossless color data for the most accurate color transformations.
JPG: Also supported. JPG LUT images are smaller in file size but may have slight compression artifacts in color mapping.

Create your own LUT

Start from a neutral identity LUT — a square PNG that maps every input color to itself. Open it in your favorite editor, apply the same color grading you'd use on a photo, then export the result as a PNG or JPG. That's your custom LUT, ready to import into Phocus.

Neutral LUT · 512×512 PNG

Use this as the starting point. Any edits you make to this image translate directly into a LUT Phocus can read.

Download neutral LUT

Workflow in any photo editor

01

Open the neutral LUT as an image

Treat the PNG like any photo. Don't crop, resize, rotate, or apply blur, sharpening, or noise — those will warp the color mapping.

02

Apply your color grade

Use curves, levels, color balance, HSL, white balance, split toning, or any global color adjustment. Stick to operations that act on color — skip anything spatial.

03

Export as PNG or JPG

Save the modified image at the original 512×512 size. PNG is recommended for the most accurate result.

04

Import into Phocus

Send it to your iPhone and use one of the import methods below.

Compatible programs

Adobe Photoshop: Open the PNG, then use Image → Adjustments (Curves, Hue/Saturation, Color Balance) or stack adjustment layers. Flatten and export as PNG.
Adobe Lightroom: Import the neutral LUT as a photo and edit it like any image — tone curve, HSL, color grading, white balance. Export as a 512×512 PNG with no sharpening or noise reduction.
Photomator: Edit the LUT directly with color tools, or — handy trick — apply an existing .cube file to the neutral PNG and export the result. That converts any 3D LUT into a square PNG Phocus can read.
Capture One: Import as a session image and use Color Balance, Curve, and Color Editor. Export as a 512×512 PNG with sharpening and clarity set to zero.
Affinity Photo: Open the PNG and stack adjustment layers (Curves, HSL, Recolor, Channel Mixer). Flatten and export as PNG at the original size.
Darktable: Free and open source. Import the LUT, apply color modules (tone curve, color balance RGB, color zones), and export as PNG without output sharpening.
GIMP: Use Colors → Curves, Color Balance, Hue-Saturation. Export the flattened image as PNG. Free alternative if you don't have access to commercial editors.
Snapseed & mobile editors: Open the neutral PNG on your phone, use Tune Image, White Balance, Curves, and Selective. Save and import directly into Phocus — never leaving the device.

Import methods

01

Import from Files app

a

Open Phocus and go to Settings

Tap the gear icon in the top-right corner of the main camera screen to access Settings.

b

Navigate to "Custom LUTs"

Scroll down to the "Filters" section and tap on "Custom LUTs" to open the LUT manager.

c

Tap the "+" button

This will open the iOS Files picker. Navigate to where your LUT images are stored.

d

Select your LUT image

Tap on the PNG or JPG square LUT image you want to import. The file will be processed and added to Phocus.

e

Name your LUT (optional)

Give your LUT a memorable name so you can easily find it later in the filter list.

02

Import via Share Sheet

a

Find your LUT image

Locate the square LUT PNG or JPG in Safari downloads, email attachments, or any other app.

b

Tap the Share button

Look for the share icon (square with an arrow pointing up) and tap it.

c

Select "Phocus" from the list

Scroll through the share options and tap on the Phocus icon. The LUT will be imported automatically.

03

Import via AirDrop

a

Send the LUT image via AirDrop

From your Mac or another iOS device, AirDrop the square LUT PNG or JPG to your iPhone.

b

Accept the file transfer

When the AirDrop notification appears, tap "Accept" to receive the file.

c

Choose "Open with Phocus"

After accepting, you'll see options for how to open the file. Select Phocus to import the LUT directly.

Using your imported LUTs

Once imported, your custom LUTs appear alongside the built-in filters in Phocus.

Access from the camera: Open the camera in Phocus and swipe through the filter carousel. Your custom LUTs appear in a separate "My LUTs" section at the end of the list.
Real-time preview: Just like built-in filters, your custom LUTs are applied in real-time to the camera viewfinder so you can see exactly how your photo will look before capturing.
Adjust intensity: Use the intensity slider to control how strong the LUT effect is applied. This works with both built-in filters and your custom LUTs.

Managing your LUTs

All imported LUTs live in the Phocus/Luts folder inside iCloud Drive. Open the Files app, navigate there, and you can rename, delete, reorder, or add new LUTs at any time — changes sync back to Phocus automatically.

Troubleshooting

My LUT image won't import

Make sure your file is a valid 512×512 square LUT image in PNG or JPG format. Phocus only supports this size. If your LUT is in a different format (like .cube or .3dl), you'll need to convert it to a 512×512 square LUT image first using compatible software.

The LUT looks different than expected

LUTs are designed for specific input color profiles. If your LUT was designed for log footage (like S-Log or C-Log), it may look overly contrasty when applied to standard iPhone photos. Try reducing the intensity slider, or look for LUTs specifically designed for Rec. 709 or sRGB input.

I can't find my imported LUT

Custom LUTs appear in a separate section called "My LUTs" at the end of the filter carousel. Swipe all the way to the right to find them. You can also access them from Settings > Custom LUTs.

Ready to try it out?

Grab the neutral LUT to start crafting your own look, or download Phocus and bring your existing LUTs along.

Download neutral LUT Download Phocus