Blue And Violet Tone Lightroom Preset Free Download | Lightroom Presets
If you've been scrolling through Instagram lately, you've probably noticed that dreamy, moody look — deep blues melting into soft violet shadows, skin tones staying natural while the background feels almost cinematic. That's the blue and violet tone Lightroom preset style, and it's one of the most searched editing looks of the year. In this post, I'm sharing a free blue and violet tone preset you can download right now, plus a full breakdown of how to install and tweak it so it actually matches your photos instead of looking copy-pasted.
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| Blue And Violet Tone Lightroom Preset Free Download | Lightroom Presets |
I edit a lot of street, portrait, and travel shots, and this particular tone has become my go-to whenever I want a photo to feel a little more "film-like" without losing the natural skin texture. Let's get into it.
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What Exactly Is a Blue and Violet Tone Preset?
A blue and violet tone preset is a Lightroom color grade that pushes shadows toward blue-violet hues while keeping highlights slightly cooler or neutral. Instead of a flat, single-color filter, it works by shifting specific tone curves — shadows, midtones, and highlights — so the color transition feels natural rather than like an Instagram overlay slapped on top.
The reason this look has become so popular is simple: it works on almost everything. Street photography gets a moody, cinematic edge. Portraits look softer and more editorial. Even flat, overcast daylight shots suddenly feel intentional once you run this tone through them.
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⬇ VN TemplatesWhy Use a Free Blue and Violet Preset Instead of Editing Manually
I get asked this a lot — why download a preset instead of just adjusting HSL sliders yourself? Here's the honest answer:
- Speed. A preset applies dozens of micro-adjustments (tone curve, HSL, color grading wheels, split toning) in one tap instead of you manually chasing the right numbers.
- Consistency. If you're building an Instagram feed or a photography portfolio, having one signature tone across every photo makes your work instantly recognizable.
- Learning tool. Once you apply a preset, you can open the settings panel and actually see which sliders were moved. It's one of the fastest ways to learn color grading by reverse-engineering a look you already like.
That said, no preset works 100% out of the box on every photo. Lighting conditions change, so you'll still need to nudge exposure or temperature slightly — I'll cover exactly which sliders to touch further down.
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⬇ Lightroom presetsFree Download: Blue and Violet Tone Lightroom Preset (DNG)
This preset is built for Lightroom Mobile and works on both Android and iOS. It's saved in DNG format, which means it carries the full edit data (unlike a regular photo file) so it applies correctly every time.
Preset details:
- Format: DNG (compatible with Lightroom Mobile presets)
- Best used on: portraits, street photography, urban and travel shots
- Style: cool shadows, blue-violet midtones, slightly desaturated skin tones
- File size: lightweight, installs in seconds
How to Install This Preset in Lightroom Mobile (Step-by-Step)
If you've never installed a DNG preset before, don't worry — it takes less than two minutes.
- Download the DNG file from the link above and save it to your phone's gallery or downloads folder.
- Open the Lightroom Mobile app. If you don't have it yet, it's free on both the Play Store and App Store.
- Tap the "+" icon on the home screen, then select Add Photo, and choose the DNG file you just downloaded.
- Once it opens in the editor, tap the three-dot menu at the top right corner.
- Select Create Preset, give it a name (something like "Blue Violet Tone"), and save it.
- Now open any photo you want to edit, tap Presets at the bottom of the screen, find the one you just saved under "Your Presets," and apply it with one tap.
That's it — the preset is now permanently saved in your app and reusable on any photo, anytime.
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⬇ Trending Ai Photo EditingFine-Tuning the Preset for Your Own Photos
Presets are a starting point, not a final answer. Here's how I usually adjust this blue-violet tone depending on the shot:
For portraits: Pull the Shadows saturation down slightly if skin tones start looking too cool or grayish. You want the blue-violet shift in the background and clothing, not on the face.
For street/urban shots: Push the Clarity and Dehaze sliders up a touch (+5 to +10) to make the blue-violet tone feel more dramatic and gritty.
For overcast or flat lighting: Increase Contrast by around +10 and lower Highlights slightly — flat light needs more punch for the tone to actually read as intentional rather than washed out.
For golden hour shots: This preset can fight with warm light. Reduce the Temperature adjustment within the preset by nudging it slightly warmer so you don't lose the golden glow entirely.
A good rule of thumb: apply the preset first, then spend 30 seconds adjusting Exposure and White Balance before touching anything else. Those two sliders fix 80% of "why doesn't this preset look like the example photo" problems.
Best Photo Types for the Blue and Violet Tone
Not every photo suits this tone equally. From experience, here's where it shines:
- City and street photography — especially shots with concrete, glass buildings, or wet streets that reflect light
- Night and blue-hour photography — the tone amplifies naturally cool light beautifully
- Editorial-style portraits — moody, magazine-like results
- Fashion and lifestyle content — gives a polished, cinematic feel without heavy editing
- Travel photography in cooler climates — mountains, coastal towns, foggy mornings
It tends to struggle on bright tropical beach shots or anything with a lot of warm skin-heavy content, since the cool cast can compete with warm tones. In those cases, dial back the preset's intensity to around 60–70%.
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⬇ Trending Ai PromptsCommon Mistakes When Using Blue-Violet Presets
Applying it at 100% on every single photo. Lightroom Mobile lets you reduce a preset's intensity after applying it — use that. Not every photo needs the full effect.
Ignoring white balance before applying the preset. If your original photo has a strong yellow or orange cast, the preset will fight with it and produce muddy colors. Always neutralize white balance first, then apply the tone.
Skipping noise reduction on low-light shots. Cool tones make noise more visible, especially in shadows. If you're editing a night photo, bump up noise reduction slightly before finalizing.
Not adjusting for skin tone. This is the biggest one. Blue-violet grading can make skin look sickly if you don't isolate it properly. Use the HSL panel to nudge Orange/Red hue and saturation back toward natural after applying the preset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this preset really free?
Yes, the blue and violet tone preset shared in this post is completely free to download and use, including for personal Instagram, YouTube, or portfolio content.
Does this work on Lightroom Desktop (Classic)?
DNG presets are built for Lightroom Mobile, but you can convert the settings manually to an XMP preset for Lightroom Classic by recreating the same slider adjustments, or by exporting the settings through the desktop app once imported.
Can I use this preset for commercial photography work?
For personal projects and client work, yes. If you're planning to resell the preset itself as a product, that's not permitted — the download is for photo editing use only.
Why does the preset look different on my photo compared to the example image?
Lighting, camera sensor, and original color temperature all affect how a preset renders. That's completely normal — use the fine-tuning tips above to match it closer to what you're going for.
👇 Download the Blue & Violet Tone Preset below 👇
⬇ Download Preset (Free)What's the difference between a blue tone and a blue-violet tone preset?
A straight blue tone pushes almost every color toward blue evenly. A blue-violet tone specifically shifts shadows and midtones toward violet while keeping highlights cooler, which creates more depth and a less flat, more cinematic result.
Final Thoughts
The blue and violet tone look isn't going anywhere anytime soon — it's become a signature style across street photography, portrait work, and travel content because it adds mood without making a photo look over-processed. Download the preset above, run it through a few different types of photos, and don't be afraid to push the sliders around once you see what it's doing. That's honestly the fastest way to make any preset feel like your own editing style instead of a generic filter.
If you found this useful, save this page for later and check back — I'll be adding more free Lightroom preset packs for different moods and lighting conditions soon.