Cover Image for Community Presets, Updated for Spring

Community Presets, Updated for Spring

As we shared in our ‘24 Wrap-Up post, we’ve spent the past year steadily evolving Community Presets into one of the most powerful and creative parts of Darkroom. With a few new major updates now live, we thought this was the perfect moment to not only highlight the latest improvements, but also revisit everything that makes Darkroom’s Community Presets such a powerful and unique part of the app.

  • Smarter Search — Thanks to auto-generated preset descriptions, search is now more useful—and more fun—than ever, and because we use a fuzzy approach instead of literal search. Looking for film vibes? Try keywords like filmanalogkodakfuji, or grain. Want a specific aesthetic? Search for wes andersonmatrix, sepia, or cinematic. Need a mood match? Type warmblue, vintage, or summer. However you search, you’ll find creative presets tailored to your style.
  • Auto-Generated Descriptions — We explored allowing custom descriptions, but quickly ran into challenges with quality, consistency, and spam. Instead, we turned to AI with the help of Anthropic’s Claude LLM, which—through careful prompt engineering—has allowed us to generate unique, rich, natural language descriptions for every preset, automatically.
Left: updated preset design with auto-generated descriptions and new discovery navigation. Right: improved community preset search, allowing you explore looks, styles, and vibes with search.
Left: updated preset design with auto-generated descriptions and new discovery navigation. Right: improved community preset search, allowing you explore looks, styles, and vibes with search.
  • Easier Discovery Navigation — We’ve added a persistent navigation bar across all preset and collection pages, so you can jump between collections or start a new search no matter where you are. Discovering presets is now faster and more intuitive—on any device.
  • Updated Preset Design — We gave preset pages a thoughtful refresh, specifically for desktop, making space for auto-generated descriptions and improving overall clarity. Every preset you’ve installed is now clearly marked Installed when browsing in the app. QR codes are now also available on iPhone, making it easier to share your favorite presets with friends. All small touches that make a big difference.
  • Directory Pages - We’ve added comprehensive directory pages for our community presets to help new users discover all the amazing work being shared, and to further improve SEO.
  • App-Wide Improvements — We’ve made browsing and searching community presets inside the app faster and smoother. On Mac, keyboard shortcuts are more responsive. We polished scrolling, refined transitions, and improved a ton of little details—all to keep you in your flow.
Community Presets shown in a desktop browser

And that's just what's new. Darkroom's Community Presets is such a substantial feature that entire web platforms and apps dedicate themselves solely to preset discovery. What makes Community Presets in Darkroom unique is its seamless integration and ease of use. There's no need to manage, host, download, or import files—just web links that anyone can freely view, install, and try.

  • Preset Discovery — Over the past year we also launched dedicated collections like the All-Time Most Exported and All-Time Most Installed presets—highlighting the best of what the community has shared since launch. On top of the 3 automated (Top Exported, Fresh Arrivals, Top Installed) and 2 curated (Analog Film Favorites, Independent Favorites) collections we already had.
  • Preset Sharing — You can share your custom presets with your friends and the world, it’s quick and seamless. Just select the preset you want to share, tap the options menu (•••), and tap “Share.” You’ll get a simple web link that anyone can preview and install—whether or not they have Darkroom. Once shared, your preset is also added to Community Presets, making it discoverable by others.
  • Custom Presets — Want to create your own preset? If you’re thinking about making and sharing your own preset but aren’t sure where to start, we’ve got you. We put together a detailed step-by-step guide that walks you through the entire process—from developing a strong look to publishing it with confidence.

Custom presets—originally called filters—have been a core feature of Darkroom since we launched in 2015. That same year, we experimented with preset sharing for the first time, but it didn’t quite take off. Our community was still small, and while sharing is essential, we later learned that discovery—and making both effortless—is an entirely different challenge.

When we reintroduced preset sharing in late 2022, adoption was slow. But with the rollout of discovery features a year later, usage swiftly took off. Now, with new features and fresh community presets added daily, it’s become one of the most creative and vibrant corners of the Darkroom experience.

With hundreds of new presets published each month—and more than 2,800 already shared to date—there’s never been a better time to explore.


To celebrate the arrival of spring, we’ve curated a fresh batch of presets perfect for the season. Whether you’re capturing blooming landscapes, golden hour bike rides, or quiet morning moments, these presets will help you bring out the warmth, color, and clarity of your spring stories.

Fresh Starts & Soft Light

Celebrate the softer tones and new beginnings of spring. This theme is perfect for early morning light, delicate textures, and the understated magic of renewal.

Bart warmOriginal
Bart warm12,734 Exports, 3,853 Installs
GTD_WarmOriginal
GTD_Warm18,610 Exports, 4,159 Installs
GlowOriginal
Glow288 Exports, 108 Installs
Classic NegativeOriginal
Classic Negative79,405 Exports, 8,446 Installs
Glowy IIOriginal
Glowy II6,301 Exports, 1,110 Installs
✨ Polaroid 600Original
✨ Polaroid 60019,299 Exports, 2,797 Installs
Classic ChromeOriginal
Classic Chrome7,196 Exports, 820 Installs
Leica M8Original
Leica M84,885 Exports, 840 Installs
Kodak portra 400Original
Kodak portra 4003,666 Exports, 2,080 Installs
Loomono Profil 200Original
Loomono Profil 2003,223 Exports, 1,166 Installs

Spring in Bloom

Vibrant colors, bursting flowers, street markets, and lush gardens—this set captures the full bloom of spring. Great for city strolls, tulip fields, and saturated street scenes.

Fuji1Original
Fuji112,030 Exports, 1,845 Installs
Kodak Gold200Original
Kodak Gold20010,205 Exports, 1,548 Installs
Nature IIIOriginal
Nature III3,334 Exports, 571 Installs
Kodak PunchOriginal
Kodak Punch37,785 Exports, 3,295 Installs
Coffee shopOriginal
Coffee shop1,478 Exports, 318 Installs
GX8-3Original
GX8-3698 Exports, 120 Installs
ThursdayOriginal
Thursday1,218 Exports, 115 Installs
CPBOriginal
CPB12,787 Exports, 2,619 Installs
Glass PopOriginal
Glass Pop162,331 Exports, 8,129 Installs
Golden HourOriginal
Golden Hour317 Exports, 104 Installs

Everyday Wanderlust

For spontaneous getaways, bike rides, beach walks, and life lived outdoors. These presets are about capturing candid joy and natural beauty with clarity and subtle pop.

HP5Original
HP54,651 Exports, 700 Installs
Malediven 6Original
Malediven 613,362 Exports, 1,163 Installs
E1Original
E151,248 Exports, 6,214 Installs
blue skyOriginal
blue sky4,598 Exports, 1,267 Installs
FilmfeelOriginal
Filmfeel2,860 Exports, 589 Installs
Wedding 1Original
Wedding 12,652 Exports, 463 Installs
GoldenOriginal
Golden24,295 Exports, 2,185 Installs
Cinematic ProductOriginal
Cinematic Product40,069 Exports, 3,217 Installs

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