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.
  • 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 warm11,557 Exports, 3,744 Installs
GTD_WarmOriginal
GTD_Warm17,543 Exports, 4,108 Installs
GlowOriginal
Glow283 Exports, 105 Installs
Portra 160Original
Portra 160466 Exports, 134 Installs
Classic NegativeOriginal
Classic Negative75,368 Exports, 8,125 Installs
Glowy IIOriginal
Glowy II4,616 Exports, 1,034 Installs
✨ Polaroid 600Original
✨ Polaroid 60018,318 Exports, 2,736 Installs
Classic ChromeOriginal
Classic Chrome6,637 Exports, 793 Installs
Leica M8Original
Leica M84,336 Exports, 801 Installs
Kodak portra 400Original
Kodak portra 4002,652 Exports, 1,277 Installs
Loomono Profil 200Original
Loomono Profil 2003,050 Exports, 1,157 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
Fuji110,187 Exports, 1,787 Installs
Kodak Gold200Original
Kodak Gold2007,665 Exports, 1,456 Installs
Nature IIIOriginal
Nature III3,190 Exports, 562 Installs
Kodak PunchOriginal
Kodak Punch33,395 Exports, 3,072 Installs
Coffee shopOriginal
Coffee shop1,296 Exports, 213 Installs
GX8-3Original
GX8-3692 Exports, 108 Installs
ThursdayOriginal
Thursday990 Exports, 67 Installs
CPBOriginal
CPB12,585 Exports, 2,587 Installs
Glass PopOriginal
Glass Pop157,708 Exports, 7,982 Installs
Golden HourOriginal
Golden Hour292 Exports, 99 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
HP54,072 Exports, 661 Installs
Malediven 6Original
Malediven 611,715 Exports, 1,141 Installs
E1Original
E148,924 Exports, 6,046 Installs
blue skyOriginal
blue sky3,159 Exports, 869 Installs
FilmfeelOriginal
Filmfeel2,608 Exports, 571 Installs
Wedding 1Original
Wedding 12,463 Exports, 419 Installs
GoldenOriginal
Golden22,353 Exports, 2,021 Installs
Cinematic ProductOriginal
Cinematic Product36,851 Exports, 3,131 Installs

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