For Film Photography Lovers
Recreate Classic Film Looks From Any Photo
Found a photo with that perfect Portra warmth or Cinestill glow? Upload it to GrainLab and generate a film-inspired preset to try on your photo.
Create Film Preset — Free3 free decodes daily · No account required
Popular Film Stocks to Emulate
Find a reference shot from any of these stocks—or any film you love
Kodak Portra 400
The gold standard for portrait photography. Warm skin tones, soft pastels, and beautiful highlight rolloff.
Fuji 400H
Clean, slightly cool tones with exceptional skin rendering. A favorite of wedding and portrait photographers.
Kodak Ektar 100
Punchy, saturated colors with fine grain. Perfect for landscapes and travel photography.
Cinestill 800T
Tungsten-balanced cinema film with iconic halation around highlights. The neon-lit night photography look.
Kodak Tri-X 400
Classic black and white with rich tones and distinctive grain. Timeless documentary aesthetic.
Ilford HP5 Plus
Versatile black and white with slightly softer contrast than Tri-X. Great latitude for push processing.
Why GrainLab for Film Emulation
Beyond Generic Film Filters
Most film presets are one-size-fits-all. GrainLab uses your chosen reference to estimate a film-inspired starting point.
Any Film Stock, Any Era
From modern Portra to discontinued stocks like Kodachrome. If you can find a reference, you can extract the look.
Real Film References
Use actual scanned film photos as references. Use them to guide a digital approximation, then refine the result in Lightroom.
Capture the Full Character
Film isn't just colors. GrainLab extracts grain structure, highlight rolloff, shadow behavior, and color shifts.
How to Create Film Presets
Find a film reference
Search Flickr, Instagram, or photography forums for photos shot on the film stock you want to emulate. Scanned film photos work best.
Upload to GrainLab
Drop your reference and your own photo into GrainLab. The system analyzes color response, grain structure, highlight rolloff, and other editing characteristics.
Download your preset
Get an XMP file that captures the film look. Import into Lightroom Classic or CC and apply to your digital photos.
Tips for Better Film Presets
Use well-exposed references
Film characteristics show best in properly exposed photos. Avoid heavily underexposed or overexposed references.
Look for skin tones
Portrait shots reveal a film stock's color rendering. Skin tones are where film character really shines.
Check the scanning method
Lab scans vs home scans can look different. Choose references that match your target aesthetic.
Ready to create your film preset?
Decode 3 photos free every day. No account, no credit card required.
Create Film Preset — Free