Applying the same multiple adjustments to many photos needn’t be a chore…

Aperture comes with 22 different adjustment tools that you can use on your photos to improve or otherwise alter them. However, you may find that you need to modify many shots in the same way to keep them consistent with one another. They could be part of the same photo shoot, or perhaps you need to create a specific look for a particular project. Whatever the reason, applying the same multiple adjustments to each and every image can be extremely tedious and is definitely not something to look forward to.

BEFORE: Choose a picture and select a preset from the Inspector menu…

AFTER: …And your photo instantly changes with the preset levels applied.

Fortunately you have another option at your disposal: presets. At first glance, presets offer you many pre-configured adjustments. Just choose a photo, add a preset, and if multiple adjustments were needed to create that particular look, they are all added to your image instantly.

What makes presets much more interesting though is the fact that you can create your own and add them to the preset menu. You can even organize them within your own folders to create a whole range of unique presets for your own use. Even better, you can export any preset from your copy of Aperture so that you, your friends or colleagues can work with the same effects on other Macs. Since you can now purchase Aperture from the Mac App Store and install it on more than one machine (as long as it’s registered to the same account, of course), you can work on multiple computers and bring all your changes from one Mac to the other.

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Create Your Own Aperture Presets

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  Preset Navigation

  Let’s start by using the default presets. Select an image from your library, go to the sidebar’s Adjustments tab and click on the Presets menu. They’re all organized into folders. Move the cursor over a folder to reveal a list. Mouse over, but do not click one of the presets.

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  Quick Preview

  You’ll see a small thumbnail appear to the right, showing a quick preview of what the image will look like with that preset applied to it. This is a very convenient way to cycle through the various options and see their effects without actually applying them.

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  Apply a Preset

  Click on a preset and its adjustments will be added to your shot. Select another and add it to the same image. Aperture doesn’t replace one set of adjustments with another but combines the two. This can be advantageous in some circumstances.

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  Replace Adjustments

  What if you want to replace all existing adjustments with the settings from a particular preset? Preview any preset and hold down the option key. This alters the preview image and shows you what it will look like if you replace the existing adjustments with the preset’s.

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  Make Your Own

  Now to create your own preset. Make some changes to your photo. You can add any adjustment tool that isn’t currently visible by clicking the Adjustments menu, to the right of the Presets menu. Any marked with a dot should already be visible in the sidebar.

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  Save a Preset

  With your modifications made, go back to the Presets menu and select Save as Preset. A new window appears with your new preset selected, ready to be renamed. Drag it to an existing folder or use the cogwheel button, lower left, to create a new folder (Preset Group).

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  Duplicate and Delete

  All adjustment tools that were ticked in your sidebar appear in the saved preset. You can however remove any unwanted ones by clicking on the ‘-’ symbol to the right. To delete a preset, select it then hit the delete key. You can also make a copy of a preset via the cogwheel button.

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  Export

  Export a preset via the Presets window. Click the cogwheel button and choose Export. You can give your preset a name (by default it’s the one you’ve already given it) and save it to your Mac. It’s a tiny file that you can email or send to another Mac over your network.

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  Quick Tip

  You can copy adjustments by means of the Lift and Stamp tool. Access it from the Metadata menu or straight from Aperture’s toolbar. It’s a good method if you don’t need to perform this function repeatedly. We’ll cover it in a future tutorial.

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