Is film simulation free?

Yes. All 20 films, 8 papers, and effects such as grain and halation are free to use.

No. RAW, JPEG, and other common formats all work.

Can I use my own LUTs?

Yes, in .cube and Hald formats.

Film simulation: real film looks for any photo

To give a digital photo the look of film, use film simulation. Lucarne, a free photo editor for the Mac, has 20 film stocks and 8 print papers, made from the manufacturers’ film data. Pick a film for any photo from any camera, then keep adjusting.

One photo, a different film each time. Choose a name below.

20 films

Colour negative: Kodak Portra 160, 400, and 800 (also pushed one and two stops), Gold 200, Ultramax 400, Ektar 100, Verita 200D; Fujifilm C200, Pro 400H, X-Tra 400
Slide: Fujifilm Velvia 100 and Provia 100F; Kodak Ektachrome 100 and Kodachrome 64
Cinema: Kodak Vision3 50D, 200T, 250D, 500T

The paper matters too

The same film printed on different papers looks different in colour and contrast. So in Lucarne you can choose the paper as well as the film: Kodak’s Endura papers, Ektacolor Edge, Vision 2383 and 2393, and Fujifilm Crystal Archive. Or let Lucarne match the paper to the film.

Scenethe light you shot
Filmrecords colour and tone
Papersets contrast and colour
Photowhat you see

Portra 400 printed on three papers. Choose a name below.

Grain, halation, and format

Grain: amount, size, and roughness, with a pattern of its own for every photo
Halation: the warm red glow around bright lights
Format: 35 mm, medium format 6×7, or large format 4×5 — the larger the format, the finer the grain
Exposure: set the film’s exposure and the print’s exposure separately

Keep adjusting

After you apply a film, you can keep going: the print’s warmth and tint, the amount of the film effect, plus exposure, colour, curves, and local adjustments. You can also import your own LUTs in .cube and Hald formats.

Portra 400, then a warmer print, a touch of teal in the shadows, and darker corners.

Works with photos from any camera

Film simulation works with RAW files from major cameras such as Sony, Fujifilm, Nikon, and Canon, and with JPEG, HEIF, PNG, and other common formats.

One film for the whole shoot

Save your film look as a Look and apply it to a whole set of photos, as if they came from the same roll.

One film look, Portra 400, on four photos from one trip.

Questions

Is film simulation free?: Yes. All 20 films, 8 papers, and effects such as grain and halation are free to use.
Do I need RAW files?: No. RAW, JPEG, and other common formats all work.
Can I use my own LUTs?: Yes, in .cube and Hald formats.