Apply Custom Black and White LUTs in OBS Studio

Using a custom Lookup Table (LUT) in OBS Studio is one of the fastest ways to color-grade your webcam or camera capture card in real time. This guide explains how to import and apply a black-and-white cinematic LUT to your video source using OBS Studio’s built-in video filter stack, allowing you to achieve a professional grayscale aesthetic for your live streams or recordings.

Step 1: Prepare Your Black-and-White LUT File

OBS Studio’s native “Apply LUT” filter requires lookup tables in a specific PNG format (a 2D grid image, often 512x512 pixels) rather than the standard .cube format used in video editing software. Ensure you have a compatible black-and-white PNG LUT downloaded to your computer before starting.

Step 2: Open the Filters Menu in OBS Studio

  1. Launch OBS Studio.
  2. Locate your camera under the Sources dock (usually named “Video Capture Device”).
  3. Right-click on your camera source and select Filters from the context menu (or select the source and click the Filters button above the Sources dock).

Step 3: Add the “Apply LUT” Filter

  1. In the Filters window, look at the bottom-left pane labeled Effect Filters.
  2. Click the + (plus) icon at the bottom of this pane.
  3. Select Apply LUT from the list of available filters.
  4. Name the filter (e.g., “Cinematic B&W”) and click OK.

Step 4: Load Your Custom LUT File

  1. With the new filter highlighted, look at the right side of the window to view its properties.
  2. Click the Browse button next to the “Path” field.
  3. Navigate to the folder where your black-and-white PNG LUT file is stored, select the file, and click Open.
  4. Your video preview in the background will instantly update to show the black-and-white effect.

Step 5: Fine-Tune the Effect Intensity

  1. Locate the Amount slider directly below the file path.
  2. Drag the slider to adjust the opacity of the LUT. Keeping it at 1.00 (100%) will give you a full black-and-white cinematic look. Lowering the slider allows some of the original color to bleed through, which can create a stylized, desaturated aesthetic.
  3. Click Close to save the changes.