How to install shaders in Minecraft Java(With pictures)

In this post, I'll give you step by step tutorial with pictures for installing shaders in your Minecraft Java. If this post was helpful, check out my other contents.

Step 1: Get Optifine

Optifine is a Minecraft optimization mod. It lets you fine-tune your Minecraft graphics options and lets you install Shaders. Even if you don't use shaders, installing Optine enables some additional graphics settings, so you can get better framerates. 

To download Optifine, go to their official webite.

Optifine Homepage

From their homepage, click download, which will open this page

Optifine Downloads page

If you are running latest Minecraft version, click on the download button. Otherwise click "show all downloads" to look for your installed version. Clicking the download button will lead you to a page with ads

Download Redirect

I have adblocker installed so it is blank in my browser. You will see a skip button on top right corner. Click it.

Actual Download page

Here you will see actual download button, clicking will download the jar file

When it finishes downloading, run that jar file

Just click install, wait for the installation and you're done.

Step 2: Getting Shaders

Now you need to download some shaders. But beware, some of the shader packs can turn out to be really demanding for the system. For example, SEUS PTGI shader is one of the most popular shader, but it requires a beefy computer for a solid 60FPS performance. 

So if you don't have a high performance system then you should stick to some less demanding shaders, like Sildur's Vibrant Default and Chocapic13's Toaster edition. You can browse all the shaders at curseforge but some of shaders are not always up-to date there. So recommend visiting Sildur's website(my personal favorite shader packs) and Bitslablab website(they make BSL shader which is great for cinematic videos, even I use them for my YouTube videos).

Step 3: Importing Shaders

Now that you downloaded your choice of Shader packs, now you need to import them into your game. All you need to do is to copy the zip file into the shaderpacks folder. Depending on your Operating system, this folder can be at different places, so I recommend importing the shaders from the game as I show below

Launch the game

Click options

Now click Video settings

Now click shaders

Here you will see shader folder in bottom left, click on it(not on the arrow, clicking on arrow will launch web browser)

Now your shaderpacks folder is opened, copy the shader zip files into this folder and go back to game. All the shaders will be listed there. Click whichever shader pack you want to use, it will be loaded.