Procreate is a professional design app for drawing, painting, illustration and short animation on the iPad. It is popular with illustrators, designers and content creators because it is fast, touch-first and sold as a one-time purchase.

In this guide we explain what Procreate is and what it does, who uses it, which devices it runs on, whether it is paid, whether you need an Apple Pencil, its main features (brushes, Brush Studio, layers, masks, blend modes, QuickShape, Drawing Assist, ColorDrop, palettes), RGB vs. CMYK, how to set up a canvas, layer limits, how to use it step by step, file formats, whether it can make logos, animation or 3D work, text, time-lapse, social media images, and how to earn money with it.

What Is Procreate?

A professional app used to draw, paint, illustrate and prepare short animations on the iPad.

What Is Procreate For?

What Is Procreate For?

Sketches, portraits, characters, digital painting, posters, social media images, calligraphy, animation and product patterns.

Who Uses Procreate?

Which Devices Does Procreate Run On?

  • iPad: the main app runs on supported iPads.
  • iPhone: Procreate Pocket.
  • Android: there is no official Procreate app.
  • Windows: there is no official desktop version.
  • Mac: Procreate is developed mainly for the iPad; files can be exported to a Mac for the rest of your workflow, but the main drawing experience is on the iPad.

Is Procreate Free?

No. The standard app is a paid app bought once, with no subscription. Procreate Pocket and Dreams are separate apps.

Do You Need an Apple Pencil?

No, you can use a finger, but an Apple Pencil improves precision and the natural pen feel.

Main Features

  • A powerful brush system.
  • Brush Studio for building your own brushes.
  • Layers.
  • Masks and clipping masks.
  • Blend modes.
  • QuickShape to snap rough shapes into perfect ones.
  • Drawing Assist for symmetry and guides.
  • ColorDrop to fill areas quickly.
  • Color palettes.

RGB and CMYK

Procreate works in RGB by default and can also use CMYK profiles; use RGB for screens and CMYK for print where relevant.

How to Create a Canvas

  • For digital work: use a screen-sized canvas.
  • For print: set the physical size and a high DPI.

Why Does the Layer Limit Change?

The number of layers depends on canvas size and device memory: bigger canvases allow fewer layers. To keep your layers, merge finished layers and avoid unnecessarily large canvases.

How to Use Procreate

  1. Create a new canvas.
  2. Choose a brush.
  3. Adjust the brush size.
  4. Choose a color.
  5. Add a layer.
  6. Lower the sketch opacity.
  7. Add color and shadow.
  8. Export your work.

Supported File Formats

Procreate’s own format, PSD, PNG, JPEG, PDF, TIFF and animated formats. See what is JPEG.

Procreate is raster-based and doesn’t support vector formats natively.

Can You Make a Logo with Procreate?

You can sketch and develop logo ideas, but a final logo usually needs a vector file so it scales without loss. See the importance of logo and corporate identity design and our logo design service.

Can You Animate in Procreate?

Yes, simple frame-by-frame animations. Procreate Dreams is a separate app for fuller animation.

Can You Do 3D Drawing?

You can paint on imported 3D models.

Can You Add Text?

Yes.

What Is Time-Lapse?

Procreate records your drawing process so you can export a time-lapse video, useful for social media. See how to make Instagram Reels.

Can You Make Social Media Images?

Yes. For layout and other tools, see what is Figma, what is an infographic and image SEO.

Can You Make Money with Procreate?

  • Selling digital products.
  • Printed products through print on demand.
  • Commissions.
  • Courses.

Related: catalog design and what is an NFT.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Procreate?

A professional design app used on the iPad for digital drawing, painting, illustration and short animation.

What is Procreate for?

Sketches, portraits, characters, digital painting, posters, social media images, calligraphy, animation and product patterns.

Is Procreate free?

No. It is a paid app, bought once, with no subscription.

Is Procreate monthly?

The standard app is bought once rather than by monthly subscription. Procreate Pocket and Dreams are separate apps.

Which devices does Procreate run on?

The main app runs on supported iPads. Procreate Pocket is for iPhone.

Is there Procreate for Android or Windows?

There is no official Procreate app for Android and no official desktop version for Windows.

Is an Apple Pencil necessary?

No. It can be used with a finger, but an Apple Pencil improves precision and the natural pen experience.