Procreate Backup

Artwork

File format

Control the default file format for drag & drop exports in the Procreate app settings.

• iPad Settings > scroll down on the left to Procreate
  • Drag & Drop Export group
    • Preferred File Format: PSD or Procreate

Drag & Drop export

1. Open Procreate
2. Go to Gallery view
3. Swipe up from bottom of iPad screen to reveal dock
4. Choose app for export, e.g. Files or (Google) Drive
   1. Click and hold the app icon
   2. Drag the app to the right side of the iPad.
   3. Hold the app on the right side of the screen until it docks side-by-side with the Procreate app.
5. Click Select on the upper right of the Procreate Gallery
   1. Select files to export
   2. Drag the files to the other app window.
      Note that if you select and drag folders from within the Procreate Gallery, those folders will not be created in the destination app. Instead, the files within those Gallery folders will be exported to the folder that is open in the destination app.

The Files app allows access to both servers on the LAN and cloud services, like Google Drive, so it may be the most versatile option for receiving files.

Export via Share

1. Open Gallery view in the Procreate app.
2. Click Select at the top right of the Procreate Gallery
3. Select files to export
4. Click Share at the top right of the Procreate Gallery
   1. Select format to use to export, e.g. Procreate or PSD
5. Select app to export to, e.g. (Google) Drive or Files
   1. Select destination folder
   2. Click Upload

Previewing Procreate files on Mac OS

A plugin can be installed on Mac to allow previews of Procreate files in Mac OS Finder windows.

Troubleshooting

Files app error: "Couldn't communicate with a helper application"

Use case

Drag files from Procreate to a local drive open in the Files app. The Files app pops open a dialog with the message.

Cause

The Files app is using stale credentials to access the drive.

Fix

• View the Files app in its own window, i.e. not in a split screen with Procreate.
• In the left Files panel under Shared find the local server.
  • Tap the server name to select which will reveal an eject icon to the right of the server name.
  • Tap eject to remove the connection to the server.
• At the top right of the Files panel tap the icon with the 3 dots.
  • Select Connect to Server
  • Reconnect to the server.

Exporting Procreate native files fails

Use case

Error creating thumbnail: File missing

Procreate export error

Both of these cases apply to exporting images as native Procreate files. Exporting the same in PSD format will be successful.

1. Select files in Procreate Gallery and drag them to external app. The app will show a dialog with a message like, "Importing X item(s) X item(s) remaining," with a progress circle that does not change. Nothing seems to happen after this point. If the dialog is dismissed by pressing the Cancel button, no files will have been added to the external app.

2. Select a file or files in Procreate Gallery, and then press the Share button. Select "Procreate" as the file format. A message will display, "Exporting..." with a checkmark. Then another message, "Export unsuccessful."

Cause

Older Procreate images won't export successfully as native Procreate files. Newer Procreate images can be exported successfully.

Solution

If an image cannot be exported, open it in Procreate and crop the image by one pixel in either dimension. Close the image to save the changes. This seems to update the image so that it can now be exported like newer Procreate images.

Wrench menu item > Canvas > Crop and Resize > Settings menu item > Enter number value for width or height

Google Drive drag and drop import

Google Drive doesn’t seem to do well importing both Procreate images and Procreate brushes. It may be that Drive doesn’t recognize the file formats.

Symptom

Open Procreate and Drive side-by-side. Drag either one file or multiple files from Drive into the Procreate gallery. While the green plus sign appears by the file, after releasing the file in the Procreate gallery nothing happens and the file(s) are not added to the gallery.

Solution

Copy file Procreate files into iCloud storage. Import them into the Procreate gallery from there. Then delete the files off iCloud storage.

Also, note that drag and drop of Procreate native files doesn't seem to work if the destination is "On This iPad." They are copied as text with very small file sizes, i.e. obviously not copies of the original files.

Brushes

Export

Individual brushes

1. Open up a split view with Procreate and the app that will accept the exported brushes.
2. Open an image in Procreate.
3. Open the Brushes menu by clicking on the Brush icon at the top right of the screen.
4. Select a brush by clicking and holding on it.
5. After selecting a brush, multiple brushes can be selected by clicking on other brushes.
6. Drag the selected brushes to the other app to export to that app.

Brush sets

To export an entire folder of brushes as one group:

1. Open Procreate side-by-side with the Files app.
2. Navigate to the folder on the cloud platform that will be the destination for the brush set backup.
3. Open an image in Procreate.
4. Click on the brush icon to reveal the brushes loaded in Procreate.
5. Click and hold on any folder of brushes in the brushes menu.
6. Drag the folder to the Files app window.
7. This will automatically create a .brushset file that contains all the brushes in the source folder.

Import

With iPad Pro 4th Gen, iOS 14.x, Procreate 5 environment, drag and drop importing brushes from Google Drive does not work. First copy the brushes to iCloud in the Files app.

Individual brushes

1. Arrange the Files app side-by-side with the Procreate app.
   1. Within Files, navigate to the Drive or iCloud folder that contains the brushes to import.
2. Open an individual image in Procreate.
3. Click on the brush icon at the top right to open the brushes menu.
   1. To create a new folder for the imported brushes, swipe left to display a plus button to create the new folder.
4. Select and drag brushes from the Files folder to the Procreate brushes menu.

Brush sets

Importing Procreate brush sets doesn't work if the brush sets are stored on Google Drive. First copy the brush set to another cloud platform, e.g. iCloud or Dropbox.

1. Navigate to the folder containing the .brushset file in the Files app.
2. Click and hold on the .brushset file to reveal its context menu.
3. Select Share and then choose Procreate.
4. The brush set should then be added to the brush menu in Procreate.

Palettes

Export

1. Open up a split view with Procreate and the app that will accept the exported brushes.
2. Open an image in Procreate.
3. Open the Color menu by clicking on the current color preview at the top right of the screen.
4. Click on Palettes at the bottom right of the Color fly out menu.
5. Click and hold on a palette, and drag it to the destination app.
6. Looks like palettes are exported one at a time only. It's not possible to export multiple palettes.

Import

1. Open the Google Drive app.
2. Navigate to the location where Procreate palettes are saved, e.g. Creative > Procreate > Palettes
3. Click on the 3 dot button by the name of the palette to be imported.
4. Select Open in and choose Procreate.
5. The palette should now be available within the Procreate app.