To add a photo as a layer in Procreate, open your canvas, tap Actions (the wrench icon), choose Add, then tap Insert a photo and pick an image from your library. Procreate places it on your canvas as a new layer. You can also use Insert a file for images stored in the Files app, Take a photo to shoot one with the camera, or drag an image in from another app.

Add a photo as a layer on iPad: step by step

1. Open the artwork you want to work in.
2. Tap the Actions icon (wrench) in the top toolbar.
3. Tap Add.
4. Tap Insert a photo to open your Photos library, or Insert a file to browse Files.
5. Select the image. It lands on the canvas and appears in the Layers panel as its own layer.

From there, treat it like any other layer. Reposition and scale it, change its blend mode, drop the opacity, mask it, or paint over it on a layer above.

Procreate accepts PNG, JPEG, and PSD through these menus. Its wider import support covers .procreate, .tiff, .gif, and .pdf. Vector formats such as .ai, .eps, and .svg are not supported, so rasterize those elsewhere before bringing them in.

Choose the right insert method

The Add menu offers several routes. They all end in a new layer, but each suits a different situation.

Insert a photo

Use this when the image is in your Photos app: camera captures, saved reference, or other images you've saved to your device. It's the quickest route for most people.

Insert a file

Use this when the asset lives in Files, in any connected location. This is the better choice for client-supplied stills, exported frames from your video project, or textures you keep in a project folder. The Files browser lets you move between connected locations without leaving Procreate.

Take a photo

Choose Take a photo to open the iPad camera. Shoot, tap Use Photo, and the image appears in the open artwork. It's handy for quick texture captures, a hand-drawn sketch on paper, or a lighting reference you want directly in the file.

Drag and drop

If the image is in another app, you can drag it straight onto the canvas and it will be inserted as a layer. Dropping onto the Gallery instead creates a new artwork from the image, which is a different outcome, so pay attention to where you release.

Use a private layer for reference images

If you're pulling in a photo only as a guide, such as a plate frame, a pose reference, or a color study, insert it as a private layer. Inside Actions → Add, slide the Insert a photo or Insert a file tab to the left. A grey button for inserting a private photo or file appears. Tap it and choose your image.

A private layer behaves like a normal layer, with one difference: it won't show up in the Gallery preview or in an exported time-lapse video. The Layers panel labels it "Private" beneath the name. That's useful when you want to share a time-lapse or preview with a client without exposing licensed stock or a reference you don't have rights to show.

One limitation: private import flattens PSDs, and you can't bring in a layered PSD this way.

Adding a photo in Procreate Pocket on iPhone

The workflow is almost identical, but the interface is more compact:

1. Tap the ellipsis button to expand the top toolbar.
2. Tap the wrench icon to open Actions.
3. Tap Add, then Insert a photo, Insert a file, or Take a photo.

Pocket also has a Quick Add Photo button. While you're in any Actions tab, tap it to open the Photos interface immediately, then tap a photo to bring it in as a new layer. If you add reference images often, this saves several taps.

Import as a new canvas vs. as a layer

These two choices are easy to confuse and have different consequences.

• Add to an existing artwork (Actions → Add): the image becomes a layer in your current canvas. Your canvas size and settings stay as they are.
• Create a new artwork from an image (Gallery → Import or Photo): the image becomes its own canvas. Its resolution and color profile come with it.

If you want a canvas that matches the exact pixel dimensions of a still, such as a 4K frame from your timeline, start from the Gallery import and paint on top. If you're compositing several photos into one design, insert them as layers into a canvas you've sized deliberately.

The PSD caveat

Importing a PSD through Insert a photo or Insert a file brings it in as a single flattened image. Layers are lost. To keep a layered PSD intact, import it from the Gallery, which creates a new artwork with the layers preserved. You can then copy layers into another canvas if needed.

Position and size the photo after inserting

After insertion, the new layer is a raster image that you'll usually want to adjust:

• Use the Transform tool (the arrow icon) to move, scale, and rotate it.
• Switch between uniform and freeform scaling from the Transform toolbar, depending on whether you need to preserve proportions.
• Be careful about scaling up. A low-resolution photo stretched across a large canvas will soften, and no later painting step restores that detail.
• Use the layer's blend mode and opacity controls to integrate it with the artwork, for example Multiply for a texture or a reduced opacity for tracing.
• Add a layer mask or clipping mask above it to limit where the photo shows.

For production work, check the canvas resolution before you insert anything. It's far easier to start at the delivery size than to rescale a finished painting.

Troubleshooting common problems

The photo appears too small or too large. Use Transform to resize it.

The PSD lost its layers. This is expected behavior with the Add menu. Use Gallery import instead.

I can't find an .svg or .ai file. Those vector formats aren't supported. Export a PNG at the size you need from your vector tool first.

The image shows up in my time-lapse. You inserted it as a normal layer. Delete it from the layer stack, or re-import it as a private layer next time.

The image isn't in the picker. Check that the file has finished downloading from iCloud or a cloud provider, and that Procreate has permission to access Photos in iPadOS settings.

Where this fits in a motion and VFX pipeline

For many motion designers, Procreate is where a loose idea becomes a styleframe: a painted concept, a texture study, or a hand-drawn overlay. Bringing a photo in as a layer lets you paint directly over a plate frame, sketch a character into a location, or build a collage that becomes the visual target for a shot.

Export from Procreate at a clean resolution, ideally PNG for flat frames or a layered PSD if you need to separate elements.

Quick reference

FAQ

Does inserting a photo create a new layer automatically? Yes. Each inserted image becomes its own layer in the current artwork.

Can I add multiple photos at once? Procreate's help documentation describes selecting files or images and importing them as new layers, so you can bring in several. Check how your version of the picker handles multiple selection.

Can I edit the photo non-destructively? Use masks, adjustment tools on separate layers, and duplicated layers as backups. Transformations on raster layers are not fully non-destructive, so duplicate the layer first if you might want to revert.

Will the photo change my canvas size? Not when added to an existing artwork. It only changes if you create a new artwork by importing the image from the Gallery.

To add a photo as a layer in Procreate, open your canvas, tap Actions (the wrench icon), choose Add, then tap Insert a photo and pick an image from your library. Procreate places it on your canvas as a new layer. You can also use Insert a file for images stored in the Files app, Take a photo to shoot one with the camera, or drag an image in from another app.

Add a photo as a layer on iPad: step by step

1. Open the artwork you want to work in.
2. Tap the Actions icon (wrench) in the top toolbar.
3. Tap Add.
4. Tap Insert a photo to open your Photos library, or Insert a file to browse Files.
5. Select the image. It lands on the canvas and appears in the Layers panel as its own layer.

From there, treat it like any other layer. Reposition and scale it, change its blend mode, drop the opacity, mask it, or paint over it on a layer above.

Procreate accepts PNG, JPEG, and PSD through these menus. Its wider import support covers .procreate, .tiff, .gif, and .pdf. Vector formats such as .ai, .eps, and .svg are not supported, so rasterize those elsewhere before bringing them in.

Choose the right insert method

The Add menu offers several routes. They all end in a new layer, but each suits a different situation.

Insert a photo

Use this when the image is in your Photos app: camera captures, saved reference, or other images you've saved to your device. It's the quickest route for most people.

Insert a file

Use this when the asset lives in Files, in any connected location. This is the better choice for client-supplied stills, exported frames from your video project, or textures you keep in a project folder. The Files browser lets you move between connected locations without leaving Procreate.

Take a photo

Choose Take a photo to open the iPad camera. Shoot, tap Use Photo, and the image appears in the open artwork. It's handy for quick texture captures, a hand-drawn sketch on paper, or a lighting reference you want directly in the file.

Drag and drop

If the image is in another app, you can drag it straight onto the canvas and it will be inserted as a layer. Dropping onto the Gallery instead creates a new artwork from the image, which is a different outcome, so pay attention to where you release.

Use a private layer for reference images

If you're pulling in a photo only as a guide, such as a plate frame, a pose reference, or a color study, insert it as a private layer. Inside Actions → Add, slide the Insert a photo or Insert a file tab to the left. A grey button for inserting a private photo or file appears. Tap it and choose your image.

A private layer behaves like a normal layer, with one difference: it won't show up in the Gallery preview or in an exported time-lapse video. The Layers panel labels it "Private" beneath the name. That's useful when you want to share a time-lapse or preview with a client without exposing licensed stock or a reference you don't have rights to show.

One limitation: private import flattens PSDs, and you can't bring in a layered PSD this way.

Adding a photo in Procreate Pocket on iPhone

The workflow is almost identical, but the interface is more compact:

1. Tap the ellipsis button to expand the top toolbar.
2. Tap the wrench icon to open Actions.
3. Tap Add, then Insert a photo, Insert a file, or Take a photo.

Pocket also has a Quick Add Photo button. While you're in any Actions tab, tap it to open the Photos interface immediately, then tap a photo to bring it in as a new layer. If you add reference images often, this saves several taps.

Import as a new canvas vs. as a layer

These two choices are easy to confuse and have different consequences.

• Add to an existing artwork (Actions → Add): the image becomes a layer in your current canvas. Your canvas size and settings stay as they are.
• Create a new artwork from an image (Gallery → Import or Photo): the image becomes its own canvas. Its resolution and color profile come with it.

If you want a canvas that matches the exact pixel dimensions of a still, such as a 4K frame from your timeline, start from the Gallery import and paint on top. If you're compositing several photos into one design, insert them as layers into a canvas you've sized deliberately.

The PSD caveat

Importing a PSD through Insert a photo or Insert a file brings it in as a single flattened image. Layers are lost. To keep a layered PSD intact, import it from the Gallery, which creates a new artwork with the layers preserved. You can then copy layers into another canvas if needed.

Position and size the photo after inserting

After insertion, the new layer is a raster image that you'll usually want to adjust:

• Use the Transform tool (the arrow icon) to move, scale, and rotate it.
• Switch between uniform and freeform scaling from the Transform toolbar, depending on whether you need to preserve proportions.
• Be careful about scaling up. A low-resolution photo stretched across a large canvas will soften, and no later painting step restores that detail.
• Use the layer's blend mode and opacity controls to integrate it with the artwork, for example Multiply for a texture or a reduced opacity for tracing.
• Add a layer mask or clipping mask above it to limit where the photo shows.

For production work, check the canvas resolution before you insert anything. It's far easier to start at the delivery size than to rescale a finished painting.

Troubleshooting common problems

The photo appears too small or too large. Use Transform to resize it.

The PSD lost its layers. This is expected behavior with the Add menu. Use Gallery import instead.

I can't find an .svg or .ai file. Those vector formats aren't supported. Export a PNG at the size you need from your vector tool first.

The image shows up in my time-lapse. You inserted it as a normal layer. Delete it from the layer stack, or re-import it as a private layer next time.

The image isn't in the picker. Check that the file has finished downloading from iCloud or a cloud provider, and that Procreate has permission to access Photos in iPadOS settings.

Where this fits in a motion and VFX pipeline

For many motion designers, Procreate is where a loose idea becomes a styleframe: a painted concept, a texture study, or a hand-drawn overlay. Bringing a photo in as a layer lets you paint directly over a plate frame, sketch a character into a location, or build a collage that becomes the visual target for a shot.

Export from Procreate at a clean resolution, ideally PNG for flat frames or a layered PSD if you need to separate elements.

Quick reference

FAQ

Does inserting a photo create a new layer automatically? Yes. Each inserted image becomes its own layer in the current artwork.

Can I add multiple photos at once? Procreate's help documentation describes selecting files or images and importing them as new layers, so you can bring in several. Check how your version of the picker handles multiple selection.

Can I edit the photo non-destructively? Use masks, adjustment tools on separate layers, and duplicated layers as backups. Transformations on raster layers are not fully non-destructive, so duplicate the layer first if you might want to revert.

Will the photo change my canvas size? Not when added to an existing artwork. It only changes if you create a new artwork by importing the image from the Gallery.