To add a brush in Procreate, open the brush library, tap the + button in the top right, choose Import from Files, and select your .brush, .brushset, or .brushlibrary file. You can also tap a brush file in Safari, Mail, or Files and choose Procreate, or drag and drop the file into the app. Imported brushes appear in an "Imported" folder or as a new set at the top of your library. Procreate also accepts Photoshop .abr brush files.

What You Need Before You Start

Procreate runs on iPad, so the brush files need to end up on the iPad. If you download on a Mac or PC, you'll need to transfer them first (covered below).

Check the file type first, because it determines what you get:

• .brush: a single brush.
• .brushset: a group of brushes, imported as one set.
• .brushlibrary: a full library containing multiple sets.
• .abr: a Photoshop brush file, which Procreate can also import.

Brush packs usually arrive as a .zip. Unzip it before importing. Tapping the zip in the Files app will extract it, or you can long-press and choose Uncompress. Inside you'll find the actual brush files, sometimes in a folder named after the pack.

One compatibility note: .brushset files need a reasonably current version of Procreate (4.1 or later). Any current install handles them without trouble.

Method 1: Import From Files Inside Procreate

This is the most reliable method, and the one to use when you're not sure where a download ended up.

1. Open Procreate and open your brush library by tapping the Paint, Smudge, or Erase tool a second time.
2. Tap the + button in the top right of the brush library panel.
3. Choose Import from Files.
4. Navigate to the file, whether it's in Downloads, iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or another connected location, and tap it.

Procreate imports it immediately. A single brush lands in a folder called Imported at the top of your current brush library. A brush set appears at the top of the current library as its own set. A brush library appears at the top of your library overview, the screen you reach by pinching inward on the brushes view or by tapping the library title and choosing Back to libraries.

Method 2: Tap the File (File Association)

If the brush file is already in front of you, you can skip the menus. Tap a .brush, .brushset, .brushlibrary, or .abr file in a browser download, an email attachment, or the Files app, then choose Procreate from the share or "Open in" prompt.

Procreate launches and installs the brush on its own. This is the quickest option for a one-off download, and it works the same way in Safari and Chrome: finish the download, open it from the downloads list, and send it to Procreate.

Method 3: Drag and Drop

On iPad, drag and drop is handy when you're juggling several brush files, or when you keep them organized in a cloud app.

1. Put Procreate and the Files app (or Dropbox, Google Drive, or whichever app holds the brushes) side by side in Split View or Slide Over.
2. Press and hold the brush file until it lifts.
3. Drag it into Procreate and release. A green plus indicator confirms Procreate can accept it.

To import several at once, pick up one file and tap others with another finger to add them to the stack, then drop the whole group in together.

The same trick works in reverse for sharing. Press and hold a brush in your library, then drag it into any compatible app to export it.

Getting Brushes From a Mac or PC to Your iPad

Plenty of brush packs are purchased and downloaded on a desktop. You have three practical routes to the iPad:

AirDrop (Mac): Turn on AirDrop on the iPad from Control Center and set it to Contacts Only or Everyone. On the Mac, select the brush files, right-click, choose Share > AirDrop, and pick the iPad. Procreate will usually open and install them automatically, or prompt you to choose where to open them. If you choose Everyone in a public place, switch it back afterward.

Cloud storage (Mac or PC): Move the unzipped brush files into iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or Google Drive. On the iPad, open the file in that app's interface and choose Share > Procreate, or use Import from Files inside Procreate and browse to the cloud folder. If a file shows a cloud icon, it hasn't downloaded to the iPad yet, so tap it or choose Download Now before importing.

Download on the iPad directly: Buy or download the pack in Safari, unzip it in Files, then tap the brush file or use Import from Files. Some older Files setups needed a third-party app to unzip, but current iPadOS handles zip files natively.

Windows users can't AirDrop, so cloud storage is the usual route.

Where Your Imported Brushes End Up

After import, look in these places:

• The Imported folder at the top of your current brush library, for single brushes.
• A new set at the top of the library, for .brushset files.
• The top of your library overview, for .brushlibrary files.

Rename an Imported folder before you import more brushes, so new arrivals don't mix with old ones.

Procreate also stores brush libraries in the Files app, under On My iPad → Procreate → Brushes, or iCloud Drive → Procreate Brushes. The folders inside are your libraries, the subfolders are sets, and the files inside are individual brushes. You can copy, move, and duplicate things there, and the changes carry into Procreate. Be careful here: moving or deleting files in that location changes your actual library, so back up anything you'd hate to lose before reorganizing.

Building a Brush Instead of Importing One

If you can't find the brush you want, make it. In the same + menu, Create new brush opens Brush Studio, where you can adjust shape, grain, taper, opacity, responsiveness, and behavior. You can also open Brush Studio for an existing brush by selecting it and tapping it again. A common approach for custom looks is to duplicate a brush close to what you need, then modify it, which leaves the original untouched. Procreate remembers your adjustments per brush, so switching between tools doesn't reset your tweaks.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Nothing happens when you tap the file. Check the extension. If it's still a .zip, extract it first. If the file is a .psd or a PNG texture rather than a brush file, it isn't an importable brush.

The brush isn't where you expected. Scroll to the top of the library and check for an Imported folder. Single brushes don't create their own set.

The file won't import from a cloud app. It's probably not downloaded locally. Download it to the iPad, then try again.

The brush looks different than in the preview. Many brushes depend on pressure and tilt response designed for Apple Pencil. Try the brush with the Pencil, and check its settings in Brush Studio. Photoshop .abr imports may behave differently from native Procreate brushes.

The brush pack doesn't work at all. Make sure it's meant for Procreate, not another app, and that your Procreate version is current.

Where Procreate Brushes Fit in a Motion Pipeline

For motion designers, animators, and VFX artists, Procreate is often the place where textures, hand-drawn elements, and style frames get made before they move into After Effects, Nuke, or Blender. A few habits make that handoff smoother:

• Draw at the final resolution. Set up your canvas to match your composition size so you aren't upscaling brush texture later.
• Keep elements on separate layers. Export layered files when you want to animate or composite parts separately, and flat PNGs when you need a quick reference.
• Use brush texture deliberately. Grain, dry-media edges, and ink bleed read differently once they're moving. Test a brush at the final frame size before committing to a whole illustration.
• Name sets and folders. A library full of "Imported" folders slows you down on a deadline.

Quick Recap

• Tap + in the brush library, then Import from Files, for the most dependable method.
• Tap a brush file in any app and choose Procreate for the fastest one-off install.
• Drag and drop in Split View when importing several files.
• Use AirDrop or cloud storage to get files from a Mac or PC to the iPad.
• Unzip packs first, and look for the Imported folder or a new set at the top of your library.
• Use Brush Studio to customize, and back up before reorganizing libraries in Files.

Once your brushes are in, the real work is choosing the ones that survive the move into motion. Build a small, well-named set you trust, and your style frames will carry cleanly into whatever comes next in the pipeline.

To add a brush in Procreate, open the brush library, tap the + button in the top right, choose Import from Files, and select your .brush, .brushset, or .brushlibrary file. You can also tap a brush file in Safari, Mail, or Files and choose Procreate, or drag and drop the file into the app. Imported brushes appear in an "Imported" folder or as a new set at the top of your library. Procreate also accepts Photoshop .abr brush files.

What You Need Before You Start

Procreate runs on iPad, so the brush files need to end up on the iPad. If you download on a Mac or PC, you'll need to transfer them first (covered below).

Check the file type first, because it determines what you get:

• .brush: a single brush.
• .brushset: a group of brushes, imported as one set.
• .brushlibrary: a full library containing multiple sets.
• .abr: a Photoshop brush file, which Procreate can also import.

Brush packs usually arrive as a .zip. Unzip it before importing. Tapping the zip in the Files app will extract it, or you can long-press and choose Uncompress. Inside you'll find the actual brush files, sometimes in a folder named after the pack.

One compatibility note: .brushset files need a reasonably current version of Procreate (4.1 or later). Any current install handles them without trouble.

Method 1: Import From Files Inside Procreate

This is the most reliable method, and the one to use when you're not sure where a download ended up.

1. Open Procreate and open your brush library by tapping the Paint, Smudge, or Erase tool a second time.
2. Tap the + button in the top right of the brush library panel.
3. Choose Import from Files.
4. Navigate to the file, whether it's in Downloads, iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or another connected location, and tap it.

Procreate imports it immediately. A single brush lands in a folder called Imported at the top of your current brush library. A brush set appears at the top of the current library as its own set. A brush library appears at the top of your library overview, the screen you reach by pinching inward on the brushes view or by tapping the library title and choosing Back to libraries.

Method 2: Tap the File (File Association)

If the brush file is already in front of you, you can skip the menus. Tap a .brush, .brushset, .brushlibrary, or .abr file in a browser download, an email attachment, or the Files app, then choose Procreate from the share or "Open in" prompt.

Procreate launches and installs the brush on its own. This is the quickest option for a one-off download, and it works the same way in Safari and Chrome: finish the download, open it from the downloads list, and send it to Procreate.

Method 3: Drag and Drop

On iPad, drag and drop is handy when you're juggling several brush files, or when you keep them organized in a cloud app.

1. Put Procreate and the Files app (or Dropbox, Google Drive, or whichever app holds the brushes) side by side in Split View or Slide Over.
2. Press and hold the brush file until it lifts.
3. Drag it into Procreate and release. A green plus indicator confirms Procreate can accept it.

To import several at once, pick up one file and tap others with another finger to add them to the stack, then drop the whole group in together.

The same trick works in reverse for sharing. Press and hold a brush in your library, then drag it into any compatible app to export it.

Getting Brushes From a Mac or PC to Your iPad

Plenty of brush packs are purchased and downloaded on a desktop. You have three practical routes to the iPad:

AirDrop (Mac): Turn on AirDrop on the iPad from Control Center and set it to Contacts Only or Everyone. On the Mac, select the brush files, right-click, choose Share > AirDrop, and pick the iPad. Procreate will usually open and install them automatically, or prompt you to choose where to open them. If you choose Everyone in a public place, switch it back afterward.

Cloud storage (Mac or PC): Move the unzipped brush files into iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or Google Drive. On the iPad, open the file in that app's interface and choose Share > Procreate, or use Import from Files inside Procreate and browse to the cloud folder. If a file shows a cloud icon, it hasn't downloaded to the iPad yet, so tap it or choose Download Now before importing.

Download on the iPad directly: Buy or download the pack in Safari, unzip it in Files, then tap the brush file or use Import from Files. Some older Files setups needed a third-party app to unzip, but current iPadOS handles zip files natively.

Windows users can't AirDrop, so cloud storage is the usual route.

Where Your Imported Brushes End Up

After import, look in these places:

• The Imported folder at the top of your current brush library, for single brushes.
• A new set at the top of the library, for .brushset files.
• The top of your library overview, for .brushlibrary files.

Rename an Imported folder before you import more brushes, so new arrivals don't mix with old ones.

Procreate also stores brush libraries in the Files app, under On My iPad → Procreate → Brushes, or iCloud Drive → Procreate Brushes. The folders inside are your libraries, the subfolders are sets, and the files inside are individual brushes. You can copy, move, and duplicate things there, and the changes carry into Procreate. Be careful here: moving or deleting files in that location changes your actual library, so back up anything you'd hate to lose before reorganizing.

Building a Brush Instead of Importing One

If you can't find the brush you want, make it. In the same + menu, Create new brush opens Brush Studio, where you can adjust shape, grain, taper, opacity, responsiveness, and behavior. You can also open Brush Studio for an existing brush by selecting it and tapping it again. A common approach for custom looks is to duplicate a brush close to what you need, then modify it, which leaves the original untouched. Procreate remembers your adjustments per brush, so switching between tools doesn't reset your tweaks.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Nothing happens when you tap the file. Check the extension. If it's still a .zip, extract it first. If the file is a .psd or a PNG texture rather than a brush file, it isn't an importable brush.

The brush isn't where you expected. Scroll to the top of the library and check for an Imported folder. Single brushes don't create their own set.

The file won't import from a cloud app. It's probably not downloaded locally. Download it to the iPad, then try again.

The brush looks different than in the preview. Many brushes depend on pressure and tilt response designed for Apple Pencil. Try the brush with the Pencil, and check its settings in Brush Studio. Photoshop .abr imports may behave differently from native Procreate brushes.

The brush pack doesn't work at all. Make sure it's meant for Procreate, not another app, and that your Procreate version is current.

Where Procreate Brushes Fit in a Motion Pipeline

For motion designers, animators, and VFX artists, Procreate is often the place where textures, hand-drawn elements, and style frames get made before they move into After Effects, Nuke, or Blender. A few habits make that handoff smoother:

• Draw at the final resolution. Set up your canvas to match your composition size so you aren't upscaling brush texture later.
• Keep elements on separate layers. Export layered files when you want to animate or composite parts separately, and flat PNGs when you need a quick reference.
• Use brush texture deliberately. Grain, dry-media edges, and ink bleed read differently once they're moving. Test a brush at the final frame size before committing to a whole illustration.
• Name sets and folders. A library full of "Imported" folders slows you down on a deadline.

Quick Recap

• Tap + in the brush library, then Import from Files, for the most dependable method.
• Tap a brush file in any app and choose Procreate for the fastest one-off install.
• Drag and drop in Split View when importing several files.
• Use AirDrop or cloud storage to get files from a Mac or PC to the iPad.
• Unzip packs first, and look for the Imported folder or a new set at the top of your library.
• Use Brush Studio to customize, and back up before reorganizing libraries in Files.

Once your brushes are in, the real work is choosing the ones that survive the move into motion. Build a small, well-named set you trust, and your style frames will carry cleanly into whatever comes next in the pipeline.