To add a brush set to Procreate, open your brush library, tap the + button in the top right, choose Import from Files, and select the .brushset file. The set appears at the top of your current brush library. You can also tap a .brushset file in Files, Mail, or Safari and choose to open it in Procreate, or drag the file into the app in Split View. If the download is a .zip, unzip it first, because Procreate can't import from a compressed archive.

What You Need Before You Start

Procreate runs on iPad, and Procreate Pocket is the iPhone version. You'll need the app installed and brush files in a format it recognizes:

• .brush: a single brush.
• .brushset: a group of brushes that imports as one set.
• .brushlibrary: a whole library of sets, available in newer versions of Procreate.
• .abr: Adobe Photoshop brushes, which Procreate can also import.

Older guides say .brushset files need Procreate 4.1 or later and a matching iOS version. Any current iPad setup will meet that. If you're on an older iPad that can't update, import individual .brush files instead.

Many brush packs download as a zip containing a mix of .brush, .brushset, textures, and PDFs of instructions. Only the Procreate-format files need to go into the app.

Method 1: Import from Files Inside Procreate

This is the method Procreate itself recommends, and it's the most predictable.

1. Open Procreate and tap the Brush tool to open the brush library.
2. If you use multiple libraries, select the one that should hold the new set. Whichever library is active becomes the destination.
3. Tap the + button in the top right of the library.
4. Choose Import from Files.
5. Navigate to your .brushset file (iCloud Drive, On My iPad, Dropbox, or wherever it lives) and tap it.
6. Wait for the "importing" indicator to finish.

Where the files land depends on what you imported:

• A brush set appears at the top of your current brush library.
• A single brush goes into an automatically created folder called Imported.
• A brush library appears at the top of your library overview.

Tip: Use Search in the File Picker

If your Files app is cluttered, type .brushset into the search field in the file picker. It filters to recent brush set files across locations. Greyed-out items are usually zip files, which signals you need to unzip them first.

Method 2: Tap the File Anywhere

Procreate registers itself as the handler for its file types, so you can import without opening the app first.

• In the Files app, tap a .brushset, .brush, .brushlibrary, or .abr file.
• In Mail, tap the attachment.
• In Safari, tap the downloaded file in the downloads list.

You'll get a prompt to open it in Procreate, and the import runs the same way as above. This is the quickest option for a single pack you just downloaded.

Method 3: Drag and Drop

Drag and drop is the best choice when you have several files, or when you want to avoid a trip through menus.

1. Put Procreate and the Files app side by side using Split View.
2. Press and hold a .brushset file until it lifts.
3. While holding it, tap additional files with another finger to add them to the selection.
4. Drag the stack into Procreate and release.

A green plus indicator appears when Procreate can accept the drop. Batch dragging is also the answer when you have a folder of loose .brush files and want them in one go. Procreate has no way to bundle loose brush files into a .brushset outside the app, so drag and drop (or AirDrop) is the practical shortcut.

Method 4: AirDrop from a Mac

If your brushes live on a Mac, AirDrop skips the cloud entirely.

1. On the iPad, open Control Center and set AirDrop to Contacts Only or Everyone. Set it back to a tighter option when you're in a public place.
2. On the Mac, select the brush files in Finder, right-click, and choose Share → AirDrop.
3. Pick your iPad. Procreate either opens and installs the files automatically, or asks where to put them.

Multiple files can be sent in one transfer.

Method 5: Use a Cloud Service

Windows users, and anyone without AirDrop, can use a cloud drive:

1. Download and unzip the brush pack on your computer.
2. Move the .brushset files into iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or Google Drive.
3. On the iPad, open the cloud service's app or the Files app.
4. Tap the file and share it to Procreate, or use Import from Files inside Procreate.

If a file shows a small cloud icon, it hasn't been downloaded to the iPad yet. Tap the icon, or press and hold and choose Download Now, before importing.

Downloading and Unzipping on the iPad Alone

You don't need a computer at all:

1. Download the pack in Safari or your browser of choice. It usually lands in the Downloads folder in the Files app.
2. Press and hold the zip file and choose Uncompress.
3. Open the resulting folder and find the .brushset or .brush files.
4. Tap the brush set. Procreate opens it and imports it into your library.

If the pack came with a PDF of installation notes, read it. Some creators include custom textures or palettes alongside the brushes that need separate handling.

Organizing Imported Sets

Once sets are in, it's worth spending a few minutes on structure, especially if you're collecting packs for different project types.

• Rename and reorder sets: Open the brush library to organize your sets. Check Procreate's Brush Libraries documentation for the exact options available.
• Create your own set: Tap + in the sets list, choose to create a new set, then drag brushes from other sets into it. This is how you build a "favorites" or "texture and grain" set for a particular style.
• Use multiple libraries: Pinch inward on the brush view, or tap the library title and choose Back to libraries. Separate libraries for client work, personal projects, and experimental packs keep things findable, and the search field helps when you remember a brush's name but not its set.
• Export your own set: Dragging a brush out of Procreate to Files, or sharing a set from the library, creates a .brush or .brushset file you can back up or hand to a colleague.

Procreate also stores libraries as folders in the Files app, under On My iPad → Procreate → Brushes or iCloud Drive → Procreate Brushes. The folders inside are libraries, then sets, then individual brush files. Moving or copying folders there is reflected in the app, which is handy for backups. Edit with care, though, and make a copy before rearranging anything, since renaming or deleting the wrong folder removes brushes from Procreate.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

The file is greyed out in the picker. It's probably a zip. Uncompress it in Files first.

Nothing happens when I tap the file. Check that it's really a Procreate format, and that the file has finished downloading from the cloud. Also confirm Procreate is up to date.

I can't find the imported brushes. Single brushes go into the Imported folder. Sets go to the top of the active library. If you imported into the wrong library, go back to libraries and check the others.

The brush looks different from the preview. Some brush packs depend on specific canvas sizes, DPI, or color profiles, and brushes with large textures can look coarse on a small canvas. Check the creator's notes and test on a canvas at your working resolution.

I want to make a .brushset from loose brushes before importing. That isn't possible outside Procreate. Import the brushes, collect them in a new set, then export that set if you want a bundled file.

Imports are slow or crash. Large brush libraries with many high-resolution textures are heavy. Import big packs one at a time, and free up storage if your iPad is nearly full.

Where Procreate Brushes Fit in a Motion Pipeline

For motion designers and animators, Procreate is often the place where style gets decided: hand-lettered title cards, painterly textures, ink-line frames, grungy overlays. The brush sets you import determine the look of those assets, so it's worth treating them like any other production resource: named consistently, backed up, and documented per project.

Once you have frames or textures you like, the usual route is to export them from Procreate in a format your compositing tool accepts, then bring them into After Effects, Nuke, or Blender for compositing and animation.

Quick Reference

Once you've imported a set or two, the process becomes routine: unzip, import, check the top of your library, then sort into a structure that suits your projects. The time saved on organization pays off when you're moving quickly from sketch to final animation.

To add a brush set to Procreate, open your brush library, tap the + button in the top right, choose Import from Files, and select the .brushset file. The set appears at the top of your current brush library. You can also tap a .brushset file in Files, Mail, or Safari and choose to open it in Procreate, or drag the file into the app in Split View. If the download is a .zip, unzip it first, because Procreate can't import from a compressed archive.

What You Need Before You Start

Procreate runs on iPad, and Procreate Pocket is the iPhone version. You'll need the app installed and brush files in a format it recognizes:

• .brush: a single brush.
• .brushset: a group of brushes that imports as one set.
• .brushlibrary: a whole library of sets, available in newer versions of Procreate.
• .abr: Adobe Photoshop brushes, which Procreate can also import.

Older guides say .brushset files need Procreate 4.1 or later and a matching iOS version. Any current iPad setup will meet that. If you're on an older iPad that can't update, import individual .brush files instead.

Many brush packs download as a zip containing a mix of .brush, .brushset, textures, and PDFs of instructions. Only the Procreate-format files need to go into the app.

Method 1: Import from Files Inside Procreate

This is the method Procreate itself recommends, and it's the most predictable.

1. Open Procreate and tap the Brush tool to open the brush library.
2. If you use multiple libraries, select the one that should hold the new set. Whichever library is active becomes the destination.
3. Tap the + button in the top right of the library.
4. Choose Import from Files.
5. Navigate to your .brushset file (iCloud Drive, On My iPad, Dropbox, or wherever it lives) and tap it.
6. Wait for the "importing" indicator to finish.

Where the files land depends on what you imported:

• A brush set appears at the top of your current brush library.
• A single brush goes into an automatically created folder called Imported.
• A brush library appears at the top of your library overview.

Tip: Use Search in the File Picker

If your Files app is cluttered, type .brushset into the search field in the file picker. It filters to recent brush set files across locations. Greyed-out items are usually zip files, which signals you need to unzip them first.

Method 2: Tap the File Anywhere

Procreate registers itself as the handler for its file types, so you can import without opening the app first.

• In the Files app, tap a .brushset, .brush, .brushlibrary, or .abr file.
• In Mail, tap the attachment.
• In Safari, tap the downloaded file in the downloads list.

You'll get a prompt to open it in Procreate, and the import runs the same way as above. This is the quickest option for a single pack you just downloaded.

Method 3: Drag and Drop

Drag and drop is the best choice when you have several files, or when you want to avoid a trip through menus.

1. Put Procreate and the Files app side by side using Split View.
2. Press and hold a .brushset file until it lifts.
3. While holding it, tap additional files with another finger to add them to the selection.
4. Drag the stack into Procreate and release.

A green plus indicator appears when Procreate can accept the drop. Batch dragging is also the answer when you have a folder of loose .brush files and want them in one go. Procreate has no way to bundle loose brush files into a .brushset outside the app, so drag and drop (or AirDrop) is the practical shortcut.

Method 4: AirDrop from a Mac

If your brushes live on a Mac, AirDrop skips the cloud entirely.

1. On the iPad, open Control Center and set AirDrop to Contacts Only or Everyone. Set it back to a tighter option when you're in a public place.
2. On the Mac, select the brush files in Finder, right-click, and choose Share → AirDrop.
3. Pick your iPad. Procreate either opens and installs the files automatically, or asks where to put them.

Multiple files can be sent in one transfer.

Method 5: Use a Cloud Service

Windows users, and anyone without AirDrop, can use a cloud drive:

1. Download and unzip the brush pack on your computer.
2. Move the .brushset files into iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or Google Drive.
3. On the iPad, open the cloud service's app or the Files app.
4. Tap the file and share it to Procreate, or use Import from Files inside Procreate.

If a file shows a small cloud icon, it hasn't been downloaded to the iPad yet. Tap the icon, or press and hold and choose Download Now, before importing.

Downloading and Unzipping on the iPad Alone

You don't need a computer at all:

1. Download the pack in Safari or your browser of choice. It usually lands in the Downloads folder in the Files app.
2. Press and hold the zip file and choose Uncompress.
3. Open the resulting folder and find the .brushset or .brush files.
4. Tap the brush set. Procreate opens it and imports it into your library.

If the pack came with a PDF of installation notes, read it. Some creators include custom textures or palettes alongside the brushes that need separate handling.

Organizing Imported Sets

Once sets are in, it's worth spending a few minutes on structure, especially if you're collecting packs for different project types.

• Rename and reorder sets: Open the brush library to organize your sets. Check Procreate's Brush Libraries documentation for the exact options available.
• Create your own set: Tap + in the sets list, choose to create a new set, then drag brushes from other sets into it. This is how you build a "favorites" or "texture and grain" set for a particular style.
• Use multiple libraries: Pinch inward on the brush view, or tap the library title and choose Back to libraries. Separate libraries for client work, personal projects, and experimental packs keep things findable, and the search field helps when you remember a brush's name but not its set.
• Export your own set: Dragging a brush out of Procreate to Files, or sharing a set from the library, creates a .brush or .brushset file you can back up or hand to a colleague.

Procreate also stores libraries as folders in the Files app, under On My iPad → Procreate → Brushes or iCloud Drive → Procreate Brushes. The folders inside are libraries, then sets, then individual brush files. Moving or copying folders there is reflected in the app, which is handy for backups. Edit with care, though, and make a copy before rearranging anything, since renaming or deleting the wrong folder removes brushes from Procreate.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

The file is greyed out in the picker. It's probably a zip. Uncompress it in Files first.

Nothing happens when I tap the file. Check that it's really a Procreate format, and that the file has finished downloading from the cloud. Also confirm Procreate is up to date.

I can't find the imported brushes. Single brushes go into the Imported folder. Sets go to the top of the active library. If you imported into the wrong library, go back to libraries and check the others.

The brush looks different from the preview. Some brush packs depend on specific canvas sizes, DPI, or color profiles, and brushes with large textures can look coarse on a small canvas. Check the creator's notes and test on a canvas at your working resolution.

I want to make a .brushset from loose brushes before importing. That isn't possible outside Procreate. Import the brushes, collect them in a new set, then export that set if you want a bundled file.

Imports are slow or crash. Large brush libraries with many high-resolution textures are heavy. Import big packs one at a time, and free up storage if your iPad is nearly full.

Where Procreate Brushes Fit in a Motion Pipeline

For motion designers and animators, Procreate is often the place where style gets decided: hand-lettered title cards, painterly textures, ink-line frames, grungy overlays. The brush sets you import determine the look of those assets, so it's worth treating them like any other production resource: named consistently, backed up, and documented per project.

Once you have frames or textures you like, the usual route is to export them from Procreate in a format your compositing tool accepts, then bring them into After Effects, Nuke, or Blender for compositing and animation.

Quick Reference

Once you've imported a set or two, the process becomes routine: unzip, import, check the top of your library, then sort into a structure that suits your projects. The time saved on organization pays off when you're moving quickly from sketch to final animation.