To add custom brushes to Procreate, open your brush library, tap the plus button in the top right, choose Import from Files, and select a .brush, .brushset, or .brushlibrary file. Photoshop .abr files can also be imported by tapping the file or dragging it into Procreate. You can also tap a brush file in Files, Mail, or a browser and accept the import prompt, or drag and drop it into Procreate from another app in Split View. A single imported brush lands in an Imported folder, and sets and libraries appear at the top of your current library or library overview.

Know what you're importing

Procreate recognizes four brush file types, and the type decides where the brush ends up:

• .brush: one brush. It goes into a folder called Imported at the top of your current brush library.
• .brushset: a group of brushes. It appears at the top of your current brush library as its own set.
• .brushlibrary: a full collection of sets. It appears at the top of your brush libraries in the overview.
• .abr: an Adobe Photoshop brush file. Procreate accepts it when you tap the file or drag it into Procreate.

Brush packs you buy or download usually arrive as a zip. Unzip it in the Files app first, because Procreate imports the brush files inside, not the archive.

Method 1: Import from Files inside Procreate

This route works for brush files you can reach in the Files app.

1. Open the brush library by tapping the Paint, Smudge, or Erase tool a second time.
2. Tap the plus button in the top right of the library.
3. Choose Import from Files.
4. Navigate to your .brush, .brushset, or .brushlibrary file and tap it.

Procreate imports the file and shows it in the location described above. If you can't see your brushes, scroll to the top of the current library or look for the Imported folder. A new library will not show up inside the library you're viewing. Back out to the libraries overview by pinching inward on the brushes view, or by tapping the library title and choosing Back to libraries.

Method 2: Tap the file wherever it lives

If a brush file sits in an email, a download page, or the Files app, you can tap it directly. Procreate offers to import it, and the result is the same as Method 1. This is a quick option when a client, collaborator, or brush vendor sends you a file and you only need it once.

Method 3: Drag and drop

Drag and drop is handy when you're moving many brushes at once.

1. Put Files (or another compatible app, such as a cloud storage app) beside Procreate in Split View.
2. Press and hold a brush file to pick it up.
3. Tap additional files with your free hand to add them to the selection.
4. Drag them onto Procreate and release.

Procreate shows a green plus sign when it can accept the drop. The same gesture works in reverse. Press and hold a brush in Procreate, then drag it into any compatible app to export it, with extra brushes added to the selection by tapping them.

Method 4: Getting brushes from a Mac or PC to your iPad

If you downloaded brush packs on a desktop, you need to move them to the iPad first. Two approaches work well.

AirDrop (Mac)

1. On the iPad, open Control Center and turn on AirDrop, set to Contacts Only or Everyone. Everyone makes the iPad discoverable to anyone nearby, so switch it back when you're in a public space.
2. On the Mac, select the brush files and share them via AirDrop, either by right-clicking and choosing Share → AirDrop or by dragging them onto the iPad.
3. Procreate either opens automatically and installs the brushes, or the iPad asks where to install them.

Cloud storage (Mac or PC)

1. Move the brush files into iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, or similar.
2. Install that service's app on the iPad and sign in.
3. Open the file in the cloud app and use Share → Procreate, or put both apps in Split View and drag the file across.

For Windows users, the cloud route is the practical option since AirDrop is Apple-only.

Organize your imported brushes

A pile of imported brushes gets messy quickly, especially if you bring in several packs a week. A few habits help:

• Rename the Imported folder before you import more brushes, so new arrivals don't blend into one anonymous folder.
• Create your own set by tapping the plus at the top of the set list. Name it for the project or client, then drag brushes into it.
• Reorder brushes by pressing and holding one and dropping it elsewhere in the set or into another set.
• Duplicate before editing. Swipe left on a brush and tap Duplicate, so the original stays intact.

Brush libraries are also stored in the Files app, under On My iPad → Procreate → Brushes or iCloud Drive → Procreate Brushes. Folders inside represent libraries, sets, and individual brushes, and changes you make there are reflected in Procreate. That makes bulk reorganizing possible, but it also means a careless delete or move can remove brushes. Keep a backup of any brush pack you paid for or built yourself.

Build a custom brush from your own image

Sometimes the brush you need doesn't exist, such as a film-grain stamp, a hand-drawn texture, or a logo-shaped dab. Procreate's Brush Studio lets you make one from your own artwork.

1. Save your source image to the Photos app, ideally as a JPG.
2. Open the brush library and tap the plus button, then Create new brush. You can also duplicate an existing brush and edit it.
3. In Brush Studio, go to Shape (the stamp) or Grain (the texture applied by the stamp) and tap Edit.
4. Choose Import and pick a source, such as your photo or the built-in Source Library.
5. Tap the preview with two fingers to invert it if needed.
6. Open Stroke Path and adjust Spacing, Jitter, and Falloff. High spacing shows individual stamps, and low spacing gives a smooth line.
7. In the brush's General settings, turn on Orient to iPad Screen if you want a stamp to stay upright regardless of stroke direction.

Shape and grain do different jobs. Think of shape as the stamp itself and grain as the paper texture it interacts with. Experimenting with both combinations produces a wide range of looks from a single image.

Why your imported image looks blank

This is the most common stumbling block. Procreate's brush engine reads white as opaque and black as transparent. If you import a black design on a transparent PNG, Procreate effectively sees an empty square. Fixes:

• Make the design white, or place it on a white background.
• Save it as a JPG so the background is solid.
• Import it as the Shape source, not the Grain, for a stamp.
• Invert it with a two-finger tap on the preview if the effect is reversed.

Troubleshooting import problems

• Nothing happens when you tap the file. Make sure it's an actual .brush, .brushset, .brushlibrary, or .abr file and not still inside a zip.
• You can't find the brushes. Check the top of the current library, then the Imported folder, then the libraries overview.
• A stamp brush paints a solid square or nothing. Revisit the white/black rule above and increase Spacing.
• A brush disappeared after reorganizing in Files. Restore it from your backup, or re-import the original file.

Where custom Procreate brushes fit in a motion pipeline

Many motion designers and VFX artists use Procreate upstream for style frames, textures, hand-drawn elements, and look-development. Custom brushes are what make that artwork recognizably yours, such as a specific ink edge, a dry-brush grain, or a charcoal texture.

The practical takeaway is to treat your Procreate brush work as the style source. A consistent, well-organized brush set gives you consistent reference material, and that consistency carries through to whatever you build from it.

Quick checklist

• Unzip downloaded packs before importing.
• Use plus → Import from Files, tap the file, or drag and drop in Split View.
• Look for the Imported folder or the top of your library or library overview.
• Rename and organize new brushes right away.
• For custom image brushes, use JPGs, remember white is opaque, and tune Spacing.
• Back up brush files you've paid for or built yourself.

Once you know the import routes and Brush Studio's shape and grain logic, adding custom brushes is quick. A bit of organization keeps the library usable as it grows.

To add custom brushes to Procreate, open your brush library, tap the plus button in the top right, choose Import from Files, and select a .brush, .brushset, or .brushlibrary file. Photoshop .abr files can also be imported by tapping the file or dragging it into Procreate. You can also tap a brush file in Files, Mail, or a browser and accept the import prompt, or drag and drop it into Procreate from another app in Split View. A single imported brush lands in an Imported folder, and sets and libraries appear at the top of your current library or library overview.

Know what you're importing

Procreate recognizes four brush file types, and the type decides where the brush ends up:

• .brush: one brush. It goes into a folder called Imported at the top of your current brush library.
• .brushset: a group of brushes. It appears at the top of your current brush library as its own set.
• .brushlibrary: a full collection of sets. It appears at the top of your brush libraries in the overview.
• .abr: an Adobe Photoshop brush file. Procreate accepts it when you tap the file or drag it into Procreate.

Brush packs you buy or download usually arrive as a zip. Unzip it in the Files app first, because Procreate imports the brush files inside, not the archive.

Method 1: Import from Files inside Procreate

This route works for brush files you can reach in the Files app.

1. Open the brush library by tapping the Paint, Smudge, or Erase tool a second time.
2. Tap the plus button in the top right of the library.
3. Choose Import from Files.
4. Navigate to your .brush, .brushset, or .brushlibrary file and tap it.

Procreate imports the file and shows it in the location described above. If you can't see your brushes, scroll to the top of the current library or look for the Imported folder. A new library will not show up inside the library you're viewing. Back out to the libraries overview by pinching inward on the brushes view, or by tapping the library title and choosing Back to libraries.

Method 2: Tap the file wherever it lives

If a brush file sits in an email, a download page, or the Files app, you can tap it directly. Procreate offers to import it, and the result is the same as Method 1. This is a quick option when a client, collaborator, or brush vendor sends you a file and you only need it once.

Method 3: Drag and drop

Drag and drop is handy when you're moving many brushes at once.

1. Put Files (or another compatible app, such as a cloud storage app) beside Procreate in Split View.
2. Press and hold a brush file to pick it up.
3. Tap additional files with your free hand to add them to the selection.
4. Drag them onto Procreate and release.

Procreate shows a green plus sign when it can accept the drop. The same gesture works in reverse. Press and hold a brush in Procreate, then drag it into any compatible app to export it, with extra brushes added to the selection by tapping them.

Method 4: Getting brushes from a Mac or PC to your iPad

If you downloaded brush packs on a desktop, you need to move them to the iPad first. Two approaches work well.

AirDrop (Mac)

1. On the iPad, open Control Center and turn on AirDrop, set to Contacts Only or Everyone. Everyone makes the iPad discoverable to anyone nearby, so switch it back when you're in a public space.
2. On the Mac, select the brush files and share them via AirDrop, either by right-clicking and choosing Share → AirDrop or by dragging them onto the iPad.
3. Procreate either opens automatically and installs the brushes, or the iPad asks where to install them.

Cloud storage (Mac or PC)

1. Move the brush files into iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, or similar.
2. Install that service's app on the iPad and sign in.
3. Open the file in the cloud app and use Share → Procreate, or put both apps in Split View and drag the file across.

For Windows users, the cloud route is the practical option since AirDrop is Apple-only.

Organize your imported brushes

A pile of imported brushes gets messy quickly, especially if you bring in several packs a week. A few habits help:

• Rename the Imported folder before you import more brushes, so new arrivals don't blend into one anonymous folder.
• Create your own set by tapping the plus at the top of the set list. Name it for the project or client, then drag brushes into it.
• Reorder brushes by pressing and holding one and dropping it elsewhere in the set or into another set.
• Duplicate before editing. Swipe left on a brush and tap Duplicate, so the original stays intact.

Brush libraries are also stored in the Files app, under On My iPad → Procreate → Brushes or iCloud Drive → Procreate Brushes. Folders inside represent libraries, sets, and individual brushes, and changes you make there are reflected in Procreate. That makes bulk reorganizing possible, but it also means a careless delete or move can remove brushes. Keep a backup of any brush pack you paid for or built yourself.

Build a custom brush from your own image

Sometimes the brush you need doesn't exist, such as a film-grain stamp, a hand-drawn texture, or a logo-shaped dab. Procreate's Brush Studio lets you make one from your own artwork.

1. Save your source image to the Photos app, ideally as a JPG.
2. Open the brush library and tap the plus button, then Create new brush. You can also duplicate an existing brush and edit it.
3. In Brush Studio, go to Shape (the stamp) or Grain (the texture applied by the stamp) and tap Edit.
4. Choose Import and pick a source, such as your photo or the built-in Source Library.
5. Tap the preview with two fingers to invert it if needed.
6. Open Stroke Path and adjust Spacing, Jitter, and Falloff. High spacing shows individual stamps, and low spacing gives a smooth line.
7. In the brush's General settings, turn on Orient to iPad Screen if you want a stamp to stay upright regardless of stroke direction.

Shape and grain do different jobs. Think of shape as the stamp itself and grain as the paper texture it interacts with. Experimenting with both combinations produces a wide range of looks from a single image.

Why your imported image looks blank

This is the most common stumbling block. Procreate's brush engine reads white as opaque and black as transparent. If you import a black design on a transparent PNG, Procreate effectively sees an empty square. Fixes:

• Make the design white, or place it on a white background.
• Save it as a JPG so the background is solid.
• Import it as the Shape source, not the Grain, for a stamp.
• Invert it with a two-finger tap on the preview if the effect is reversed.

Troubleshooting import problems

• Nothing happens when you tap the file. Make sure it's an actual .brush, .brushset, .brushlibrary, or .abr file and not still inside a zip.
• You can't find the brushes. Check the top of the current library, then the Imported folder, then the libraries overview.
• A stamp brush paints a solid square or nothing. Revisit the white/black rule above and increase Spacing.
• A brush disappeared after reorganizing in Files. Restore it from your backup, or re-import the original file.

Where custom Procreate brushes fit in a motion pipeline

Many motion designers and VFX artists use Procreate upstream for style frames, textures, hand-drawn elements, and look-development. Custom brushes are what make that artwork recognizably yours, such as a specific ink edge, a dry-brush grain, or a charcoal texture.

The practical takeaway is to treat your Procreate brush work as the style source. A consistent, well-organized brush set gives you consistent reference material, and that consistency carries through to whatever you build from it.

Quick checklist

• Unzip downloaded packs before importing.
• Use plus → Import from Files, tap the file, or drag and drop in Split View.
• Look for the Imported folder or the top of your library or library overview.
• Rename and organize new brushes right away.
• For custom image brushes, use JPGs, remember white is opaque, and tune Spacing.
• Back up brush files you've paid for or built yourself.

Once you know the import routes and Brush Studio's shape and grain logic, adding custom brushes is quick. A bit of organization keeps the library usable as it grows.