Procreate imports downloaded fonts in .ttf, .otf, and .ttc formats. Unzip the download in the Files app, open a text layer (Actions → Add → Add text), tap the Aa style button, tap Import, and pick the font file. The font then appears in Procreate's font list and stays installed for future canvases.

What You Need Before You Start

Check three things before you open Procreate.

• A supported file format. Procreate accepts .ttf (TrueType), .otf (OpenType), and .ttc (TrueType Collection). Web font formats like .woff or .woff2 won't import, so convert them or download the desktop version of the font.
• The font saved on your iPad or in iCloud Drive. Procreate reads from the Files app, so a font sitting on your Mac or in a browser tab can't be imported. Move it over with AirDrop, iCloud Drive, or a direct download in Safari.
• An unzipped font. Most font downloads arrive as .zip archives. Procreate can't read inside them.

If you have both .otf and .ttf versions of a family, prefer the .otf. It's the more modern format and carries more typographic data, such as ligatures and alternates. Procreate's support for advanced OpenType features has been limited, so you may still only see the standard character set. Keeping the .otf installed means you're ready if that changes.

Step 1: Download and Unzip the Font

1. On your iPad, download the font from your foundry, marketplace, or library of choice. Check the Downloads folder in the Files app for the saved file.
2. Open the Files app and find the .zip file.
3. Tap the archive once, or tap and hold and choose Uncompress. A folder with the same name appears next to it.
4. Open that folder and locate the actual font files. Foundry packages often include license PDFs, specimen sheets, and several weights. Note which files are .otf, .ttf, or .ttc.

It helps to create a dedicated "Fonts" folder under On My iPad and move your unzipped families there. You'll thank yourself when you need to reinstall or audit what's on the device.

Step 2: Import the Font Inside Procreate

This is the most reliable method.

1. Open a canvas.
2. Tap the Actions (wrench) icon, go to the Add tab, and tap Add text.
3. Tap the Aa style button in the corner of the on-screen keyboard to open the style panel. If you tapped Add text with Apple Pencil, you may see a compact menu first; tap the Aa option there to reach the same panel.
4. Tap Import at the top right of the panel.
5. Browse to your unzipped font file in the Files app and tap it.
6. Procreate briefly shows an import screen, then returns you to the text tools.

One thing trips people up: the new font doesn't automatically apply to your text. Scroll the font list in the style panel, find the family name, and tap it. Imported fonts are usually listed at the bottom of the list or under their own name, so search by family name rather than file name.

Alternative Ways to Install Fonts

Once you know the basic flow, there are quicker routes depending on where the file lives.

Share to Procreate from Files

In the Files app, open the font file, tap the Share button, and choose Procreate. Nothing visible may happen, but the font is imported in the background. Open a text layer and check the font list.

Drag and Drop

If your font file is open in another app, you can drag the font file onto Procreate. This is handy when you're installing a whole batch of weights from one folder.

Tap the Font File Directly

On some setups, tapping an .otf file in Files opens Procreate and installs it automatically. If that doesn't work for you, fall back to the in-app Import button, which is consistent.

Where Procreate Stores Your Fonts

Imported fonts live in the Files app under On My iPad → Procreate → Fonts. This is useful for two reasons:

• Removing fonts. To uninstall a font from Procreate, delete its file from this folder.
• Auditing. If you share an iPad on a project or you're troubleshooting a missing-font issue, this folder is the source of truth for what Procreate can see.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

The font doesn't appear after import. Look for the family name rather than the file name, and scroll to the bottom of the list. If it's still missing, confirm you imported an unzipped .ttf, .otf, or .ttc rather than a folder or archive.

The file won't select or import. The file is probably still inside a .zip, or it's a web font format. Uncompress it and look for a desktop font file.

The font imports but looks wrong. Some fonts ship as variable fonts or with unusual encoding. Try the static .otf or .ttf version if the foundry provides one. Missing ligatures, stylistic sets, and alternates are possible, because Procreate's support for OpenType features has been limited.

Only some weights show up. Each weight is its own file. Import every weight you want, such as Regular, Bold, and Italic, individually.

The font is in iCloud but won't import. Files that are stored in the cloud but not downloaded to the device can fail to import. Tap the file once to download it, then try again.

Using Adobe Fonts in Procreate

Adobe Fonts are a common source of frustration for illustrators and designers, because the subscription activates fonts in Creative Cloud apps rather than giving you portable files. You can't simply download an Adobe Fonts family as a .otf and drop it into Procreate. Workarounds exist that involve locating cached font files on a Mac, but they may not be permitted under the font license. Read the Adobe Fonts licensing terms before you try it, and be careful about using those files in client work.

The safer routes are to buy a desktop license for the same typeface from the foundry directly, or to pick a font whose license explicitly allows installation on a tablet and use in raster artwork.

Check the License Before You Import

Motion work often ends up in broadcast, ads, and branded content, so font licensing matters more than it does for hobby illustration. Before importing, confirm that your license covers:

• Desktop or app installation on the iPad specifically (some licenses count devices).
• Commercial use, if the artwork is for a client.
• Embedding or redistribution, if you'll deliver layered files that include the font.

"Free" in a font marketplace doesn't always mean free for commercial work. Keep a record of where each font came from and what the license allows, and store the license file next to the font in your Fonts folder.

Getting Procreate Text Into a Motion Pipeline

If you're using Procreate to design title cards, lettering, or style frames that will end up in After Effects, Premiere Pro, Cinema 4D, Blender, or Nuke, a few habits save time.

• Keep text live until the design is locked. Once you rasterize or merge text layers, changes mean redoing the work.
• Export layered files for compositing. A layered file lets you bring individual elements into After Effects and animate them separately. Check that the lettering looks right on import, since you won't have your Procreate font on the desktop unless you install it there too.
• Install the same font on your workstation. If you're recreating the text natively in After Effects or Cinema 4D for crisp vector or 3D type, install the matching desktop font with the right license, so you can swap the Procreate raster for live type.
• Work at the final resolution. Set up your canvas at the size you'll deliver, since scaling lettering up later softens edges.

Where Styleframe Fits After the Lettering Is Done

Once your Procreate lettering and illustration are finished, the next problem is usually turning a still design into motion without losing the look you built. Styleframe is an AI video and motion tool that can pick up from there. You keep your pipeline, and your carefully chosen fonts and drawn details stay the creative anchor.

Quick Reference

1. Download the font to your iPad and unzip it in Files.
2. In Procreate: Actions → Add → Add text → Aa → Import.
3. Select the .ttf, .otf, or .ttc file.
4. Find the family name in the font list and apply it.
5. Manage or remove fonts in On My iPad → Procreate → Fonts.
6. Verify the license before using the font in client or broadcast work.

Once you've done it once, adding a font is quick, and the real time savings come from organizing your font folder and checking licenses up front.

Procreate imports downloaded fonts in .ttf, .otf, and .ttc formats. Unzip the download in the Files app, open a text layer (Actions → Add → Add text), tap the Aa style button, tap Import, and pick the font file. The font then appears in Procreate's font list and stays installed for future canvases.

What You Need Before You Start

Check three things before you open Procreate.

• A supported file format. Procreate accepts .ttf (TrueType), .otf (OpenType), and .ttc (TrueType Collection). Web font formats like .woff or .woff2 won't import, so convert them or download the desktop version of the font.
• The font saved on your iPad or in iCloud Drive. Procreate reads from the Files app, so a font sitting on your Mac or in a browser tab can't be imported. Move it over with AirDrop, iCloud Drive, or a direct download in Safari.
• An unzipped font. Most font downloads arrive as .zip archives. Procreate can't read inside them.

If you have both .otf and .ttf versions of a family, prefer the .otf. It's the more modern format and carries more typographic data, such as ligatures and alternates. Procreate's support for advanced OpenType features has been limited, so you may still only see the standard character set. Keeping the .otf installed means you're ready if that changes.

Step 1: Download and Unzip the Font

1. On your iPad, download the font from your foundry, marketplace, or library of choice. Check the Downloads folder in the Files app for the saved file.
2. Open the Files app and find the .zip file.
3. Tap the archive once, or tap and hold and choose Uncompress. A folder with the same name appears next to it.
4. Open that folder and locate the actual font files. Foundry packages often include license PDFs, specimen sheets, and several weights. Note which files are .otf, .ttf, or .ttc.

It helps to create a dedicated "Fonts" folder under On My iPad and move your unzipped families there. You'll thank yourself when you need to reinstall or audit what's on the device.

Step 2: Import the Font Inside Procreate

This is the most reliable method.

1. Open a canvas.
2. Tap the Actions (wrench) icon, go to the Add tab, and tap Add text.
3. Tap the Aa style button in the corner of the on-screen keyboard to open the style panel. If you tapped Add text with Apple Pencil, you may see a compact menu first; tap the Aa option there to reach the same panel.
4. Tap Import at the top right of the panel.
5. Browse to your unzipped font file in the Files app and tap it.
6. Procreate briefly shows an import screen, then returns you to the text tools.

One thing trips people up: the new font doesn't automatically apply to your text. Scroll the font list in the style panel, find the family name, and tap it. Imported fonts are usually listed at the bottom of the list or under their own name, so search by family name rather than file name.

Alternative Ways to Install Fonts

Once you know the basic flow, there are quicker routes depending on where the file lives.

Share to Procreate from Files

In the Files app, open the font file, tap the Share button, and choose Procreate. Nothing visible may happen, but the font is imported in the background. Open a text layer and check the font list.

Drag and Drop

If your font file is open in another app, you can drag the font file onto Procreate. This is handy when you're installing a whole batch of weights from one folder.

Tap the Font File Directly

On some setups, tapping an .otf file in Files opens Procreate and installs it automatically. If that doesn't work for you, fall back to the in-app Import button, which is consistent.

Where Procreate Stores Your Fonts

Imported fonts live in the Files app under On My iPad → Procreate → Fonts. This is useful for two reasons:

• Removing fonts. To uninstall a font from Procreate, delete its file from this folder.
• Auditing. If you share an iPad on a project or you're troubleshooting a missing-font issue, this folder is the source of truth for what Procreate can see.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

The font doesn't appear after import. Look for the family name rather than the file name, and scroll to the bottom of the list. If it's still missing, confirm you imported an unzipped .ttf, .otf, or .ttc rather than a folder or archive.

The file won't select or import. The file is probably still inside a .zip, or it's a web font format. Uncompress it and look for a desktop font file.

The font imports but looks wrong. Some fonts ship as variable fonts or with unusual encoding. Try the static .otf or .ttf version if the foundry provides one. Missing ligatures, stylistic sets, and alternates are possible, because Procreate's support for OpenType features has been limited.

Only some weights show up. Each weight is its own file. Import every weight you want, such as Regular, Bold, and Italic, individually.

The font is in iCloud but won't import. Files that are stored in the cloud but not downloaded to the device can fail to import. Tap the file once to download it, then try again.

Using Adobe Fonts in Procreate

Adobe Fonts are a common source of frustration for illustrators and designers, because the subscription activates fonts in Creative Cloud apps rather than giving you portable files. You can't simply download an Adobe Fonts family as a .otf and drop it into Procreate. Workarounds exist that involve locating cached font files on a Mac, but they may not be permitted under the font license. Read the Adobe Fonts licensing terms before you try it, and be careful about using those files in client work.

The safer routes are to buy a desktop license for the same typeface from the foundry directly, or to pick a font whose license explicitly allows installation on a tablet and use in raster artwork.

Check the License Before You Import

Motion work often ends up in broadcast, ads, and branded content, so font licensing matters more than it does for hobby illustration. Before importing, confirm that your license covers:

• Desktop or app installation on the iPad specifically (some licenses count devices).
• Commercial use, if the artwork is for a client.
• Embedding or redistribution, if you'll deliver layered files that include the font.

"Free" in a font marketplace doesn't always mean free for commercial work. Keep a record of where each font came from and what the license allows, and store the license file next to the font in your Fonts folder.

Getting Procreate Text Into a Motion Pipeline

If you're using Procreate to design title cards, lettering, or style frames that will end up in After Effects, Premiere Pro, Cinema 4D, Blender, or Nuke, a few habits save time.

• Keep text live until the design is locked. Once you rasterize or merge text layers, changes mean redoing the work.
• Export layered files for compositing. A layered file lets you bring individual elements into After Effects and animate them separately. Check that the lettering looks right on import, since you won't have your Procreate font on the desktop unless you install it there too.
• Install the same font on your workstation. If you're recreating the text natively in After Effects or Cinema 4D for crisp vector or 3D type, install the matching desktop font with the right license, so you can swap the Procreate raster for live type.
• Work at the final resolution. Set up your canvas at the size you'll deliver, since scaling lettering up later softens edges.

Where Styleframe Fits After the Lettering Is Done

Once your Procreate lettering and illustration are finished, the next problem is usually turning a still design into motion without losing the look you built. Styleframe is an AI video and motion tool that can pick up from there. You keep your pipeline, and your carefully chosen fonts and drawn details stay the creative anchor.

Quick Reference

1. Download the font to your iPad and unzip it in Files.
2. In Procreate: Actions → Add → Add text → Aa → Import.
3. Select the .ttf, .otf, or .ttc file.
4. Find the family name in the font list and apply it.
5. Manage or remove fonts in On My iPad → Procreate → Fonts.
6. Verify the license before using the font in client or broadcast work.

Once you've done it once, adding a font is quick, and the real time savings come from organizing your font folder and checking licenses up front.