To add guide lines in Procreate, tap the wrench icon to open Actions, choose Canvas, and switch on Drawing Guide. Then tap Edit Drawing Guide to pick a 2D Grid, Isometric, Perspective, or Symmetry guide, adjust its color, opacity, thickness, and size, and tap Done. Turn on Drawing Assist if you want your strokes to snap to the guide as well as follow it visually.

Quick Steps: Turn On a Drawing Guide

1. Tap the wrench icon in the top left to open the Actions menu.
2. Tap Canvas.
3. Flip the Drawing Guide switch on.
4. Tap Edit Drawing Guide to open the Drawing Guides screen.
5. Choose a guide type at the bottom, adjust its settings, and tap Done.

The first time you use a guide on a canvas, Procreate defaults to the 2D Grid. After that, it remembers the settings you last used on that canvas, so you can toggle the guide on and off without rebuilding it each time.

You can also reach Drawing Assist from the Layers panel. Tap a layer once to open Layer Options, then tap Drawing Assist. The guide must already be active for this shortcut to work.

Understanding the Drawing Guides Screen

When you open Edit Drawing Guide, Procreate zooms out to show the whole canvas so you can see how the guide covers your composition. The interface has a few consistent controls:

• Cancel discards your edits and returns to the canvas.
• Done commits your edits.
• Color sets the hue of the guide lines, using the bar at the top.
• Opacity controls how visible the lines are.
• Thickness sets line weight.
• Grid Size scales the 2D or Isometric grid. Drag the slider, or tap the numeric readout to type an exact value.
• Assisted Drawing toggles Drawing Assist.

The guide appears as thin lines over your artwork. It is a visual overlay, not paint on a layer.

Choosing the Right Guide Type

Procreate offers four guide modes. Pick based on what you're building.

2D Grid

A square grid for flat layouts, proportion checks, and straight horizontal and vertical strokes. With Drawing Assist on, strokes lock to vertical and horizontal lines. This is the right choice for UI panels, layout boards, icon construction, and simple maps or plans.

To adjust it, tap 2D Grid on the Drawing Guides screen. Two nodes appear:

• The blue Positional node moves the entire grid across the canvas.
• The green Rotational node rotates the grid lines.

To return to the default position, tap either node and choose Reset. Moving and rotating the grid is useful when you need the lines to align with a specific edge or angle in your design instead of the canvas edges.

Isometric

A triangular grid for building 3D forms without foreshortening. With Drawing Assist enabled, strokes follow horizontal and diagonal directions. It suits technical illustration, game-style environments, and the kind of clean isometric scenes that show up in explainer animation. The same color, opacity, thickness, and size controls apply.

Perspective

A star-shaped guide with adjustable vanishing points, supporting one-point, two-point, and three-point perspective. It is the one to use for interiors, cityscapes, and comic or storyboard backgrounds.

A common stumbling block: the Perspective guide doesn't appear immediately. You need to tap the artwork view to place a vanishing point first. Once placed, you can drag points to fit the horizon and depth cues you want. If your lines seem to be missing after you select Perspective, this is almost always why.

Symmetry

A mirroring guide that works horizontally, vertically, across a quadrant, or radially. Symmetry works with Drawing Assist by default, so Assist switches on when you activate it. This is the guide for mandalas, tiled patterns, reflected shapes, and kaleidoscopic designs, all useful as source material for looping motion graphics.

Using Drawing Assist Properly

Drawing Assist is what separates a guide you look at from a guide that works for you.

• Off: the guide is a visual reference only. Your strokes go wherever your pencil goes.
• On: your strokes are matched to the guide's angles, perspective lines, or mirroring.

You can toggle it three ways: from the Assisted Drawing switch in the Drawing Guides screen, from the Layers panel via Layer Options, or from the QuickMenu if you've assigned it there. Toggling from the layer is the fastest approach mid-sketch.

One practical point: if a stroke isn't snapping, check that Drawing Assist is actually switched on, not just the global guide switch.

Adding Guide Lines in Procreate Pocket

On the iPhone version, the toolbar is collapsed. Tap the ellipsis to expand it, then go to Actions → Canvas → Drawing Guide and toggle it on. Tap Edit Drawing Guide to choose 2D Grid, Isometric, Perspective, or Symmetry. The settings (color, thickness, opacity, spacing) are the same, and you can switch Assisted Drawing on and off from the guide screen, the Layers menu, or the QuickMenu.

Version Requirements

Drawing Guides require Procreate 4.1 or higher, so any recent version will have them. If you can't find the Drawing Guide option, update the app first.

Making Guides Useful for Motion and Video Work

Procreate's guides are built for illustration, but they map well to the prep work that motion designers, animators, and compositors do before opening After Effects.

Match Your Canvas to Your Comp

Guide lines only help if the canvas matches your delivery format. Create the canvas at your comp's aspect ratio (16:9, 9:16, 1:1) before you start sketching. If you need title-safe margins, set a 2D Grid with a grid size that divides your canvas into proportions you can use as margins, or draw your own margin lines on a dedicated reference layer.

Keep Construction Lines on Their Own Layer

Even though the guide overlay doesn't paint onto your layers, you'll often want to draw additional construction lines: a horizon, a thirds split, a center cross. Put those on a separate layer you can hide or delete before export, so they don't end up baked into the artwork you hand off.

Use Perspective Guides for Camera Planning

For storyboards and styleframes, a one-point or two-point perspective setup is a quick way to lock down camera height and vanishing point before committing to a design. If the shot will later be built in Cinema 4D or Blender, the vanishing point placement you sketch can act as a reference for matching camera angle when you build the 3D scene.

Use Symmetry for Loopable Patterns

Radial and quadrant symmetry are efficient for generating patterns, mandalas, and abstract shapes you'll animate in After Effects. Draw on a transparent layer, export it, and bring it in as a clean asset you can rotate, scale, and trace in your comp.

Export Cleanly

Export the layers you want in a format your compositing app accepts, then import into After Effects, Premiere Pro, or Nuke. Hide reference and construction layers first so only finished art is in the file.

Troubleshooting Common Guide Problems

• I can't see the guide. Check that the Drawing Guide switch is on in Actions → Canvas. If you're using Perspective, tap the canvas to place a vanishing point.
• The lines are too faint or too heavy. Open Edit Drawing Guide and adjust Opacity and Thickness. Change the color if the guide blends into your artwork.
• My strokes aren't snapping. Drawing Assist is probably off. Toggle it in the Drawing Guides screen, or open Layer Options and tap Drawing Assist.
• The grid doesn't line up with my design. Use the blue Positional node to move it and the green Rotational node to rotate it. Tap a node and choose Reset to start over.
• The grid squares are the wrong size. Tap the numeric Grid Size readout and type a value instead of dragging the slider.
• I changed things and want to undo. Tap Cancel before Done to discard edits. Once you tap Done, reopen Edit Drawing Guide to adjust again.

Summary

Adding guide lines in Procreate takes a few taps: Actions, Canvas, Drawing Guide, then Edit Drawing Guide to choose and customize your grid. Pick 2D Grid for flat layouts, Isometric for technical 3D, Perspective for depth and camera planning, and Symmetry for mirrored patterns. Turn on Drawing Assist when you want strokes to follow the guide, and keep construction lines on separate layers so your exports stay clean when the artwork moves into your motion pipeline.

To add guide lines in Procreate, tap the wrench icon to open Actions, choose Canvas, and switch on Drawing Guide. Then tap Edit Drawing Guide to pick a 2D Grid, Isometric, Perspective, or Symmetry guide, adjust its color, opacity, thickness, and size, and tap Done. Turn on Drawing Assist if you want your strokes to snap to the guide as well as follow it visually.

Quick Steps: Turn On a Drawing Guide

1. Tap the wrench icon in the top left to open the Actions menu.
2. Tap Canvas.
3. Flip the Drawing Guide switch on.
4. Tap Edit Drawing Guide to open the Drawing Guides screen.
5. Choose a guide type at the bottom, adjust its settings, and tap Done.

The first time you use a guide on a canvas, Procreate defaults to the 2D Grid. After that, it remembers the settings you last used on that canvas, so you can toggle the guide on and off without rebuilding it each time.

You can also reach Drawing Assist from the Layers panel. Tap a layer once to open Layer Options, then tap Drawing Assist. The guide must already be active for this shortcut to work.

Understanding the Drawing Guides Screen

When you open Edit Drawing Guide, Procreate zooms out to show the whole canvas so you can see how the guide covers your composition. The interface has a few consistent controls:

• Cancel discards your edits and returns to the canvas.
• Done commits your edits.
• Color sets the hue of the guide lines, using the bar at the top.
• Opacity controls how visible the lines are.
• Thickness sets line weight.
• Grid Size scales the 2D or Isometric grid. Drag the slider, or tap the numeric readout to type an exact value.
• Assisted Drawing toggles Drawing Assist.

The guide appears as thin lines over your artwork. It is a visual overlay, not paint on a layer.

Choosing the Right Guide Type

Procreate offers four guide modes. Pick based on what you're building.

2D Grid

A square grid for flat layouts, proportion checks, and straight horizontal and vertical strokes. With Drawing Assist on, strokes lock to vertical and horizontal lines. This is the right choice for UI panels, layout boards, icon construction, and simple maps or plans.

To adjust it, tap 2D Grid on the Drawing Guides screen. Two nodes appear:

• The blue Positional node moves the entire grid across the canvas.
• The green Rotational node rotates the grid lines.

To return to the default position, tap either node and choose Reset. Moving and rotating the grid is useful when you need the lines to align with a specific edge or angle in your design instead of the canvas edges.

Isometric

A triangular grid for building 3D forms without foreshortening. With Drawing Assist enabled, strokes follow horizontal and diagonal directions. It suits technical illustration, game-style environments, and the kind of clean isometric scenes that show up in explainer animation. The same color, opacity, thickness, and size controls apply.

Perspective

A star-shaped guide with adjustable vanishing points, supporting one-point, two-point, and three-point perspective. It is the one to use for interiors, cityscapes, and comic or storyboard backgrounds.

A common stumbling block: the Perspective guide doesn't appear immediately. You need to tap the artwork view to place a vanishing point first. Once placed, you can drag points to fit the horizon and depth cues you want. If your lines seem to be missing after you select Perspective, this is almost always why.

Symmetry

A mirroring guide that works horizontally, vertically, across a quadrant, or radially. Symmetry works with Drawing Assist by default, so Assist switches on when you activate it. This is the guide for mandalas, tiled patterns, reflected shapes, and kaleidoscopic designs, all useful as source material for looping motion graphics.

Using Drawing Assist Properly

Drawing Assist is what separates a guide you look at from a guide that works for you.

• Off: the guide is a visual reference only. Your strokes go wherever your pencil goes.
• On: your strokes are matched to the guide's angles, perspective lines, or mirroring.

You can toggle it three ways: from the Assisted Drawing switch in the Drawing Guides screen, from the Layers panel via Layer Options, or from the QuickMenu if you've assigned it there. Toggling from the layer is the fastest approach mid-sketch.

One practical point: if a stroke isn't snapping, check that Drawing Assist is actually switched on, not just the global guide switch.

Adding Guide Lines in Procreate Pocket

On the iPhone version, the toolbar is collapsed. Tap the ellipsis to expand it, then go to Actions → Canvas → Drawing Guide and toggle it on. Tap Edit Drawing Guide to choose 2D Grid, Isometric, Perspective, or Symmetry. The settings (color, thickness, opacity, spacing) are the same, and you can switch Assisted Drawing on and off from the guide screen, the Layers menu, or the QuickMenu.

Version Requirements

Drawing Guides require Procreate 4.1 or higher, so any recent version will have them. If you can't find the Drawing Guide option, update the app first.

Making Guides Useful for Motion and Video Work

Procreate's guides are built for illustration, but they map well to the prep work that motion designers, animators, and compositors do before opening After Effects.

Match Your Canvas to Your Comp

Guide lines only help if the canvas matches your delivery format. Create the canvas at your comp's aspect ratio (16:9, 9:16, 1:1) before you start sketching. If you need title-safe margins, set a 2D Grid with a grid size that divides your canvas into proportions you can use as margins, or draw your own margin lines on a dedicated reference layer.

Keep Construction Lines on Their Own Layer

Even though the guide overlay doesn't paint onto your layers, you'll often want to draw additional construction lines: a horizon, a thirds split, a center cross. Put those on a separate layer you can hide or delete before export, so they don't end up baked into the artwork you hand off.

Use Perspective Guides for Camera Planning

For storyboards and styleframes, a one-point or two-point perspective setup is a quick way to lock down camera height and vanishing point before committing to a design. If the shot will later be built in Cinema 4D or Blender, the vanishing point placement you sketch can act as a reference for matching camera angle when you build the 3D scene.

Use Symmetry for Loopable Patterns

Radial and quadrant symmetry are efficient for generating patterns, mandalas, and abstract shapes you'll animate in After Effects. Draw on a transparent layer, export it, and bring it in as a clean asset you can rotate, scale, and trace in your comp.

Export Cleanly

Export the layers you want in a format your compositing app accepts, then import into After Effects, Premiere Pro, or Nuke. Hide reference and construction layers first so only finished art is in the file.

Troubleshooting Common Guide Problems

• I can't see the guide. Check that the Drawing Guide switch is on in Actions → Canvas. If you're using Perspective, tap the canvas to place a vanishing point.
• The lines are too faint or too heavy. Open Edit Drawing Guide and adjust Opacity and Thickness. Change the color if the guide blends into your artwork.
• My strokes aren't snapping. Drawing Assist is probably off. Toggle it in the Drawing Guides screen, or open Layer Options and tap Drawing Assist.
• The grid doesn't line up with my design. Use the blue Positional node to move it and the green Rotational node to rotate it. Tap a node and choose Reset to start over.
• The grid squares are the wrong size. Tap the numeric Grid Size readout and type a value instead of dragging the slider.
• I changed things and want to undo. Tap Cancel before Done to discard edits. Once you tap Done, reopen Edit Drawing Guide to adjust again.

Summary

Adding guide lines in Procreate takes a few taps: Actions, Canvas, Drawing Guide, then Edit Drawing Guide to choose and customize your grid. Pick 2D Grid for flat layouts, Isometric for technical 3D, Perspective for depth and camera planning, and Symmetry for mirrored patterns. Turn on Drawing Assist when you want strokes to follow the guide, and keep construction lines on separate layers so your exports stay clean when the artwork moves into your motion pipeline.