To add a hidden layer in Procreate, tap the + button at the top right of the Layers panel to create a new layer, then untick its visibility checkbox. If you want a layer that stays out of your Gallery preview and exported Time-lapse video, add it as a Private Layer instead. Open Actions > Add, slide the Insert a file or Insert a photo tab to the left, and tap the grey private button that appears. Both methods keep the layer in your file, but they behave differently on export, which matters if the artwork is headed into a motion pipeline.

Two Meanings of "Hidden Layer" in Procreate

Procreate has two separate features that people usually mean by "hidden layer":

• Hidden (visibility off): The layer is switched off on the canvas. You can't see it, draw on it, or export it until you switch it back on.
• Private: The layer is fully visible and works like any other layer while you paint. It just won't show up in the Gallery preview image or in the exported Time-lapse video or replay.

Pick the first when you want to declutter the canvas or isolate a layer. Pick the second when you want a reference image to stay visible while you work but stay out of anything you share.

How to Add a New Layer and Hide It

This is the standard route.

1. Open the Layers panel (the overlapping squares icon at the top right).
2. Tap the + button at the top right of the panel. A new layer appears directly above the layer that is currently active.
3. Optionally, rename the layer so you can find it later. Clear names matter once a file has dozens of layers.
4. Draw or paste whatever you need on that layer.
5. Untick the visibility checkbox on the layer row. The layer disappears from the canvas.

To bring it back, tick the checkbox again. Nothing is deleted.

What You Can't Do on a Hidden Layer

While a layer is switched off, you can't draw on it. If you try, Procreate warns you, and you need to turn visibility back on first. That is a common source of confusion when strokes seem to "not work."

How to Add a Private Layer

A Private Layer is created when you import a file or photo, not by flipping a setting on an existing layer. The steps for a file:

1. Tap Actions (the wrench icon) > Add.
2. Find the Insert a file row and slide it to the left.
3. A grey Insert a private file button appears. Tap it.
4. Choose an image in the Files app. PNG, JPEG, and PSD are supported.

For a photo, do the same with the Insert a photo row to reveal Insert a private photo.

Once the image lands on the canvas, check the Layers panel. A private layer shows the word Private under its name, which is your confirmation it worked.

Limits of Private Layers

• A PSD imported this way arrives as a single flattened image. You can't bring a layered PSD in as a Private Layer.
• To import a PSD with its layers intact, use Gallery Import instead. Those layers will be regular, non-private layers.
• Private applies to the Gallery preview and Time-lapse output. It isn't a security feature, and the layer is still part of the file.

The Procreate handbook describes private layers as a way to keep reference material out of your visible process without deleting or switching off that layer. That is the main use case: a photo or sketch underlay you need on screen the whole time.

Hiding the Background Color

The background is its own layer, and it can be hidden too. By default a new canvas has a white background color layer.

• Tap the Background Color layer to open the Color panel and choose another color. Tap Done to close it.
• Untick the visibility checkbox next to Background Color to switch it off and get a transparent canvas.

If your artwork will be composited over footage or a 3D render, turn the background off before exporting. Otherwise you'll be keying out white later.

How Hidden and Private Layers Behave on Export

This is where the two types diverge, and it affects anything you hand off to a compositor.

Two practical consequences:

• A hidden layer is excluded from exports, including when you export layers individually. If a layer is missing from your delivered file, check its visibility first.
• A visible private layer still appears in your exported artwork. It's only suppressed in the Gallery preview and Time-lapse. If a reference photo is private but visible when you export, it will be in the output. Hide it before exporting.

Hiding Part of Your Process from a Time-Lapse

Many artists want a general "hide this layer from the time-lapse" option for any layer, since reference images are needed during sketching but distract from the replay. Procreate users have requested exactly this on the Procreate Folio, and the team has said it's open to the discussion. As documented, the dependable way to keep a reference out of the time-lapse is to bring it in as a Private Layer from the start. Check the current handbook for your version, since this area may change.

If you've already imported the reference as a normal layer, the simplest fix is to re-import it through the private route and delete the original.

Troubleshooting

I can't find the private button. Make sure you're sliding the Insert a file or Insert a photo row to the left, not tapping it. The grey button only appears after the slide.

My layer disappeared. Check whether its visibility checkbox is off. It may also have been merged or sit inside a collapsed group.

I can't draw on a layer. It's probably hidden. Turn visibility on.

My layered PSD flattened on import. Insert a File and Insert a Photo place PSDs as a flattened image. Use Gallery Import to keep the layers.

The reference photo appears in my export. Private layers still export if they're visible. Switch them off before exporting.

Taking Procreate Layers into a Motion Workflow

For motion designers and animators, hidden and private layers are mostly housekeeping. A clean layer stack makes handoff predictable.

A few habits help when Procreate artwork becomes a key frame, a texture, or a character design for an After Effects, Cinema 4D, Blender, or Nuke project:

• Name layers before export. Names like "line_art," "color_flats," and "shadow" save time in your compositing app.
• Turn off references and guides before exporting. Hidden layers are excluded, which is exactly what you want for a clean handoff.
• Switch off the background color if the artwork needs to sit over other elements.
• Keep a working file and a delivery file. Leave private reference layers in the working version and export from a copy with only the layers you need.

Where Styleframe Fits

Procreate is a strong place to draw the key poses, style references, or frame designs that drive an animated shot. Once you have those, Styleframe can take them further as an AI video and motion tool.

The practical link is that a clean Procreate export, with reference layers hidden and the background transparent if needed, makes a better input.

The aim is to keep your compositing workflow intact: Procreate for drawing, Styleframe for generating motion from your references, and your usual compositor for the final comp.

Quick Reference

• Add a layer: Layers panel > +.
• Hide a layer: untick its checkbox.
• Add a private layer: Actions > Add > slide Insert a file/photo left > tap the grey private button.
• Confirm it's private: look for "Private" under the layer name.
• Transparent background: untick the Background Color checkbox.
• Keep PSD layers: use Gallery Import, not Insert a File or Photo.

FAQ

Does a hidden layer get exported? No. Layers with visibility off are excluded from exports, including individual layer exports.

Does a private layer get exported? If it's visible, yes. Private only keeps it out of the Gallery preview and Time-lapse.

Can I turn an existing layer into a private layer? The handbook describes private layers as created through import with the private button. If you need an existing image to be private, re-import it that way.

Can I import a layered PSD as a private layer? No. PSDs are flattened when imported as Private Layers.

To add a hidden layer in Procreate, tap the + button at the top right of the Layers panel to create a new layer, then untick its visibility checkbox. If you want a layer that stays out of your Gallery preview and exported Time-lapse video, add it as a Private Layer instead. Open Actions > Add, slide the Insert a file or Insert a photo tab to the left, and tap the grey private button that appears. Both methods keep the layer in your file, but they behave differently on export, which matters if the artwork is headed into a motion pipeline.

Two Meanings of "Hidden Layer" in Procreate

Procreate has two separate features that people usually mean by "hidden layer":

• Hidden (visibility off): The layer is switched off on the canvas. You can't see it, draw on it, or export it until you switch it back on.
• Private: The layer is fully visible and works like any other layer while you paint. It just won't show up in the Gallery preview image or in the exported Time-lapse video or replay.

Pick the first when you want to declutter the canvas or isolate a layer. Pick the second when you want a reference image to stay visible while you work but stay out of anything you share.

How to Add a New Layer and Hide It

This is the standard route.

1. Open the Layers panel (the overlapping squares icon at the top right).
2. Tap the + button at the top right of the panel. A new layer appears directly above the layer that is currently active.
3. Optionally, rename the layer so you can find it later. Clear names matter once a file has dozens of layers.
4. Draw or paste whatever you need on that layer.
5. Untick the visibility checkbox on the layer row. The layer disappears from the canvas.

To bring it back, tick the checkbox again. Nothing is deleted.

What You Can't Do on a Hidden Layer

While a layer is switched off, you can't draw on it. If you try, Procreate warns you, and you need to turn visibility back on first. That is a common source of confusion when strokes seem to "not work."

How to Add a Private Layer

A Private Layer is created when you import a file or photo, not by flipping a setting on an existing layer. The steps for a file:

1. Tap Actions (the wrench icon) > Add.
2. Find the Insert a file row and slide it to the left.
3. A grey Insert a private file button appears. Tap it.
4. Choose an image in the Files app. PNG, JPEG, and PSD are supported.

For a photo, do the same with the Insert a photo row to reveal Insert a private photo.

Once the image lands on the canvas, check the Layers panel. A private layer shows the word Private under its name, which is your confirmation it worked.

Limits of Private Layers

• A PSD imported this way arrives as a single flattened image. You can't bring a layered PSD in as a Private Layer.
• To import a PSD with its layers intact, use Gallery Import instead. Those layers will be regular, non-private layers.
• Private applies to the Gallery preview and Time-lapse output. It isn't a security feature, and the layer is still part of the file.

The Procreate handbook describes private layers as a way to keep reference material out of your visible process without deleting or switching off that layer. That is the main use case: a photo or sketch underlay you need on screen the whole time.

Hiding the Background Color

The background is its own layer, and it can be hidden too. By default a new canvas has a white background color layer.

• Tap the Background Color layer to open the Color panel and choose another color. Tap Done to close it.
• Untick the visibility checkbox next to Background Color to switch it off and get a transparent canvas.

If your artwork will be composited over footage or a 3D render, turn the background off before exporting. Otherwise you'll be keying out white later.

How Hidden and Private Layers Behave on Export

This is where the two types diverge, and it affects anything you hand off to a compositor.

Two practical consequences:

• A hidden layer is excluded from exports, including when you export layers individually. If a layer is missing from your delivered file, check its visibility first.
• A visible private layer still appears in your exported artwork. It's only suppressed in the Gallery preview and Time-lapse. If a reference photo is private but visible when you export, it will be in the output. Hide it before exporting.

Hiding Part of Your Process from a Time-Lapse

Many artists want a general "hide this layer from the time-lapse" option for any layer, since reference images are needed during sketching but distract from the replay. Procreate users have requested exactly this on the Procreate Folio, and the team has said it's open to the discussion. As documented, the dependable way to keep a reference out of the time-lapse is to bring it in as a Private Layer from the start. Check the current handbook for your version, since this area may change.

If you've already imported the reference as a normal layer, the simplest fix is to re-import it through the private route and delete the original.

Troubleshooting

I can't find the private button. Make sure you're sliding the Insert a file or Insert a photo row to the left, not tapping it. The grey button only appears after the slide.

My layer disappeared. Check whether its visibility checkbox is off. It may also have been merged or sit inside a collapsed group.

I can't draw on a layer. It's probably hidden. Turn visibility on.

My layered PSD flattened on import. Insert a File and Insert a Photo place PSDs as a flattened image. Use Gallery Import to keep the layers.

The reference photo appears in my export. Private layers still export if they're visible. Switch them off before exporting.

Taking Procreate Layers into a Motion Workflow

For motion designers and animators, hidden and private layers are mostly housekeeping. A clean layer stack makes handoff predictable.

A few habits help when Procreate artwork becomes a key frame, a texture, or a character design for an After Effects, Cinema 4D, Blender, or Nuke project:

• Name layers before export. Names like "line_art," "color_flats," and "shadow" save time in your compositing app.
• Turn off references and guides before exporting. Hidden layers are excluded, which is exactly what you want for a clean handoff.
• Switch off the background color if the artwork needs to sit over other elements.
• Keep a working file and a delivery file. Leave private reference layers in the working version and export from a copy with only the layers you need.

Where Styleframe Fits

Procreate is a strong place to draw the key poses, style references, or frame designs that drive an animated shot. Once you have those, Styleframe can take them further as an AI video and motion tool.

The practical link is that a clean Procreate export, with reference layers hidden and the background transparent if needed, makes a better input.

The aim is to keep your compositing workflow intact: Procreate for drawing, Styleframe for generating motion from your references, and your usual compositor for the final comp.

Quick Reference

• Add a layer: Layers panel > +.
• Hide a layer: untick its checkbox.
• Add a private layer: Actions > Add > slide Insert a file/photo left > tap the grey private button.
• Confirm it's private: look for "Private" under the layer name.
• Transparent background: untick the Background Color checkbox.
• Keep PSD layers: use Gallery Import, not Insert a File or Photo.

FAQ

Does a hidden layer get exported? No. Layers with visibility off are excluded from exports, including individual layer exports.

Does a private layer get exported? If it's visible, yes. Private only keeps it out of the Gallery preview and Time-lapse.

Can I turn an existing layer into a private layer? The handbook describes private layers as created through import with the private button. If you need an existing image to be private, re-import it that way.

Can I import a layered PSD as a private layer? No. PSDs are flattened when imported as Private Layers.