To add an image layer in Procreate, open your canvas, tap the Actions icon (wrench), choose Add, then tap Insert a photo (from your Photos library) or Insert a file (from Files or iCloud). Procreate places the image on its own new layer above your active layer and opens the Transform tool so you can scale and position it. You can also drag an image in from another app, paste it from the clipboard, or start a canvas directly from a photo.

How to Insert an Image as a New Layer (Step by Step)

This is the most reliable method and works the same way on iPad and Procreate Pocket.

1. Open your canvas and select the layer you want the image to sit above. The new layer is created directly above whichever layer is active.
2. Tap the Actions icon (the wrench) in the top left.
3. Tap Add, then pick one of these:
   • Insert a photo opens your Photos library.
   • Insert a file opens the Files browser, including iCloud Drive and connected storage. Use this for PNGs with transparency, JPEGs, and PSDs.
   • Take a photo opens the camera and drops the shot straight in.
4. Select the image. It appears on a new layer, and the Transform tool activates automatically.
5. Scale, rotate, and position it, then tap the Transform (arrow) icon again or tap elsewhere to commit.

Open the Layers panel to confirm. You should see a new thumbnail with the image, which you can rename, reorder, or adjust like any other layer.

Other Ways to Bring an Image Into a Layer

Insert a photo is the default, but depending on where your assets live, other methods are faster.

Drag and Drop From Another App

Open Procreate and Files (or Photos or Safari) in Split View or Slide Over. Press and hold an image, then drag it onto your canvas. Procreate creates a new layer with the image in it, just like Insert a photo. This is the quickest route when you're pulling several assets from a project folder.

Copy and Paste

Copy an image from anywhere on the device, return to Procreate, and use a three-finger swipe down to open the Copy & Paste menu. Tap Paste. The image lands on a new layer. This also works between two Procreate canvases: select a layer, copy it, and paste into the other file.

Start a New Canvas From a Photo

In the Gallery, tap the + button and choose Photo (or import a file). Procreate builds a canvas at the image's dimensions with the picture already on a layer. Use this when the image is the foundation of the piece and you don't want to fit it into a pre-sized canvas.

Reference Image (Not a Layer)

Under Canvas > Reference, you can load an image into a floating companion window. This is not a layer. It won't export, won't affect your composition, and is useful for color sampling or tracing guides. If you need the image in the final file, use Insert a photo instead.

Transforming the Image After You Place It

Placement matters more than it looks, because every resize resamples your pixels. Handle it deliberately.

• Uniform scales proportionally. Use it by default so you don't distort photographic or product imagery.
• Freeform stretches each axis independently.
• Distort lets you pull corners for perspective matching, which is handy for placing a texture onto a plane in a painted scene.
• Warp applies a mesh for organic bending, such as wrapping a texture around a form.
• Snapping and Magnetics help align the image to canvas edges and guides. Toggle them at the bottom of the Transform tool if they fight your placement.
• Interpolation (in the Transform tool's settings) controls how pixels are resampled. Bicubic is best for photographic content; Nearest Neighbor preserves hard edges for pixel art.

A large photo may hang over the edges of the canvas. Scale it down and commit the transform. Treat any content outside the canvas bounds as unrecoverable once you've committed, and keep the original file if you may need that area later.

Managing the Image Layer Once It's In

Tap the layer to open its options. These are the ones you'll use most with imported images:

• Opacity and blend mode: tap the N on the layer row. Multiply works well for dropping scanned linework or paper texture over color; Screen and Overlay are useful for light and grain.
• Clipping Mask: tap the layer and choose Clipping Mask to confine the image to the shape of the layer below. This is the cleanest way to put a texture inside a silhouette without erasing anything.
• Layer Mask: tap Mask to hide parts of the image non-destructively. Paint black to hide and white to reveal.
• Alpha Lock: keeps edits within existing opaque pixels, useful for recoloring a cutout.
• Group: swipe right on several layers to select them, then tap Group to keep imported assets organized.
• Lock or duplicate: swipe left on a layer for Lock, Duplicate, and Delete.

Rename layers as you go. If the file will be handed off, "bg_plate_photo" and "texture_paper_multiply" save someone real time later.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Insert a photo does nothing or shows no images. Check iPadOS Settings > Procreate > Photos and make sure access is allowed. If you're limited to selected photos, the image you want may not be included.

The image looks soft or blurry. The source resolution is lower than your canvas, or you scaled it up. Re-import a higher-resolution original, or keep the layer smaller. Scaling up repeatedly degrades quality with each committed transform, so resize once.

The image is huge and I can't see the edges. Use Fit to Screen in the Transform tool, or pinch to zoom out before committing.

Transparent PNGs show a white or black background. Import through Insert a file rather than via a screenshot or a flattened photo copy, and confirm the source file really has an alpha channel.

I can't add more layers. Procreate's layer limit depends on canvas size and device memory; large canvases allow fewer layers. Merge finished layers, or duplicate the file at a smaller size for sketching.

Colors shift. Check the canvas color profile (Canvas > Canvas Information > Color Profile). Mixing an sRGB canvas with Display P3 source images can cause visible differences.

Getting Procreate Layers Into a Motion Pipeline

For motion designers, Procreate is usually a source of art, not the final destination. A few habits make the handoff smooth:

• Export as PSD to keep layers separate. After Effects can import a PSD as a composition (or as merged or individual layers), so your inserted images, masks, and blend modes can remain editable.
• Keep layers full-frame and named. Procreate layers are canvas-sized, so predictable naming makes it easy to find assets in the AE project panel.
• Work at your delivery resolution or higher. If the final comp is 4K, build the canvas to match so you aren't upscaling stills later. Check that your canvas size also leaves enough layers for the piece.
• Choose PNG or TIFF for single flattened frames with transparency, and PSD when you need to re-time or animate individual elements.
• Use Procreate's own animation tools sparingly. Animation Assist is fine for rough frame-by-frame ideas, but layered PSD exports give you more control in a compositor.

Using Procreate Art as Reference in Styleframe

Procreate is a natural place to make images that can feed an AI motion workflow. Styleframe is an AI video and motion tool that works from reference material, so a Procreate painting with imported textures and photo layers can serve as source imagery. Check Styleframe's own documentation for current features, output formats, and integrations.

FAQ

Does Insert a photo create a new layer every time? Yes. Each inserted image gets its own layer above the active one.

Can I add an image layer from a PSD? Using Insert a file with a PSD may import it as a flattened image. To keep its layers separate, open the PSD from the Gallery as its own canvas, then copy layers across.

Can I import multiple images at once? Drag and drop from Files or Photos in Split View is the quickest approach for batches, though you'll still position each layer individually.

Is an inserted image editable like a painted layer? Yes. It's a raster layer, so you can paint on it, erase, mask, adjust, or apply filters from the Adjustments menu.

What's the difference between a reference image and an image layer? A reference is a floating guide that doesn't export. An image layer is part of your canvas and appears in the final file.

To add an image layer in Procreate, open your canvas, tap the Actions icon (wrench), choose Add, then tap Insert a photo (from your Photos library) or Insert a file (from Files or iCloud). Procreate places the image on its own new layer above your active layer and opens the Transform tool so you can scale and position it. You can also drag an image in from another app, paste it from the clipboard, or start a canvas directly from a photo.

How to Insert an Image as a New Layer (Step by Step)

This is the most reliable method and works the same way on iPad and Procreate Pocket.

1. Open your canvas and select the layer you want the image to sit above. The new layer is created directly above whichever layer is active.
2. Tap the Actions icon (the wrench) in the top left.
3. Tap Add, then pick one of these:
   • Insert a photo opens your Photos library.
   • Insert a file opens the Files browser, including iCloud Drive and connected storage. Use this for PNGs with transparency, JPEGs, and PSDs.
   • Take a photo opens the camera and drops the shot straight in.
4. Select the image. It appears on a new layer, and the Transform tool activates automatically.
5. Scale, rotate, and position it, then tap the Transform (arrow) icon again or tap elsewhere to commit.

Open the Layers panel to confirm. You should see a new thumbnail with the image, which you can rename, reorder, or adjust like any other layer.

Other Ways to Bring an Image Into a Layer

Insert a photo is the default, but depending on where your assets live, other methods are faster.

Drag and Drop From Another App

Open Procreate and Files (or Photos or Safari) in Split View or Slide Over. Press and hold an image, then drag it onto your canvas. Procreate creates a new layer with the image in it, just like Insert a photo. This is the quickest route when you're pulling several assets from a project folder.

Copy and Paste

Copy an image from anywhere on the device, return to Procreate, and use a three-finger swipe down to open the Copy & Paste menu. Tap Paste. The image lands on a new layer. This also works between two Procreate canvases: select a layer, copy it, and paste into the other file.

Start a New Canvas From a Photo

In the Gallery, tap the + button and choose Photo (or import a file). Procreate builds a canvas at the image's dimensions with the picture already on a layer. Use this when the image is the foundation of the piece and you don't want to fit it into a pre-sized canvas.

Reference Image (Not a Layer)

Under Canvas > Reference, you can load an image into a floating companion window. This is not a layer. It won't export, won't affect your composition, and is useful for color sampling or tracing guides. If you need the image in the final file, use Insert a photo instead.

Transforming the Image After You Place It

Placement matters more than it looks, because every resize resamples your pixels. Handle it deliberately.

• Uniform scales proportionally. Use it by default so you don't distort photographic or product imagery.
• Freeform stretches each axis independently.
• Distort lets you pull corners for perspective matching, which is handy for placing a texture onto a plane in a painted scene.
• Warp applies a mesh for organic bending, such as wrapping a texture around a form.
• Snapping and Magnetics help align the image to canvas edges and guides. Toggle them at the bottom of the Transform tool if they fight your placement.
• Interpolation (in the Transform tool's settings) controls how pixels are resampled. Bicubic is best for photographic content; Nearest Neighbor preserves hard edges for pixel art.

A large photo may hang over the edges of the canvas. Scale it down and commit the transform. Treat any content outside the canvas bounds as unrecoverable once you've committed, and keep the original file if you may need that area later.

Managing the Image Layer Once It's In

Tap the layer to open its options. These are the ones you'll use most with imported images:

• Opacity and blend mode: tap the N on the layer row. Multiply works well for dropping scanned linework or paper texture over color; Screen and Overlay are useful for light and grain.
• Clipping Mask: tap the layer and choose Clipping Mask to confine the image to the shape of the layer below. This is the cleanest way to put a texture inside a silhouette without erasing anything.
• Layer Mask: tap Mask to hide parts of the image non-destructively. Paint black to hide and white to reveal.
• Alpha Lock: keeps edits within existing opaque pixels, useful for recoloring a cutout.
• Group: swipe right on several layers to select them, then tap Group to keep imported assets organized.
• Lock or duplicate: swipe left on a layer for Lock, Duplicate, and Delete.

Rename layers as you go. If the file will be handed off, "bg_plate_photo" and "texture_paper_multiply" save someone real time later.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Insert a photo does nothing or shows no images. Check iPadOS Settings > Procreate > Photos and make sure access is allowed. If you're limited to selected photos, the image you want may not be included.

The image looks soft or blurry. The source resolution is lower than your canvas, or you scaled it up. Re-import a higher-resolution original, or keep the layer smaller. Scaling up repeatedly degrades quality with each committed transform, so resize once.

The image is huge and I can't see the edges. Use Fit to Screen in the Transform tool, or pinch to zoom out before committing.

Transparent PNGs show a white or black background. Import through Insert a file rather than via a screenshot or a flattened photo copy, and confirm the source file really has an alpha channel.

I can't add more layers. Procreate's layer limit depends on canvas size and device memory; large canvases allow fewer layers. Merge finished layers, or duplicate the file at a smaller size for sketching.

Colors shift. Check the canvas color profile (Canvas > Canvas Information > Color Profile). Mixing an sRGB canvas with Display P3 source images can cause visible differences.

Getting Procreate Layers Into a Motion Pipeline

For motion designers, Procreate is usually a source of art, not the final destination. A few habits make the handoff smooth:

• Export as PSD to keep layers separate. After Effects can import a PSD as a composition (or as merged or individual layers), so your inserted images, masks, and blend modes can remain editable.
• Keep layers full-frame and named. Procreate layers are canvas-sized, so predictable naming makes it easy to find assets in the AE project panel.
• Work at your delivery resolution or higher. If the final comp is 4K, build the canvas to match so you aren't upscaling stills later. Check that your canvas size also leaves enough layers for the piece.
• Choose PNG or TIFF for single flattened frames with transparency, and PSD when you need to re-time or animate individual elements.
• Use Procreate's own animation tools sparingly. Animation Assist is fine for rough frame-by-frame ideas, but layered PSD exports give you more control in a compositor.

Using Procreate Art as Reference in Styleframe

Procreate is a natural place to make images that can feed an AI motion workflow. Styleframe is an AI video and motion tool that works from reference material, so a Procreate painting with imported textures and photo layers can serve as source imagery. Check Styleframe's own documentation for current features, output formats, and integrations.

FAQ

Does Insert a photo create a new layer every time? Yes. Each inserted image gets its own layer above the active one.

Can I add an image layer from a PSD? Using Insert a file with a PSD may import it as a flattened image. To keep its layers separate, open the PSD from the Gallery as its own canvas, then copy layers across.

Can I import multiple images at once? Drag and drop from Files or Photos in Split View is the quickest approach for batches, though you'll still position each layer individually.

Is an inserted image editable like a painted layer? Yes. It's a raster layer, so you can paint on it, erase, mask, adjust, or apply filters from the Adjustments menu.

What's the difference between a reference image and an image layer? A reference is a floating guide that doesn't export. An image layer is part of your canvas and appears in the final file.