To add new brushes to Procreate, open the brush library, tap the + button in the top right, choose Import from Files, and select a .brush, .brushset, or .brushlibrary file. You can also tap a brush file in Safari, Mail, or the Files app and choose Procreate, or drag and drop the file into the app. Procreate also imports Photoshop .abr brushes, and anything you bring in lands at the top of your library or in a folder called Imported.

What Procreate can import

Procreate recognizes four brush file types:

• .brush: a single brush
• .brushset: a group of brushes that becomes one set
• .brushlibrary: a full library containing multiple sets
• .abr: Adobe Photoshop brushes

Where the file ends up depends on its type. A single brush goes into a folder named Imported at the top of your current library. A brush set appears at the top of the current library. A full brush library appears at the top of your library overview.

If your download is a .zip, unzip it first. Procreate can't read brushes inside an archive. On an iPad, press and hold the zip in the Files app and choose Uncompress, then open the resulting folder and tap the brush file.

Method 1: Import from inside Procreate

This is the most reliable route because it doesn't depend on another app handing the file over.

1. Open Procreate and select the Paint, Smudge, or Erase tool. Tap the tool a second time to open the brush library.
2. Tap the + button at the top right of the brush panel.
3. Choose Import from Files.
4. Browse to the file (iCloud Drive, On My iPad, Dropbox, or another connected location) and tap it.

The brush loads within a few seconds. Scroll to the top of the library to find it. If you imported a single brush, look for the Imported folder.

Method 2: Tap the file to open it in Procreate

If the brush file is already on your iPad, you can skip the import menu.

• From Safari or Chrome: after downloading, open the downloads list and tap the file. In Chrome you may need to tap Open In and select Procreate.
• From Mail: tap the attachment and choose Procreate from the share options.
• From the Files app: tap the file directly. Procreate shows a prompt to import it.

This is the fastest option for brush packs you buy from a marketplace. Download, unzip, tap, done.

Method 3: Drag and drop in Split View

Drag and drop is useful when your files sit in a cloud folder and you want to add several at once.

1. Open Procreate and the Files app (or Dropbox, Google Drive, and so on) side by side using Split View or Slide Over.
2. Open the brush library in Procreate.
3. Press and hold a brush file, then drag it over the Procreate library. A green plus sign signals that Procreate will accept it.
4. Release to import.

To import several files at once, pick up one file, then tap additional files with another finger to add them to the stack before dragging. If you want the brushes to land in a particular set, open that set first and hover over its contents before releasing.

The same gesture works in reverse. Press and hold a brush in Procreate, then drag it into a compatible app to export it. This is handy for backing up your custom brushes or sending a favorite to a collaborator.

Method 4: Move files from a Mac or PC

Procreate for iPad only runs on iPad, so brush packs you download on a desktop have to travel. You have three practical options:

• AirDrop (Mac): Turn on AirDrop on the iPad via Control Center, then right-click the brush files on your Mac and choose Share > AirDrop. Procreate usually opens and installs them automatically, or prompts you to pick a destination.
• Cloud storage: Put the files in iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or Google Drive, then open them on the iPad and use Share > Procreate, or use drag and drop as above.
• Email or messaging to yourself: Fine for a single small brush set, though cloud storage is cleaner for larger packs.

On Windows, cloud storage is the usual route, since AirDrop isn't available.

Where Procreate stores brushes

Since version 5.4, brushes live in the iPadOS Files app as individual files rather than inside the app's private storage. You can find them under either:

• On My iPad → Procreate → Brushes, or
• iCloud Drive → Procreate Brushes

Inside, each folder is a library, each subfolder is a set, and each file is a brush. That structure has a useful side effect: you can copy, move, rename, and duplicate brushes in Files, and the changes show up in Procreate. If you store brushes in iCloud Drive, they can sync across devices, provided you have enough iCloud storage.

One caveat: because brushes are now ordinary files, certain characters that operating systems reserve for filenames (such as slashes, colons, and asterisks) get stripped from brush names. If a brush from an older library looks slightly renamed, that's why.

Organize brushes as you import

A few habits will keep a growing library manageable:

• Rename the Imported folder right after you import something, before the next import lands in the same place.
• Create your own sets with the + button and Create new, then drag brushes into them by project type: inking, texture, grain, backgrounds.
• Use separate libraries for different clients or styles, and switch by pinching in on the brush panel or tapping the library title and choosing Back to libraries.
• Keep the originals. Store the downloaded .brushset files in a Files folder so you can reinstall after a device change.

Troubleshooting brushes that won't import

Most failed imports come from a short list of causes.

The file is still zipped. Uncompress it first and import the .brush or .brushset inside.

The file isn't a Procreate brush. Check the extension. Brushes made for other apps won't load unless they are .abr files. Even then, Photoshop brushes may behave differently from native Procreate brushes.

The file is still in the cloud. If you see a cloud icon next to it in Files, tap and hold and choose Download Now before importing.

A spinner that never finishes. Try importing from the in-app + → Import from Files menu rather than drag and drop. If the file came from a cloud app, try its own Share or Open In option instead of Split View.

The brush imported but you can't find it. Scroll to the very top of the current library and look for a set or an Imported folder. If you imported a whole library, pinch back to the library overview.

Odd behavior after an update. Procreate is built for the current official iPadOS release, so beta operating systems can cause import glitches. Close all apps, restart the iPad, and confirm you're on the latest Procreate version (tap the word Procreate at the top of the Gallery to see it).

Awkward filenames. If a file has long strings of underscores or unusual characters, renaming it to something simple before import is worth trying in stubborn cases.

Build your own brush instead

If nothing you've downloaded does quite what you want, make one. Tap + → Create new brush to open Brush Studio, or tap an existing brush twice to edit it. You can change shape, grain, taper, dynamics, pressure response, opacity, and more. Procreate remembers your adjustments per brush, so you can switch between tools without losing tweaks. For animators, custom brushes are a good way to build a consistent line quality or texture that matches a project's look.

Taking Procreate artwork into a motion pipeline

Many motion designers and VFX artists use Procreate for style frames, concept paintings, textures, and hand-drawn elements, then move the work into After Effects, Nuke, Blender, or Cinema 4D. A couple of practical notes help that handoff:

• Export with intent. Export layered PSDs for compositing, or flattened PNGs for reference. Name layers before you leave Procreate so they're usable in After Effects.
• Work at your delivery resolution. Set the canvas size at the start, because brush texture and grain look different when you upscale afterward.
• Use brush textures as assets. Grain, paper, and ink textures drawn with custom brushes can be exported as transparent PNGs and used as overlays, mattes, or displacement sources.

If you want to push a Procreate painting into moving imagery, Styleframe is one way to extend that work. You can use your painted frames as references or keyframes. It doesn't replace the brushwork you've done in Procreate; it gives that work a path into motion.

Quick reference

Once you've imported a few packs, the process takes seconds. The main habits to build are unzipping first, checking the file extension, and organizing new brushes into named sets before your library gets crowded.

To add new brushes to Procreate, open the brush library, tap the + button in the top right, choose Import from Files, and select a .brush, .brushset, or .brushlibrary file. You can also tap a brush file in Safari, Mail, or the Files app and choose Procreate, or drag and drop the file into the app. Procreate also imports Photoshop .abr brushes, and anything you bring in lands at the top of your library or in a folder called Imported.

What Procreate can import

Procreate recognizes four brush file types:

• .brush: a single brush
• .brushset: a group of brushes that becomes one set
• .brushlibrary: a full library containing multiple sets
• .abr: Adobe Photoshop brushes

Where the file ends up depends on its type. A single brush goes into a folder named Imported at the top of your current library. A brush set appears at the top of the current library. A full brush library appears at the top of your library overview.

If your download is a .zip, unzip it first. Procreate can't read brushes inside an archive. On an iPad, press and hold the zip in the Files app and choose Uncompress, then open the resulting folder and tap the brush file.

Method 1: Import from inside Procreate

This is the most reliable route because it doesn't depend on another app handing the file over.

1. Open Procreate and select the Paint, Smudge, or Erase tool. Tap the tool a second time to open the brush library.
2. Tap the + button at the top right of the brush panel.
3. Choose Import from Files.
4. Browse to the file (iCloud Drive, On My iPad, Dropbox, or another connected location) and tap it.

The brush loads within a few seconds. Scroll to the top of the library to find it. If you imported a single brush, look for the Imported folder.

Method 2: Tap the file to open it in Procreate

If the brush file is already on your iPad, you can skip the import menu.

• From Safari or Chrome: after downloading, open the downloads list and tap the file. In Chrome you may need to tap Open In and select Procreate.
• From Mail: tap the attachment and choose Procreate from the share options.
• From the Files app: tap the file directly. Procreate shows a prompt to import it.

This is the fastest option for brush packs you buy from a marketplace. Download, unzip, tap, done.

Method 3: Drag and drop in Split View

Drag and drop is useful when your files sit in a cloud folder and you want to add several at once.

1. Open Procreate and the Files app (or Dropbox, Google Drive, and so on) side by side using Split View or Slide Over.
2. Open the brush library in Procreate.
3. Press and hold a brush file, then drag it over the Procreate library. A green plus sign signals that Procreate will accept it.
4. Release to import.

To import several files at once, pick up one file, then tap additional files with another finger to add them to the stack before dragging. If you want the brushes to land in a particular set, open that set first and hover over its contents before releasing.

The same gesture works in reverse. Press and hold a brush in Procreate, then drag it into a compatible app to export it. This is handy for backing up your custom brushes or sending a favorite to a collaborator.

Method 4: Move files from a Mac or PC

Procreate for iPad only runs on iPad, so brush packs you download on a desktop have to travel. You have three practical options:

• AirDrop (Mac): Turn on AirDrop on the iPad via Control Center, then right-click the brush files on your Mac and choose Share > AirDrop. Procreate usually opens and installs them automatically, or prompts you to pick a destination.
• Cloud storage: Put the files in iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or Google Drive, then open them on the iPad and use Share > Procreate, or use drag and drop as above.
• Email or messaging to yourself: Fine for a single small brush set, though cloud storage is cleaner for larger packs.

On Windows, cloud storage is the usual route, since AirDrop isn't available.

Where Procreate stores brushes

Since version 5.4, brushes live in the iPadOS Files app as individual files rather than inside the app's private storage. You can find them under either:

• On My iPad → Procreate → Brushes, or
• iCloud Drive → Procreate Brushes

Inside, each folder is a library, each subfolder is a set, and each file is a brush. That structure has a useful side effect: you can copy, move, rename, and duplicate brushes in Files, and the changes show up in Procreate. If you store brushes in iCloud Drive, they can sync across devices, provided you have enough iCloud storage.

One caveat: because brushes are now ordinary files, certain characters that operating systems reserve for filenames (such as slashes, colons, and asterisks) get stripped from brush names. If a brush from an older library looks slightly renamed, that's why.

Organize brushes as you import

A few habits will keep a growing library manageable:

• Rename the Imported folder right after you import something, before the next import lands in the same place.
• Create your own sets with the + button and Create new, then drag brushes into them by project type: inking, texture, grain, backgrounds.
• Use separate libraries for different clients or styles, and switch by pinching in on the brush panel or tapping the library title and choosing Back to libraries.
• Keep the originals. Store the downloaded .brushset files in a Files folder so you can reinstall after a device change.

Troubleshooting brushes that won't import

Most failed imports come from a short list of causes.

The file is still zipped. Uncompress it first and import the .brush or .brushset inside.

The file isn't a Procreate brush. Check the extension. Brushes made for other apps won't load unless they are .abr files. Even then, Photoshop brushes may behave differently from native Procreate brushes.

The file is still in the cloud. If you see a cloud icon next to it in Files, tap and hold and choose Download Now before importing.

A spinner that never finishes. Try importing from the in-app + → Import from Files menu rather than drag and drop. If the file came from a cloud app, try its own Share or Open In option instead of Split View.

The brush imported but you can't find it. Scroll to the very top of the current library and look for a set or an Imported folder. If you imported a whole library, pinch back to the library overview.

Odd behavior after an update. Procreate is built for the current official iPadOS release, so beta operating systems can cause import glitches. Close all apps, restart the iPad, and confirm you're on the latest Procreate version (tap the word Procreate at the top of the Gallery to see it).

Awkward filenames. If a file has long strings of underscores or unusual characters, renaming it to something simple before import is worth trying in stubborn cases.

Build your own brush instead

If nothing you've downloaded does quite what you want, make one. Tap + → Create new brush to open Brush Studio, or tap an existing brush twice to edit it. You can change shape, grain, taper, dynamics, pressure response, opacity, and more. Procreate remembers your adjustments per brush, so you can switch between tools without losing tweaks. For animators, custom brushes are a good way to build a consistent line quality or texture that matches a project's look.

Taking Procreate artwork into a motion pipeline

Many motion designers and VFX artists use Procreate for style frames, concept paintings, textures, and hand-drawn elements, then move the work into After Effects, Nuke, Blender, or Cinema 4D. A couple of practical notes help that handoff:

• Export with intent. Export layered PSDs for compositing, or flattened PNGs for reference. Name layers before you leave Procreate so they're usable in After Effects.
• Work at your delivery resolution. Set the canvas size at the start, because brush texture and grain look different when you upscale afterward.
• Use brush textures as assets. Grain, paper, and ink textures drawn with custom brushes can be exported as transparent PNGs and used as overlays, mattes, or displacement sources.

If you want to push a Procreate painting into moving imagery, Styleframe is one way to extend that work. You can use your painted frames as references or keyframes. It doesn't replace the brushwork you've done in Procreate; it gives that work a path into motion.

Quick reference

Once you've imported a few packs, the process takes seconds. The main habits to build are unzipping first, checking the file extension, and organizing new brushes into named sets before your library gets crowded.