To add a palette in Procreate, open the Color panel, switch to the Palettes tab, and tap the + icon at the top right. From there you can create a blank palette, build one from a photo or file, or import a downloaded .swatches file. Then tap an empty swatch to save your current color into it. Tap a palette's swatches to make it active, and you can set it as your default so it always appears at the bottom of the Color panel.

Quick steps: add a new palette in Procreate

1. Tap the color circle at the top right of the canvas to open the Color panel.
2. Tap the Palettes tab at the bottom of the panel.
3. Tap the + icon at the top right of the Palettes view.
4. Choose Create new palette, or pick an option such as New from file or New from photos.
5. Name the palette, then tap an empty swatch slot to store the color you currently have selected.
6. Repeat for each color, and tap any swatch later to use it.

Menu labels shift slightly between Procreate versions and iPadOS releases, but the flow stays the same: color circle, Palettes, plus icon.

Method 1: Build a blank palette by hand

This is the most controlled approach and the best fit when you already know your colors, such as a brand palette or a color script you've settled on.

1. Open the Color panel and go to Palettes.
2. Tap + and create a new palette. Give it a clear name right away, such as the project name and version. A palette called "Untitled 7" gets lost fast.
3. Go back to one of the color tabs and dial in your first color.
4. Tap an empty square in the palette at the bottom of the panel. The current color is saved as a swatch.
5. Change the color and tap the next empty square. Continue until the palette is complete.

If a palette has no empty slots left, press and hold an existing swatch and tap Set to replace it with your current color.

Method 2: Generate a palette from a photo or file

Procreate can extract a palette from an image, which suits matching a reference, a film still, a location photo, or a mood board frame.

1. In the Palettes view, tap +.
2. Choose New from photos to pull from your photo library, or New from file to pull from the Files app.
3. Select the image. Procreate analyzes it and adds a new palette at the top of your list, filled with the dominant colors.

A few practical notes:

• Image resolution isn't critical. A modest-resolution reference is usually enough for a usable extraction.
• The result is an approximation. Procreate chooses the colors, so a small accent that matters to you, like a rim-light orange, may not make the cut. Add it manually afterward.
• Different images give very different results. A muted interior might yield a handful of browns and grays, while a saturated photo gives a wider range. Try a few crops if the first attempt feels flat.

Sampling directly from your canvas

If the reference is already on your canvas, you don't need to import it. Create a new palette, press and hold on the canvas to open the color picker, and drag to the color you want. Then tap an empty swatch to store it. This is quick for building a palette from a frame grab or a pasted reference.

Method 3: Import a ready-made palette file

Many illustrators and brush shops publish free palettes as .swatches files. To add one:

1. On your iPad, tap the palette download link or file.
2. If it lands in your Downloads folder in the Files app, tap the file. Procreate should open and import it.
3. Open the Palettes tab. The imported palette will appear in your library.

You can also use the + menu and choose New from file to pick a palette file you've saved to iCloud Drive or elsewhere. Keep a "Palettes" folder in Files so imports and backups don't get buried.

Method 4: Use Color Harmony to grow a palette

If you have one or two anchor colors and need support, the Harmony tab can suggest relationships.

1. Create a new palette and save your starting color in the first swatch.
2. Open the Harmony tab.
3. Tap the scheme name at the top left and choose Complementary, Split Complementary, Analogous, Triadic, or Tetradic.
4. Tap each color on the wheel and drop it into the next empty swatch.

Treat the output as a starting point, not a finished palette. Harmony schemes give you hue relationships, but you still decide value, saturation, and balance. Many artists keep palettes small, around three to five colors for a pattern or limited illustration, then add tints and shades as needed.

Manage your palettes after you've added them

Set a default palette

The default palette is the one shown at the bottom of every Color panel tab, so it's the one you'll reach for most. Open the palette's options by tapping its name and choose the option to set it as default. Check the Procreate Handbook for the exact label in your version.

Switch between Compact and Cards views

At the top of the Swatches panel you can switch between Compact and Cards.

• Compact shows small squares, with 10 swatches per row, so you can see many palettes at once.
• Cards shows larger squares, three per row, with an approximate color name on each swatch.

In Cards view you can tap a swatch's name and rename it to something descriptive, like "Sea Green" or "Key Light." Renaming is worth the time on a shared project because it turns a row of squares into a vocabulary.

Reorder, rename, share

• Reorder: tap and drag a swatch to a new position.
• Set a swatch as current color: press and hold the swatch and choose Set current color.
• Fill quickly: drag a swatch from the palette onto a closed shape on your artwork and release to flood-fill (SwatchDrop).
• Share or back up: use the palette's options to share or export it, then save it to Files or send it to a collaborator.

Troubleshooting common problems

• Palette doesn't appear after import: reopen the Color panel, go to Palettes, and scroll to the top. In Cards view you may need to scroll to find it.
• No empty swatches: either press and hold a swatch and use Set, or create a new palette with more room.
• Extracted colors look wrong: try a different crop or image, or edit the palette by hand afterward.
• Colors look different elsewhere: Procreate's canvas color profile and your compositing project's color management may differ. Check the profile in your canvas settings and compare in your final environment.

Taking a Procreate palette into a motion pipeline

If you're a motion designer, animator, or VFX artist, Procreate is likely where you do quick concept paintings, color scripts, or style frames before the real work in After Effects, Cinema 4D, Blender, or Nuke. A few habits help the palette survive the trip:

• Record hex values. Note the hex code for each key swatch. Paste them into a shared doc or a color-swatch layer in your project. Don't assume your compositing app can read Procreate's .swatches file directly; hex values are a portable handoff.
• Export a palette strip. Make a small canvas with your swatches as flat squares, export it as PNG, and drop it into your AE comp or Nuke script as a reference layer you can eyedrop from.
• Name colors by function. Names like "shadow," "key," and "accent" translate across tools better than names tied to a specific hue.
• Check color management. Match the working space across tools where you can, and verify color in your compositing app, since that's where the final image is judged.

Where Styleframe fits

A palette is one input into a look. Once it's settled, the next question is how to carry that look through motion without losing control of it. That's where Styleframe can sit beside Procreate as an AI video and motion tool.

A painted style frame made in Procreate with your palette can serve as a reference image to guide the look. As with any style-transfer process, the output interprets your reference rather than matching it value for value, so verify key colors against your hex values in comp.

FAQ

Where is the palette button in Procreate?

Tap the color circle at the top right of the canvas, then tap Palettes at the bottom of the Color panel.

Can I make a palette from a photo?

Yes. In Palettes, tap + and choose New from photos or New from file. Procreate creates a palette from the image's main colors.

How do I import a downloaded palette?

Tap the .swatches file in the Files app or on its download page, and Procreate should import it. You can also use New from file from the + menu.

How many swatches can a palette hold?

Procreate palettes are flexible, and the default palette has a limited number of slots. If you run out of room, create a new palette. Check the Procreate Handbook for current limits in your version.

Can I use Procreate palettes in After Effects?

Don't count on using the palette file directly. Copy the hex values from Procreate, or export a palette strip image and sample from it in your composition.

To add a palette in Procreate, open the Color panel, switch to the Palettes tab, and tap the + icon at the top right. From there you can create a blank palette, build one from a photo or file, or import a downloaded .swatches file. Then tap an empty swatch to save your current color into it. Tap a palette's swatches to make it active, and you can set it as your default so it always appears at the bottom of the Color panel.

Quick steps: add a new palette in Procreate

1. Tap the color circle at the top right of the canvas to open the Color panel.
2. Tap the Palettes tab at the bottom of the panel.
3. Tap the + icon at the top right of the Palettes view.
4. Choose Create new palette, or pick an option such as New from file or New from photos.
5. Name the palette, then tap an empty swatch slot to store the color you currently have selected.
6. Repeat for each color, and tap any swatch later to use it.

Menu labels shift slightly between Procreate versions and iPadOS releases, but the flow stays the same: color circle, Palettes, plus icon.

Method 1: Build a blank palette by hand

This is the most controlled approach and the best fit when you already know your colors, such as a brand palette or a color script you've settled on.

1. Open the Color panel and go to Palettes.
2. Tap + and create a new palette. Give it a clear name right away, such as the project name and version. A palette called "Untitled 7" gets lost fast.
3. Go back to one of the color tabs and dial in your first color.
4. Tap an empty square in the palette at the bottom of the panel. The current color is saved as a swatch.
5. Change the color and tap the next empty square. Continue until the palette is complete.

If a palette has no empty slots left, press and hold an existing swatch and tap Set to replace it with your current color.

Method 2: Generate a palette from a photo or file

Procreate can extract a palette from an image, which suits matching a reference, a film still, a location photo, or a mood board frame.

1. In the Palettes view, tap +.
2. Choose New from photos to pull from your photo library, or New from file to pull from the Files app.
3. Select the image. Procreate analyzes it and adds a new palette at the top of your list, filled with the dominant colors.

A few practical notes:

• Image resolution isn't critical. A modest-resolution reference is usually enough for a usable extraction.
• The result is an approximation. Procreate chooses the colors, so a small accent that matters to you, like a rim-light orange, may not make the cut. Add it manually afterward.
• Different images give very different results. A muted interior might yield a handful of browns and grays, while a saturated photo gives a wider range. Try a few crops if the first attempt feels flat.

Sampling directly from your canvas

If the reference is already on your canvas, you don't need to import it. Create a new palette, press and hold on the canvas to open the color picker, and drag to the color you want. Then tap an empty swatch to store it. This is quick for building a palette from a frame grab or a pasted reference.

Method 3: Import a ready-made palette file

Many illustrators and brush shops publish free palettes as .swatches files. To add one:

1. On your iPad, tap the palette download link or file.
2. If it lands in your Downloads folder in the Files app, tap the file. Procreate should open and import it.
3. Open the Palettes tab. The imported palette will appear in your library.

You can also use the + menu and choose New from file to pick a palette file you've saved to iCloud Drive or elsewhere. Keep a "Palettes" folder in Files so imports and backups don't get buried.

Method 4: Use Color Harmony to grow a palette

If you have one or two anchor colors and need support, the Harmony tab can suggest relationships.

1. Create a new palette and save your starting color in the first swatch.
2. Open the Harmony tab.
3. Tap the scheme name at the top left and choose Complementary, Split Complementary, Analogous, Triadic, or Tetradic.
4. Tap each color on the wheel and drop it into the next empty swatch.

Treat the output as a starting point, not a finished palette. Harmony schemes give you hue relationships, but you still decide value, saturation, and balance. Many artists keep palettes small, around three to five colors for a pattern or limited illustration, then add tints and shades as needed.

Manage your palettes after you've added them

Set a default palette

The default palette is the one shown at the bottom of every Color panel tab, so it's the one you'll reach for most. Open the palette's options by tapping its name and choose the option to set it as default. Check the Procreate Handbook for the exact label in your version.

Switch between Compact and Cards views

At the top of the Swatches panel you can switch between Compact and Cards.

• Compact shows small squares, with 10 swatches per row, so you can see many palettes at once.
• Cards shows larger squares, three per row, with an approximate color name on each swatch.

In Cards view you can tap a swatch's name and rename it to something descriptive, like "Sea Green" or "Key Light." Renaming is worth the time on a shared project because it turns a row of squares into a vocabulary.

Reorder, rename, share

• Reorder: tap and drag a swatch to a new position.
• Set a swatch as current color: press and hold the swatch and choose Set current color.
• Fill quickly: drag a swatch from the palette onto a closed shape on your artwork and release to flood-fill (SwatchDrop).
• Share or back up: use the palette's options to share or export it, then save it to Files or send it to a collaborator.

Troubleshooting common problems

• Palette doesn't appear after import: reopen the Color panel, go to Palettes, and scroll to the top. In Cards view you may need to scroll to find it.
• No empty swatches: either press and hold a swatch and use Set, or create a new palette with more room.
• Extracted colors look wrong: try a different crop or image, or edit the palette by hand afterward.
• Colors look different elsewhere: Procreate's canvas color profile and your compositing project's color management may differ. Check the profile in your canvas settings and compare in your final environment.

Taking a Procreate palette into a motion pipeline

If you're a motion designer, animator, or VFX artist, Procreate is likely where you do quick concept paintings, color scripts, or style frames before the real work in After Effects, Cinema 4D, Blender, or Nuke. A few habits help the palette survive the trip:

• Record hex values. Note the hex code for each key swatch. Paste them into a shared doc or a color-swatch layer in your project. Don't assume your compositing app can read Procreate's .swatches file directly; hex values are a portable handoff.
• Export a palette strip. Make a small canvas with your swatches as flat squares, export it as PNG, and drop it into your AE comp or Nuke script as a reference layer you can eyedrop from.
• Name colors by function. Names like "shadow," "key," and "accent" translate across tools better than names tied to a specific hue.
• Check color management. Match the working space across tools where you can, and verify color in your compositing app, since that's where the final image is judged.

Where Styleframe fits

A palette is one input into a look. Once it's settled, the next question is how to carry that look through motion without losing control of it. That's where Styleframe can sit beside Procreate as an AI video and motion tool.

A painted style frame made in Procreate with your palette can serve as a reference image to guide the look. As with any style-transfer process, the output interprets your reference rather than matching it value for value, so verify key colors against your hex values in comp.

FAQ

Where is the palette button in Procreate?

Tap the color circle at the top right of the canvas, then tap Palettes at the bottom of the Color panel.

Can I make a palette from a photo?

Yes. In Palettes, tap + and choose New from photos or New from file. Procreate creates a palette from the image's main colors.

How do I import a downloaded palette?

Tap the .swatches file in the Files app or on its download page, and Procreate should import it. You can also use New from file from the + menu.

How many swatches can a palette hold?

Procreate palettes are flexible, and the default palette has a limited number of slots. If you run out of room, create a new palette. Check the Procreate Handbook for current limits in your version.

Can I use Procreate palettes in After Effects?

Don't count on using the palette file directly. Copy the hex values from Procreate, or export a palette strip image and sample from it in your composition.