To add a photo layer in Procreate, tap the wrench icon to open Actions, choose Add, then tap Insert a photo (from your Photos library) or Insert a file (from the Files app). The image lands on the canvas as a new layer that you can reposition and adjust. You can also take a photo with the camera, drag an image in from another app, or paste one from the clipboard.

Quick Steps: Add a Photo Layer in Procreate

1. Open your artwork in Procreate.
2. Tap the wrench icon (Actions) in the top left.
3. Tap Add.
4. Tap Insert a photo to pull from Photos, or Insert a file to pull from the Files app or a connected cloud folder.
5. Select the image. It appears on the canvas as a new layer.
6. Move the image into position as needed.

Open the Layers panel (the overlapping squares at the top right) and you'll see the new layer, ready for opacity changes and other layer adjustments.

Choosing the Right Insert Method

Procreate gives you several ways to bring pixels in. Which one you pick depends on where the image lives and how you want to treat it.

Insert a Photo

Use this when the image is in your Photos library, whether you shot it on the iPad or saved it from somewhere else. It supports JPEG, PNG, and PSD files. It's the fastest route for reference photography.

Insert a File

Use this for anything stored in Files, including iCloud Drive, external drives, and cloud services connected to the Files app. It's the better choice for assets that came from your desktop: a PNG with transparency, a graded still exported from Premiere Pro, or a render frame from Cinema 4D or Blender.

Take a Photo

Choose Add → Take a photo to open the camera. Shoot, tap Use Photo, and the shot appears in your open artwork. This is handy for quick texture captures, lighting references, or photographing a physical sketch.

Drag and Drop

You can drag a compatible image from another app straight onto the canvas and it becomes a layer. Dropping an image into the Gallery instead creates a brand-new artwork from it.

Copy and Paste

Copy an image from Safari, Photos, or another app, then go to Actions → Add → Paste. Procreate places the clipboard content as a new layer. This is useful when you only need a quick reference and don't want to save the file first.

Add a Photo as a Private Layer

Reference photos can pollute your finished piece's preview and your recorded process. Procreate has a Private Layer option for this.

1. Go to Actions → Add.
2. Slide the Insert a photo (or Insert a file) tab to the left.
3. Tap the grey Insert a private photo (or Insert a private file) button.
4. Choose your image.

A private layer behaves like any other layer, but it won't show up in the Gallery preview thumbnail or in an exported time-lapse video. The layer is labeled "Private" in the Layers panel. One limit: you can't bring in a layered PSD as a private layer, only a flattened image.

This is a good habit for client work where a reference photo is a licensed or sensitive asset that shouldn't appear in a shared process video.

Create a New Artwork From a Photo Instead

Sometimes you don't want a layer inside an existing canvas. You want the photo to define the canvas.

1. In the Procreate Gallery, tap Import (Files) or Photo (Photos).
2. Select the image.
3. Procreate creates a new artwork from it and opens it immediately, carrying over its resolution and color profile.

For motion work, this matters. If you're painting over a plate or a still pulled from a shot, starting from the photo's native dimensions avoids resampling the image to fit a canvas that was set up for something else. If you add a photo as a layer to an existing canvas, you're working at that canvas's resolution instead.

Importing PSDs and Preserving Layers

This is where many artists get caught. If you insert a PSD through Actions → Add, Procreate brings it in as a single flattened image. To keep the layer structure, import the PSD through the Gallery's Import button, which opens it as a new layered artwork.

That distinction affects pipelines where a designer hands off a layered PSD from Photoshop or an After Effects-bound design. If you need to paint into those layers on iPad, go through the Gallery, not the Actions menu.

Formats Procreate can import include .procreate, .psd, .jpeg, .png, .tiff, .gif, and .pdf. Vector formats such as .ai, .eps, and .svg are not supported, so rasterize those first in Illustrator or another tool.

Working With the Photo Layer Once It's In

Adding the layer is the easy part. These steps make it useful.

Transform the Image

Once the image is on the canvas, you can move it around and use Procreate's transform controls to resize or rotate it. Keep proportions locked unless you intentionally want to distort the image.

Lower the Opacity for Tracing or Paintover

For drawing over a photo, a common approach is to drop the photo layer's opacity to roughly 60 to 70%, create a new empty layer above it, and sketch on that layer. Keep your linework on its own layer so you can hide or delete the photo later without losing the drawing.

Use Masks and Clipping

Open the layer's options in the Layers panel to work with masks and clipping. A photo clipped to a painted shape is a quick way to build texture, collage backgrounds, or lighting studies.

Delete or Replace It

In the Layers panel, swipe left on the layer to reveal delete. To swap a photo, delete the old layer and insert a new one. If you only need to hide it temporarily, turn off the layer's visibility.

Adding a Photo Layer in Procreate Pocket

On iPhone, the flow is nearly identical, with one extra tap. Expand the top toolbar using the ellipsis button, tap the wrench, then go to Add → Insert a photo. Pocket also offers a Quick Add Photo button inside any Actions tab, which opens your Photos library straight away and drops the chosen image in as a new layer.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

• The photo is too large or small. Use Procreate's transform controls to resize it. If you need exact pixel dimensions, check canvas size before importing.
• My PSD lost its layers. You inserted it through Actions. Re-import through the Gallery's Import button.
• SVG or AI files won't import. Procreate doesn't support those vector formats. Export a PNG or PDF instead.
• I can't find my file. Make sure the cloud provider is enabled in the Files app, then use Browse to navigate to it.
• The reference shows up in my time-lapse. Reimport it as a private layer next time.

Where This Fits in a Motion and VFX Pipeline

For professional motion designers, animators, and VFX artists, Procreate is often a frame-painting or concepting tool rather than the final stop. A typical pattern is to bring a still from a shot into Procreate, paint over it for a style frame or matte concept, then export the result to After Effects, Nuke, or Photoshop. Check that your export format is compatible with those tools.

That's also where a tool like Styleframe can sit downstream, once you've painted a keyframe over your photo layer.

Summary

Adding a photo layer in Procreate comes down to Actions → Add → Insert a photo or file. Use the private layer option for references that shouldn't appear in your Gallery preview or time-lapse, and import layered PSDs through the Gallery to keep their layers. Lower the photo's opacity for tracing, keep your drawing on separate layers, and export in formats your downstream tools can read. From there, your painted frames can move into After Effects, Nuke, or a tool like Styleframe without breaking your pipeline.

To add a photo layer in Procreate, tap the wrench icon to open Actions, choose Add, then tap Insert a photo (from your Photos library) or Insert a file (from the Files app). The image lands on the canvas as a new layer that you can reposition and adjust. You can also take a photo with the camera, drag an image in from another app, or paste one from the clipboard.

Quick Steps: Add a Photo Layer in Procreate

1. Open your artwork in Procreate.
2. Tap the wrench icon (Actions) in the top left.
3. Tap Add.
4. Tap Insert a photo to pull from Photos, or Insert a file to pull from the Files app or a connected cloud folder.
5. Select the image. It appears on the canvas as a new layer.
6. Move the image into position as needed.

Open the Layers panel (the overlapping squares at the top right) and you'll see the new layer, ready for opacity changes and other layer adjustments.

Choosing the Right Insert Method

Procreate gives you several ways to bring pixels in. Which one you pick depends on where the image lives and how you want to treat it.

Insert a Photo

Use this when the image is in your Photos library, whether you shot it on the iPad or saved it from somewhere else. It supports JPEG, PNG, and PSD files. It's the fastest route for reference photography.

Insert a File

Use this for anything stored in Files, including iCloud Drive, external drives, and cloud services connected to the Files app. It's the better choice for assets that came from your desktop: a PNG with transparency, a graded still exported from Premiere Pro, or a render frame from Cinema 4D or Blender.

Take a Photo

Choose Add → Take a photo to open the camera. Shoot, tap Use Photo, and the shot appears in your open artwork. This is handy for quick texture captures, lighting references, or photographing a physical sketch.

Drag and Drop

You can drag a compatible image from another app straight onto the canvas and it becomes a layer. Dropping an image into the Gallery instead creates a brand-new artwork from it.

Copy and Paste

Copy an image from Safari, Photos, or another app, then go to Actions → Add → Paste. Procreate places the clipboard content as a new layer. This is useful when you only need a quick reference and don't want to save the file first.

Add a Photo as a Private Layer

Reference photos can pollute your finished piece's preview and your recorded process. Procreate has a Private Layer option for this.

1. Go to Actions → Add.
2. Slide the Insert a photo (or Insert a file) tab to the left.
3. Tap the grey Insert a private photo (or Insert a private file) button.
4. Choose your image.

A private layer behaves like any other layer, but it won't show up in the Gallery preview thumbnail or in an exported time-lapse video. The layer is labeled "Private" in the Layers panel. One limit: you can't bring in a layered PSD as a private layer, only a flattened image.

This is a good habit for client work where a reference photo is a licensed or sensitive asset that shouldn't appear in a shared process video.

Create a New Artwork From a Photo Instead

Sometimes you don't want a layer inside an existing canvas. You want the photo to define the canvas.

1. In the Procreate Gallery, tap Import (Files) or Photo (Photos).
2. Select the image.
3. Procreate creates a new artwork from it and opens it immediately, carrying over its resolution and color profile.

For motion work, this matters. If you're painting over a plate or a still pulled from a shot, starting from the photo's native dimensions avoids resampling the image to fit a canvas that was set up for something else. If you add a photo as a layer to an existing canvas, you're working at that canvas's resolution instead.

Importing PSDs and Preserving Layers

This is where many artists get caught. If you insert a PSD through Actions → Add, Procreate brings it in as a single flattened image. To keep the layer structure, import the PSD through the Gallery's Import button, which opens it as a new layered artwork.

That distinction affects pipelines where a designer hands off a layered PSD from Photoshop or an After Effects-bound design. If you need to paint into those layers on iPad, go through the Gallery, not the Actions menu.

Formats Procreate can import include .procreate, .psd, .jpeg, .png, .tiff, .gif, and .pdf. Vector formats such as .ai, .eps, and .svg are not supported, so rasterize those first in Illustrator or another tool.

Working With the Photo Layer Once It's In

Adding the layer is the easy part. These steps make it useful.

Transform the Image

Once the image is on the canvas, you can move it around and use Procreate's transform controls to resize or rotate it. Keep proportions locked unless you intentionally want to distort the image.

Lower the Opacity for Tracing or Paintover

For drawing over a photo, a common approach is to drop the photo layer's opacity to roughly 60 to 70%, create a new empty layer above it, and sketch on that layer. Keep your linework on its own layer so you can hide or delete the photo later without losing the drawing.

Use Masks and Clipping

Open the layer's options in the Layers panel to work with masks and clipping. A photo clipped to a painted shape is a quick way to build texture, collage backgrounds, or lighting studies.

Delete or Replace It

In the Layers panel, swipe left on the layer to reveal delete. To swap a photo, delete the old layer and insert a new one. If you only need to hide it temporarily, turn off the layer's visibility.

Adding a Photo Layer in Procreate Pocket

On iPhone, the flow is nearly identical, with one extra tap. Expand the top toolbar using the ellipsis button, tap the wrench, then go to Add → Insert a photo. Pocket also offers a Quick Add Photo button inside any Actions tab, which opens your Photos library straight away and drops the chosen image in as a new layer.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

• The photo is too large or small. Use Procreate's transform controls to resize it. If you need exact pixel dimensions, check canvas size before importing.
• My PSD lost its layers. You inserted it through Actions. Re-import through the Gallery's Import button.
• SVG or AI files won't import. Procreate doesn't support those vector formats. Export a PNG or PDF instead.
• I can't find my file. Make sure the cloud provider is enabled in the Files app, then use Browse to navigate to it.
• The reference shows up in my time-lapse. Reimport it as a private layer next time.

Where This Fits in a Motion and VFX Pipeline

For professional motion designers, animators, and VFX artists, Procreate is often a frame-painting or concepting tool rather than the final stop. A typical pattern is to bring a still from a shot into Procreate, paint over it for a style frame or matte concept, then export the result to After Effects, Nuke, or Photoshop. Check that your export format is compatible with those tools.

That's also where a tool like Styleframe can sit downstream, once you've painted a keyframe over your photo layer.

Summary

Adding a photo layer in Procreate comes down to Actions → Add → Insert a photo or file. Use the private layer option for references that shouldn't appear in your Gallery preview or time-lapse, and import layered PSDs through the Gallery to keep their layers. Lower the photo's opacity for tracing, keep your drawing on separate layers, and export in formats your downstream tools can read. From there, your painted frames can move into After Effects, Nuke, or a tool like Styleframe without breaking your pipeline.