To blend two images in Procreate, put each image on its own layer, then change the top layer's blend mode (tap the "N" beside it) or lower its opacity. For a controlled blend, add a layer mask to the top image and paint with black and white to decide where the lower image shows through. Merge the layers only when you're happy, since merging is permanent.

What "blending" means in Procreate

Procreate gives you three tools for combining two images, and they solve different problems:

• Opacity fades the whole top layer evenly. It's the quickest option but the least precise.
• Blend modes change how the top layer's color and luminance interact with the layer below, as in Multiply, Screen, or Overlay.
• Layer masks hide or reveal parts of the top layer non-destructively. This is the best option for a seamless transition between two images.

Most good composites combine all three. A mask controls where the images overlap, a blend mode controls how they interact, and opacity does the final balancing.

Step 1: Bring both images into Procreate

1. Open your canvas, or create a new one at the final output size.
2. Tap Actions (wrench icon) > Add > Insert a Photo (or Insert a File for images stored in Files).
3. Import the first image, then repeat for the second.

Each import lands on its own layer. Open the Layers panel (the double-rectangle icon at the top right) and check that the image you want on top is above the other. Drag layers up or down to reorder them.

Two habits will save you trouble later:

• Rename your layers (tap a layer, then Rename). "Sky" and "Portrait" are easier to track than "Layer 3" and "Layer 4."
• Set the canvas size before importing. If the canvas is too small, you lose resolution on the way in.

Step 2: Position and scale the images

Select a layer and use the Transform tool (arrow icon). Pick Uniform to scale without distortion, and drag the handles to size and place each image. Use Snapping and Magnetics if you need clean alignment.

If the images have different aspect ratios, decide now which one fills the frame. Cropping with Transform is far less painful than fixing the composition after you've painted a mask.

Step 3: Blend with opacity

The simplest blend is a straight cross-fade:

1. Tap the N to the right of the top layer.
2. Drag the Opacity slider left to make the layer more transparent.

As a shortcut, tap the layer with two fingers, then slide left or right on the canvas to adjust opacity without opening the menu.

Opacity works well for a double-exposure feel, but it flattens contrast across the whole image. If it looks muddy, move on to blend modes or masks.

Step 4: Use blend modes for a more intentional mix

Tap the N on the top layer, then tap the blend mode name to open a scrolling list. As you scroll, each mode previews live on your layer, so you can audition them quickly. Tap outside the list to confirm.

These are the modes you'll reach for most often when combining two images:

Note that in recent versions of Procreate, older projects that used "Darken" were switched to Shade, so the name may differ depending on the file's age.

A practical rule of thumb: if the top image is bright against black, try Screen. If it's dark detail on a light field, try Multiply. If you want both images to keep their character, try Overlay or Soft Light, then reduce opacity.

Step 5: Use a layer mask for a seamless transition

Masks are the professional answer to "how do I blend two images so there's no visible seam?" The rule is simple: black hides, white reveals, gray is partially transparent.

1. Select the top image layer.
2. Tap the layer again to open Layer Options, then tap Mask. A white mask thumbnail appears.
3. Select the mask thumbnail (not the image).
4. Choose a soft brush, such as an airbrush, and paint with black to hide parts of the top image and reveal the layer beneath.
5. Paint with white to bring the image back. Use gray for partial transparency.

Some tips for cleaner results:

• Lower the brush opacity and build the transition in layers of strokes. A single heavy stroke leaves a hard edge.
• Use a selection first if you need a defined shape, then feather the edge before filling the mask. Procreate's selection tools let you soften the boundary.
• Keep the mask editable. Masks don't destroy pixels, so you can repaint the transition as many times as you like.

If your top image has a solid background, such as a white sheet of paper, you may not need a mask at all. Setting the layer to Multiply drops pure white out of the picture. This works well for scanned line art, but it removes white areas everywhere in the image, not just in the background. For complex subjects, use a mask instead.

Step 6: Constrain an effect with a clipping mask

If you want one image to appear only inside the shape of another, use a clipping mask:

1. Place the image you want to "clip" directly above the base layer.
2. Tap the top layer, then tap Clipping Mask.

The top image now shows only where the layer below has content. This is useful for filling a silhouette, a lettering shape, or a painted form with a photograph. You can change the clipped layer's blend mode independently as well.

Step 7: Refine, then merge or export

Once the blend looks right:

• Add polish using the Adjustments menu (Hue, Saturation, Brightness; Curves; Color Balance) on individual layers, so both images feel like they share the same light.
• Add a unifying texture, like grain or noise, on a top layer in Overlay or Soft Light.
• Duplicate before you merge. Duplicate the layer, or put your layers in a group and duplicate the group. Then merge by pinching the layers together or by tapping the top layer and choosing Merge in the layer options. Merging is permanent, so keep an unmerged version.
• Export via Actions > Share. Choose a format that suits your next step, such as PNG for a flat image or PSD if you want to keep layers for further work in another app.

Troubleshooting common problems

The bottom image doesn't show through. Both images probably fill the canvas, and the top one is fully opaque in Normal mode. Lower the opacity, change the blend mode, or add a mask.

The blend looks washed out or too dark. Try a different mode before pushing opacity further. Switching from Multiply to Soft Light, for example, often fixes it.

There's a hard edge on the mask. Switch to a softer brush, reduce the brush opacity, and paint the transition in several passes.

Merging deleted something I wanted. Merged layers can't be separated. Undo right away, and duplicate your layers in the future before merging.

Where this fits in a motion or VFX pipeline

Procreate is a raster painting app, and its blend modes work on the image as you've painted it. If you're building plates, matte paintings, or style frames for animation, that's usually fine for design exploration. For final compositing, particularly where color management, bit depth, or scene-referred workflows matter, do the finishing blend in After Effects or Nuke.

A sensible split is to use Procreate for painterly control, such as hand-painted masks, color tests, and quick image mixing. Then export a PNG or layered PSD into your compositing app for the final grade and delivery.

Quick recap

1. Import both images so each has its own layer.
2. Position and scale with Transform.
3. Try opacity for a simple fade.
4. Use blend modes like Multiply, Screen, Overlay, or Soft Light for interaction between the images.
5. Add a layer mask and paint black and white for a seamless transition.
6. Use a clipping mask to confine one image to another's shape.
7. Duplicate before merging, then export as PNG or PSD.

Start with a mask and a blend mode, keep the layers separate for as long as you can, and you'll be able to adjust the blend right up to delivery.

To blend two images in Procreate, put each image on its own layer, then change the top layer's blend mode (tap the "N" beside it) or lower its opacity. For a controlled blend, add a layer mask to the top image and paint with black and white to decide where the lower image shows through. Merge the layers only when you're happy, since merging is permanent.

What "blending" means in Procreate

Procreate gives you three tools for combining two images, and they solve different problems:

• Opacity fades the whole top layer evenly. It's the quickest option but the least precise.
• Blend modes change how the top layer's color and luminance interact with the layer below, as in Multiply, Screen, or Overlay.
• Layer masks hide or reveal parts of the top layer non-destructively. This is the best option for a seamless transition between two images.

Most good composites combine all three. A mask controls where the images overlap, a blend mode controls how they interact, and opacity does the final balancing.

Step 1: Bring both images into Procreate

1. Open your canvas, or create a new one at the final output size.
2. Tap Actions (wrench icon) > Add > Insert a Photo (or Insert a File for images stored in Files).
3. Import the first image, then repeat for the second.

Each import lands on its own layer. Open the Layers panel (the double-rectangle icon at the top right) and check that the image you want on top is above the other. Drag layers up or down to reorder them.

Two habits will save you trouble later:

• Rename your layers (tap a layer, then Rename). "Sky" and "Portrait" are easier to track than "Layer 3" and "Layer 4."
• Set the canvas size before importing. If the canvas is too small, you lose resolution on the way in.

Step 2: Position and scale the images

Select a layer and use the Transform tool (arrow icon). Pick Uniform to scale without distortion, and drag the handles to size and place each image. Use Snapping and Magnetics if you need clean alignment.

If the images have different aspect ratios, decide now which one fills the frame. Cropping with Transform is far less painful than fixing the composition after you've painted a mask.

Step 3: Blend with opacity

The simplest blend is a straight cross-fade:

1. Tap the N to the right of the top layer.
2. Drag the Opacity slider left to make the layer more transparent.

As a shortcut, tap the layer with two fingers, then slide left or right on the canvas to adjust opacity without opening the menu.

Opacity works well for a double-exposure feel, but it flattens contrast across the whole image. If it looks muddy, move on to blend modes or masks.

Step 4: Use blend modes for a more intentional mix

Tap the N on the top layer, then tap the blend mode name to open a scrolling list. As you scroll, each mode previews live on your layer, so you can audition them quickly. Tap outside the list to confirm.

These are the modes you'll reach for most often when combining two images:

Note that in recent versions of Procreate, older projects that used "Darken" were switched to Shade, so the name may differ depending on the file's age.

A practical rule of thumb: if the top image is bright against black, try Screen. If it's dark detail on a light field, try Multiply. If you want both images to keep their character, try Overlay or Soft Light, then reduce opacity.

Step 5: Use a layer mask for a seamless transition

Masks are the professional answer to "how do I blend two images so there's no visible seam?" The rule is simple: black hides, white reveals, gray is partially transparent.

1. Select the top image layer.
2. Tap the layer again to open Layer Options, then tap Mask. A white mask thumbnail appears.
3. Select the mask thumbnail (not the image).
4. Choose a soft brush, such as an airbrush, and paint with black to hide parts of the top image and reveal the layer beneath.
5. Paint with white to bring the image back. Use gray for partial transparency.

Some tips for cleaner results:

• Lower the brush opacity and build the transition in layers of strokes. A single heavy stroke leaves a hard edge.
• Use a selection first if you need a defined shape, then feather the edge before filling the mask. Procreate's selection tools let you soften the boundary.
• Keep the mask editable. Masks don't destroy pixels, so you can repaint the transition as many times as you like.

If your top image has a solid background, such as a white sheet of paper, you may not need a mask at all. Setting the layer to Multiply drops pure white out of the picture. This works well for scanned line art, but it removes white areas everywhere in the image, not just in the background. For complex subjects, use a mask instead.

Step 6: Constrain an effect with a clipping mask

If you want one image to appear only inside the shape of another, use a clipping mask:

1. Place the image you want to "clip" directly above the base layer.
2. Tap the top layer, then tap Clipping Mask.

The top image now shows only where the layer below has content. This is useful for filling a silhouette, a lettering shape, or a painted form with a photograph. You can change the clipped layer's blend mode independently as well.

Step 7: Refine, then merge or export

Once the blend looks right:

• Add polish using the Adjustments menu (Hue, Saturation, Brightness; Curves; Color Balance) on individual layers, so both images feel like they share the same light.
• Add a unifying texture, like grain or noise, on a top layer in Overlay or Soft Light.
• Duplicate before you merge. Duplicate the layer, or put your layers in a group and duplicate the group. Then merge by pinching the layers together or by tapping the top layer and choosing Merge in the layer options. Merging is permanent, so keep an unmerged version.
• Export via Actions > Share. Choose a format that suits your next step, such as PNG for a flat image or PSD if you want to keep layers for further work in another app.

Troubleshooting common problems

The bottom image doesn't show through. Both images probably fill the canvas, and the top one is fully opaque in Normal mode. Lower the opacity, change the blend mode, or add a mask.

The blend looks washed out or too dark. Try a different mode before pushing opacity further. Switching from Multiply to Soft Light, for example, often fixes it.

There's a hard edge on the mask. Switch to a softer brush, reduce the brush opacity, and paint the transition in several passes.

Merging deleted something I wanted. Merged layers can't be separated. Undo right away, and duplicate your layers in the future before merging.

Where this fits in a motion or VFX pipeline

Procreate is a raster painting app, and its blend modes work on the image as you've painted it. If you're building plates, matte paintings, or style frames for animation, that's usually fine for design exploration. For final compositing, particularly where color management, bit depth, or scene-referred workflows matter, do the finishing blend in After Effects or Nuke.

A sensible split is to use Procreate for painterly control, such as hand-painted masks, color tests, and quick image mixing. Then export a PNG or layered PSD into your compositing app for the final grade and delivery.

Quick recap

1. Import both images so each has its own layer.
2. Position and scale with Transform.
3. Try opacity for a simple fade.
4. Use blend modes like Multiply, Screen, Overlay, or Soft Light for interaction between the images.
5. Add a layer mask and paint black and white for a seamless transition.
6. Use a clipping mask to confine one image to another's shape.
7. Duplicate before merging, then export as PNG or PSD.

Start with a mask and a blend mode, keep the layers separate for as long as you can, and you'll be able to adjust the blend right up to delivery.