To change the color profile of an existing Procreate artwork, tap Actions > Canvas > Canvas information > Color profile, then pick another profile. This only works within the same color space: you can move between RGB profiles (Display P3 or the sRGB options) or between CMYK profiles, but not from RGB to CMYK. To cross between RGB and CMYK, create a new custom canvas with the profile you want and drag your layers into it.

How to Change the Color Profile on an Existing Canvas

Use this method when you want to switch between profiles in the same family, such as Display P3 to sRGB.

1. Open the artwork you want to change.
2. Tap the Actions (wrench) icon.
3. Go to Canvas, then tap Canvas information.
4. Tap Color profile.
5. Choose the profile you want from the list.

Procreate ships with five RGB profiles: Display P3 for compatible devices, plus four industry-standard sRGB variants. It also includes several CMYK profiles based on common print setups. The list you see depends on whether the file is currently RGB or CMYK, which is why you can't hop across the divide from this menu.

Check the profile before you touch it

Open the same Canvas information panel and look at the current Color profile entry before changing anything. If the file is already in the profile you need, you're done. If you're unsure which space a client or pipeline expects, leave the defaults alone until you know. A profile change can alter the look of your colors, and you may not remember the original appearance later.

What You Can and Can't Change

Procreate treats RGB and CMYK as fixed choices made at canvas creation. Inside that choice you have flexibility:

Also note where the profile choice appears. Color profiles are selectable when you create a Custom Canvas. Screen Size canvases default to RGB or Display P3, so if you want to start in CMYK you need the Custom Canvas route: tap + in the Gallery, then the rectangle-with-plus icon at the top right.

How to Move Between RGB and CMYK

Because you can't flip the color space in place, the workaround is to rebuild the file in a new canvas. Layers adapt to the destination profile when you drop them in.

1. In the Gallery, tap + to open the New Canvas menu.
2. Tap Custom Canvas and enter the same width, height, and DPI as your original.
3. Tap Color profile and choose the target profile (for example, an sRGB profile, or a CMYK profile).
4. Tap Create.
5. Go back to the Gallery and open your original artwork.
6. Open the Layers panel and swipe right across the layers you want to move until they highlight in blue.
7. Press and hold the selection until the layers bunch under your finger.
8. Keep holding, return to the Gallery, and open the new canvas.
9. Drop the layers into the Layers panel of the new canvas.

Watch for these side effects

• Drop into the Layers panel, not the canvas. Dropping onto the canvas itself can reverse your layer order in some versions.
• Groups flatten out. If you select a group, the layers arrive ungrouped.
• Clipping masks release. Layers come over but may need to be clipped again.
• Backgrounds need attention. You may need to re-add a background color.
• Colors will shift. Moving into CMYK typically mutes saturated pinks and violets, and contrast can drop. Expect to do a correction pass with Curves or Color Balance.

Before You Change Profiles: Time-lapse and Color Shifts

Two practical warnings apply whenever you change a profile.

First, changing the profile mid-project can have a sudden, dramatic effect on your Time-lapse recording. If you record process videos, change the profile after the artwork is finished, or decide on the profile before you start.

Second, a profile change reinterprets color, so the file may look different afterward. Duplicate the artwork in the Gallery before experimenting so you always have the original. Note that duplicating a canvas copies the same profile, so duplication is a safety net, not a conversion method.

Choosing the Right Profile

The decision depends on where the art ends up.

• Display P3: Procreate's default on supported devices. It has a wider gamut, so extra-saturated greens, reds, and oranges are available. It looks best on Apple displays and is a good fit for work that stays in a P3-aware pipeline.
• sRGB: The safe common denominator. If you move art between apps and want matching profiles, or deliver to web and standard video, sRGB reduces surprises. Many artists pick one profile and stick to it everywhere.
• CMYK: Only worth it for commercial print workflows that require it, such as offset printing or packaging. Many digital and print-on-demand printers actually prefer RGB files and handle conversion themselves, so check the printer's requirements first.

Be aware that Procreate's CMYK is an approximation. Colors look muted compared with RGB, and you can't enter precise CMYK values and expect the canvas to match them numerically. If you need exact CMYK values for a style guide, work in RGB and convert the final image in dedicated print software.

Importing a Custom Profile

If a client or print house supplies an ICC profile, you can add it from the Color profile options when creating a Custom Canvas by tapping Import. Procreate's own documentation treats custom profiles as an advanced topic, so confirm with the profile's source what color space it targets before using it on a real project.

Procreate Dreams Is Different

If you animate in Procreate Dreams, don't expect the same CMYK option. Procreate's team has said it isn't currently looking into supporting CMYK in Dreams, since the supported profile offers the same color spectrum and CMYK is mainly used for printing, though it may reconsider if enough users make a case for it. If you need a print profile for exported frames, convert the final images in other software and keep the working files in RGB.

Keeping Color Consistent Between Procreate and Your Motion Pipeline

For motion designers, the real risk isn't picking the wrong menu item. It's a Procreate illustration that looks right on the iPad and shifts once it lands in a comp. A few habits help:

• Pick the profile at the start and write it down. If your After Effects project works in an sRGB-based space, create the Procreate canvas in sRGB rather than P3, so no gamut conversion is needed.
• Avoid CMYK for anything headed to video. Screens are RGB. CMYK artwork will look dull and add a conversion step you don't need.
• Check what your export carries. After exporting a PNG or PSD, bring it into After Effects and confirm that the embedded profile is being interpreted as expected. If a file has no profile, assign one explicitly using your project's color management settings.
• Compare against the source. Put the exported frame beside a screenshot of the iPad canvas, or beside your reference, and check skin tones and saturated accents, where gamut mismatches show up first.
• Keep Premiere Pro, Cinema 4D, Blender, and Nuke on the same page. If your pipeline uses a managed workflow such as ACES or a defined working space, convert the illustration into that space at import instead of relying on defaults.

Quick Answers

Can I change from RGB to CMYK in the Canvas information menu? No. That menu only lists profiles within the current color space.

Will changing the profile alter my colors? It can. Duplicate the file first and review the result, especially with saturated colors or when moving into CMYK.

Should I change the profile before or after finishing? Before you start is best. If you must change it, do so after finishing to avoid disrupting your Time-lapse.

Is Procreate's CMYK accurate enough for print proofs? Treat it as an approximation. For exact CMYK values or press-ready output, convert the final RGB artwork in dedicated print software.

To change the color profile of an existing Procreate artwork, tap Actions > Canvas > Canvas information > Color profile, then pick another profile. This only works within the same color space: you can move between RGB profiles (Display P3 or the sRGB options) or between CMYK profiles, but not from RGB to CMYK. To cross between RGB and CMYK, create a new custom canvas with the profile you want and drag your layers into it.

How to Change the Color Profile on an Existing Canvas

Use this method when you want to switch between profiles in the same family, such as Display P3 to sRGB.

1. Open the artwork you want to change.
2. Tap the Actions (wrench) icon.
3. Go to Canvas, then tap Canvas information.
4. Tap Color profile.
5. Choose the profile you want from the list.

Procreate ships with five RGB profiles: Display P3 for compatible devices, plus four industry-standard sRGB variants. It also includes several CMYK profiles based on common print setups. The list you see depends on whether the file is currently RGB or CMYK, which is why you can't hop across the divide from this menu.

Check the profile before you touch it

Open the same Canvas information panel and look at the current Color profile entry before changing anything. If the file is already in the profile you need, you're done. If you're unsure which space a client or pipeline expects, leave the defaults alone until you know. A profile change can alter the look of your colors, and you may not remember the original appearance later.

What You Can and Can't Change

Procreate treats RGB and CMYK as fixed choices made at canvas creation. Inside that choice you have flexibility:

Also note where the profile choice appears. Color profiles are selectable when you create a Custom Canvas. Screen Size canvases default to RGB or Display P3, so if you want to start in CMYK you need the Custom Canvas route: tap + in the Gallery, then the rectangle-with-plus icon at the top right.

How to Move Between RGB and CMYK

Because you can't flip the color space in place, the workaround is to rebuild the file in a new canvas. Layers adapt to the destination profile when you drop them in.

1. In the Gallery, tap + to open the New Canvas menu.
2. Tap Custom Canvas and enter the same width, height, and DPI as your original.
3. Tap Color profile and choose the target profile (for example, an sRGB profile, or a CMYK profile).
4. Tap Create.
5. Go back to the Gallery and open your original artwork.
6. Open the Layers panel and swipe right across the layers you want to move until they highlight in blue.
7. Press and hold the selection until the layers bunch under your finger.
8. Keep holding, return to the Gallery, and open the new canvas.
9. Drop the layers into the Layers panel of the new canvas.

Watch for these side effects

• Drop into the Layers panel, not the canvas. Dropping onto the canvas itself can reverse your layer order in some versions.
• Groups flatten out. If you select a group, the layers arrive ungrouped.
• Clipping masks release. Layers come over but may need to be clipped again.
• Backgrounds need attention. You may need to re-add a background color.
• Colors will shift. Moving into CMYK typically mutes saturated pinks and violets, and contrast can drop. Expect to do a correction pass with Curves or Color Balance.

Before You Change Profiles: Time-lapse and Color Shifts

Two practical warnings apply whenever you change a profile.

First, changing the profile mid-project can have a sudden, dramatic effect on your Time-lapse recording. If you record process videos, change the profile after the artwork is finished, or decide on the profile before you start.

Second, a profile change reinterprets color, so the file may look different afterward. Duplicate the artwork in the Gallery before experimenting so you always have the original. Note that duplicating a canvas copies the same profile, so duplication is a safety net, not a conversion method.

Choosing the Right Profile

The decision depends on where the art ends up.

• Display P3: Procreate's default on supported devices. It has a wider gamut, so extra-saturated greens, reds, and oranges are available. It looks best on Apple displays and is a good fit for work that stays in a P3-aware pipeline.
• sRGB: The safe common denominator. If you move art between apps and want matching profiles, or deliver to web and standard video, sRGB reduces surprises. Many artists pick one profile and stick to it everywhere.
• CMYK: Only worth it for commercial print workflows that require it, such as offset printing or packaging. Many digital and print-on-demand printers actually prefer RGB files and handle conversion themselves, so check the printer's requirements first.

Be aware that Procreate's CMYK is an approximation. Colors look muted compared with RGB, and you can't enter precise CMYK values and expect the canvas to match them numerically. If you need exact CMYK values for a style guide, work in RGB and convert the final image in dedicated print software.

Importing a Custom Profile

If a client or print house supplies an ICC profile, you can add it from the Color profile options when creating a Custom Canvas by tapping Import. Procreate's own documentation treats custom profiles as an advanced topic, so confirm with the profile's source what color space it targets before using it on a real project.

Procreate Dreams Is Different

If you animate in Procreate Dreams, don't expect the same CMYK option. Procreate's team has said it isn't currently looking into supporting CMYK in Dreams, since the supported profile offers the same color spectrum and CMYK is mainly used for printing, though it may reconsider if enough users make a case for it. If you need a print profile for exported frames, convert the final images in other software and keep the working files in RGB.

Keeping Color Consistent Between Procreate and Your Motion Pipeline

For motion designers, the real risk isn't picking the wrong menu item. It's a Procreate illustration that looks right on the iPad and shifts once it lands in a comp. A few habits help:

• Pick the profile at the start and write it down. If your After Effects project works in an sRGB-based space, create the Procreate canvas in sRGB rather than P3, so no gamut conversion is needed.
• Avoid CMYK for anything headed to video. Screens are RGB. CMYK artwork will look dull and add a conversion step you don't need.
• Check what your export carries. After exporting a PNG or PSD, bring it into After Effects and confirm that the embedded profile is being interpreted as expected. If a file has no profile, assign one explicitly using your project's color management settings.
• Compare against the source. Put the exported frame beside a screenshot of the iPad canvas, or beside your reference, and check skin tones and saturated accents, where gamut mismatches show up first.
• Keep Premiere Pro, Cinema 4D, Blender, and Nuke on the same page. If your pipeline uses a managed workflow such as ACES or a defined working space, convert the illustration into that space at import instead of relying on defaults.

Quick Answers

Can I change from RGB to CMYK in the Canvas information menu? No. That menu only lists profiles within the current color space.

Will changing the profile alter my colors? It can. Duplicate the file first and review the result, especially with saturated colors or when moving into CMYK.

Should I change the profile before or after finishing? Before you start is best. If you must change it, do so after finishing to avoid disrupting your Time-lapse.

Is Procreate's CMYK accurate enough for print proofs? Treat it as an approximation. For exact CMYK values or press-ready output, convert the final RGB artwork in dedicated print software.