You can change DPI on an existing Procreate canvas by tapping Actions (wrench) → Canvas → Crop & Resize, then entering a new DPI value in the settings. With Resample off, the pixel dimensions stay the same and only the physical print size changes. Raising DPI makes the printed size smaller, and lowering it makes the print larger. To get more actual pixels, you have to turn Resample on and resize, which makes Procreate generate new pixel data.

What DPI actually changes in Procreate

DPI (dots per inch) is a print instruction. It tells a printer how many of your image's pixels to place in each inch of paper. It does not add or remove detail from your artwork.

The relationship is simple:

Canvas size in inches × DPI = canvas size in pixels

Fix any two values and the third follows. A 2000 × 2000 px canvas is 2000 × 2000 px whether it is tagged 132 DPI or 300 DPI. At 132 DPI it covers about 15.2 inches per side. At 300 DPI it covers about 6.7 inches per side. The pixels are identical, and only the intended print size differs.

This is why many artists panic needlessly after finishing a piece on a default canvas. Procreate's preset canvases range from roughly 132 to 400 DPI, so a "wrong" DPI is usually just a metadata value you can edit.

How to change DPI on a finished Procreate canvas

1. Open the artwork you want to adjust.
2. Tap Actions (the wrench icon) and go to the Canvas tab.
3. Tap Crop & Resize, then open Settings.
4. Enter your new DPI value.
5. Check the Resample toggle before you confirm. Leave it off if you only want to change the print size.
6. Confirm the change.

To verify the result, go to Actions → Canvas → Canvas information → Dimensions. You'll see the DPI, the physical height and width, and the pixel height and width in one place. Compare the pixel values before and after. If the pixels didn't move, you only changed the print metadata.

Some older forum threads say DPI can't be edited after canvas creation. That was true in early versions, but the option has been available since Procreate 4.2.

What happens to the physical size

Procreate's handbook is explicit here: changing the DPI alters the physical size in millimeters, centimeters, or inches, and does not alter the pixel size. Two examples:

• A 3000 × 3000 px canvas at 150 DPI is 20 × 20 inches. Change it to 300 DPI and it becomes 10 × 10 inches.
• A 2048 × 2048 px canvas at 132 DPI is roughly 15.5 inches per side. At 300 DPI it is roughly 6.8 inches per side.

If a publisher wants 300 DPI at a specific trim size, don't just type 300 and hope. Do the math first. If your pixel count is too low for that size at 300 DPI, changing the DPI value will not fix it.

Resample on vs. off

The Resample switch in Crop & Resize decides whether your pixels are preserved or recalculated.

Resample off: Procreate keeps every pixel and updates only the DPI and physical size. This is the right choice when your canvas already has enough pixels for the target print size.

Resample on: Procreate scales the image to match the new settings. Raising the DPI while holding the physical size constant means the image is upscaled. The software invents new pixels based on existing ones, and some artwork survives that better than others. Brush texture and fine linework often soften, and hard edges can look smeared.

A safe rule: if you need more pixels than you drew, treat that as an upscaling job rather than a DPI job. Resampling in Procreate is convenient, but a dedicated upscaler will usually give you more control.

A worked example

Say you finished a poster illustration at 3600 × 4800 px and 132 DPI. The client wants 12 × 16 inches at 300 DPI.

• Required pixels: 12 × 300 = 3600 wide, 16 × 300 = 4800 tall.
• You already have exactly that.

So you simply set the DPI to 300 with Resample off. The pixel count is unchanged and the physical size becomes 12 × 16 inches.

Now suppose the same file has to print at 24 × 32 inches at 300 DPI. You'd need 7200 × 9600 px. You have a quarter of the pixels, so setting DPI to 300 would only shrink the physical size to 12 × 16 inches. You'd have to resample or upscale, and you should expect quality tradeoffs.

Do you need 300 DPI at all?

Not always. Procreate's help center frames DPI as a function of viewing distance and material:

• Standard print (A4 sheet, magazine page): 300 DPI is the usual target.
• Postcards and small close-viewed prints: 300–600 DPI.
• Fabric: around 100 DPI can be adequate, because the material limits how much detail it holds.
• Billboards: something like 20 DPI can work because viewers are far away.
• Screens: Procreate's handbook suggests 72–144 DPI for on-screen sharing, though the pixel dimensions are what really matter.

If you're working with a professional printer, ask what they need before you adjust anything. Printers and publishers can often handle the conversion themselves, as long as the pixel dimensions are sufficient.

Fallback: change DPI outside Procreate

If you'd rather not touch the canvas in Procreate, export a PSD or PNG and set the resolution in another app such as Photoshop or Affinity Photo. The important setting is the same one: turn Resample off when changing DPI so the pixel dimensions stay put. If your pixel count changes when you edit DPI in Photoshop, Resample is almost certainly on.

Save a duplicate of the original Procreate file first. A DPI edit followed by a resample can't be cleanly undone once you've exported and overwritten things.

Why motion designers should care about pixels, not DPI

If your Procreate artwork is headed into a video or motion pipeline, DPI is mostly noise. Video and motion comps are defined in pixel dimensions. A 1920 × 1080 comp is 1920 × 1080 regardless of the DPI tag in the source file. What counts is whether your artwork has enough pixels for the shot, including any push-ins, parallax moves, or crops.

A few practical checks before you hand a Procreate illustration off to a motion pipeline:

• Match or exceed the delivery resolution. For a UHD (3840 × 2160) deliverable, a canvas at that size gives you no headroom for camera moves. Draw larger when you plan to scale or reframe.
• Check layer limits. Procreate's available layer count depends on canvas pixel size and your device's hardware limits. A larger canvas means fewer layers, so plan your layer breakdown for animation or parallax before you commit to a size.
• Export intentionally. Choose an export format that suits your pipeline, such as PSD or PNG.
• Ignore the DPI tag when importing. Check the pixel dimensions in your footage panel or import dialog instead.

If you do need a print version and a motion version of the same illustration, keep one master at the largest pixel size you can manage and derive the rest from it.

When you need more pixels than you drew

Sometimes the real problem isn't DPI. You drew at 2048 px and now need a 4K plate, or a print at a size your pixels can't support. Resampling in Procreate or Photoshop is one option, but it's a general-purpose resize.

For motion work, Styleframe is one tool you could look at for this part of the pipeline. Check its current feature list and output formats to see whether it fits your workflow.

To be clear, changing the DPI value on a Procreate file happens in Crop & Resize. A tool like this is relevant when the underlying question is "how do I get this artwork into a high-resolution motion pipeline without rebuilding it?"

Quick troubleshooting

The physical size changed but my image looks the same. That's expected. DPI only changes the print dimensions when Resample is off.

My image got blurry after changing DPI. Resample was probably on, and Procreate upscaled the image. Undo if you can, or return to your original file and repeat with Resample off.

I can't set the DPI I want. Higher DPI at a given physical size means more pixels, and your device may not support the resulting canvas. Procreate shows the available layer count in the notification bar and won't let you drag past the maximum canvas size.

The printer says my file is too low resolution. Divide your pixel dimensions by the print size in inches. If the result is below the printer's requirement, you need more pixels, not a different DPI tag.

Summary

Changing DPI in Procreate after drawing is a metadata edit: Actions → Canvas → Crop & Resize → Settings, with Resample off to keep your pixels. Do the inches × DPI = pixels math first, so you know whether your canvas can support the print size. For video and motion work, ignore DPI and focus on pixel dimensions and headroom for camera moves. When you need more pixels than you drew, upscale deliberately rather than relying on a DPI number.

You can change DPI on an existing Procreate canvas by tapping Actions (wrench) → Canvas → Crop & Resize, then entering a new DPI value in the settings. With Resample off, the pixel dimensions stay the same and only the physical print size changes. Raising DPI makes the printed size smaller, and lowering it makes the print larger. To get more actual pixels, you have to turn Resample on and resize, which makes Procreate generate new pixel data.

What DPI actually changes in Procreate

DPI (dots per inch) is a print instruction. It tells a printer how many of your image's pixels to place in each inch of paper. It does not add or remove detail from your artwork.

The relationship is simple:

Canvas size in inches × DPI = canvas size in pixels

Fix any two values and the third follows. A 2000 × 2000 px canvas is 2000 × 2000 px whether it is tagged 132 DPI or 300 DPI. At 132 DPI it covers about 15.2 inches per side. At 300 DPI it covers about 6.7 inches per side. The pixels are identical, and only the intended print size differs.

This is why many artists panic needlessly after finishing a piece on a default canvas. Procreate's preset canvases range from roughly 132 to 400 DPI, so a "wrong" DPI is usually just a metadata value you can edit.

How to change DPI on a finished Procreate canvas

1. Open the artwork you want to adjust.
2. Tap Actions (the wrench icon) and go to the Canvas tab.
3. Tap Crop & Resize, then open Settings.
4. Enter your new DPI value.
5. Check the Resample toggle before you confirm. Leave it off if you only want to change the print size.
6. Confirm the change.

To verify the result, go to Actions → Canvas → Canvas information → Dimensions. You'll see the DPI, the physical height and width, and the pixel height and width in one place. Compare the pixel values before and after. If the pixels didn't move, you only changed the print metadata.

Some older forum threads say DPI can't be edited after canvas creation. That was true in early versions, but the option has been available since Procreate 4.2.

What happens to the physical size

Procreate's handbook is explicit here: changing the DPI alters the physical size in millimeters, centimeters, or inches, and does not alter the pixel size. Two examples:

• A 3000 × 3000 px canvas at 150 DPI is 20 × 20 inches. Change it to 300 DPI and it becomes 10 × 10 inches.
• A 2048 × 2048 px canvas at 132 DPI is roughly 15.5 inches per side. At 300 DPI it is roughly 6.8 inches per side.

If a publisher wants 300 DPI at a specific trim size, don't just type 300 and hope. Do the math first. If your pixel count is too low for that size at 300 DPI, changing the DPI value will not fix it.

Resample on vs. off

The Resample switch in Crop & Resize decides whether your pixels are preserved or recalculated.

Resample off: Procreate keeps every pixel and updates only the DPI and physical size. This is the right choice when your canvas already has enough pixels for the target print size.

Resample on: Procreate scales the image to match the new settings. Raising the DPI while holding the physical size constant means the image is upscaled. The software invents new pixels based on existing ones, and some artwork survives that better than others. Brush texture and fine linework often soften, and hard edges can look smeared.

A safe rule: if you need more pixels than you drew, treat that as an upscaling job rather than a DPI job. Resampling in Procreate is convenient, but a dedicated upscaler will usually give you more control.

A worked example

Say you finished a poster illustration at 3600 × 4800 px and 132 DPI. The client wants 12 × 16 inches at 300 DPI.

• Required pixels: 12 × 300 = 3600 wide, 16 × 300 = 4800 tall.
• You already have exactly that.

So you simply set the DPI to 300 with Resample off. The pixel count is unchanged and the physical size becomes 12 × 16 inches.

Now suppose the same file has to print at 24 × 32 inches at 300 DPI. You'd need 7200 × 9600 px. You have a quarter of the pixels, so setting DPI to 300 would only shrink the physical size to 12 × 16 inches. You'd have to resample or upscale, and you should expect quality tradeoffs.

Do you need 300 DPI at all?

Not always. Procreate's help center frames DPI as a function of viewing distance and material:

• Standard print (A4 sheet, magazine page): 300 DPI is the usual target.
• Postcards and small close-viewed prints: 300–600 DPI.
• Fabric: around 100 DPI can be adequate, because the material limits how much detail it holds.
• Billboards: something like 20 DPI can work because viewers are far away.
• Screens: Procreate's handbook suggests 72–144 DPI for on-screen sharing, though the pixel dimensions are what really matter.

If you're working with a professional printer, ask what they need before you adjust anything. Printers and publishers can often handle the conversion themselves, as long as the pixel dimensions are sufficient.

Fallback: change DPI outside Procreate

If you'd rather not touch the canvas in Procreate, export a PSD or PNG and set the resolution in another app such as Photoshop or Affinity Photo. The important setting is the same one: turn Resample off when changing DPI so the pixel dimensions stay put. If your pixel count changes when you edit DPI in Photoshop, Resample is almost certainly on.

Save a duplicate of the original Procreate file first. A DPI edit followed by a resample can't be cleanly undone once you've exported and overwritten things.

Why motion designers should care about pixels, not DPI

If your Procreate artwork is headed into a video or motion pipeline, DPI is mostly noise. Video and motion comps are defined in pixel dimensions. A 1920 × 1080 comp is 1920 × 1080 regardless of the DPI tag in the source file. What counts is whether your artwork has enough pixels for the shot, including any push-ins, parallax moves, or crops.

A few practical checks before you hand a Procreate illustration off to a motion pipeline:

• Match or exceed the delivery resolution. For a UHD (3840 × 2160) deliverable, a canvas at that size gives you no headroom for camera moves. Draw larger when you plan to scale or reframe.
• Check layer limits. Procreate's available layer count depends on canvas pixel size and your device's hardware limits. A larger canvas means fewer layers, so plan your layer breakdown for animation or parallax before you commit to a size.
• Export intentionally. Choose an export format that suits your pipeline, such as PSD or PNG.
• Ignore the DPI tag when importing. Check the pixel dimensions in your footage panel or import dialog instead.

If you do need a print version and a motion version of the same illustration, keep one master at the largest pixel size you can manage and derive the rest from it.

When you need more pixels than you drew

Sometimes the real problem isn't DPI. You drew at 2048 px and now need a 4K plate, or a print at a size your pixels can't support. Resampling in Procreate or Photoshop is one option, but it's a general-purpose resize.

For motion work, Styleframe is one tool you could look at for this part of the pipeline. Check its current feature list and output formats to see whether it fits your workflow.

To be clear, changing the DPI value on a Procreate file happens in Crop & Resize. A tool like this is relevant when the underlying question is "how do I get this artwork into a high-resolution motion pipeline without rebuilding it?"

Quick troubleshooting

The physical size changed but my image looks the same. That's expected. DPI only changes the print dimensions when Resample is off.

My image got blurry after changing DPI. Resample was probably on, and Procreate upscaled the image. Undo if you can, or return to your original file and repeat with Resample off.

I can't set the DPI I want. Higher DPI at a given physical size means more pixels, and your device may not support the resulting canvas. Procreate shows the available layer count in the notification bar and won't let you drag past the maximum canvas size.

The printer says my file is too low resolution. Divide your pixel dimensions by the print size in inches. If the result is below the printer's requirement, you need more pixels, not a different DPI tag.

Summary

Changing DPI in Procreate after drawing is a metadata edit: Actions → Canvas → Crop & Resize → Settings, with Resample off to keep your pixels. Do the inches × DPI = pixels math first, so you know whether your canvas can support the print size. For video and motion work, ignore DPI and focus on pixel dimensions and headroom for camera moves. When you need more pixels than you drew, upscale deliberately rather than relying on a DPI number.