To change the font in Procreate, add a text layer (Actions > Add > Add Text), double-tap the text to open the Text Entry Companion, then tap the font name to open the Edit Style panel. Pick a typeface from the list, choose a style variant such as italic or bold, and tap Done to apply it. If the font you need isn't listed, use Import Font in the same panel to bring in an .otf or .ttf file from the Files app.

The steps below cover the full process, the typography controls that matter once you've picked a typeface, and how to get lettering out of Procreate and into a motion pipeline.

Change a font in Procreate, step by step

Procreate keeps text as editable vector type until you rasterize it, so you can swap fonts as often as you like.

1. Tap Actions > Add > Add Text. A bounding box appears with the placeholder word "Text" already highlighted, using Procreate's default font, Helvetica Neue.
2. Type your copy with the iOS keyboard or Apple Pencil Scribble.
3. Double-tap the text to open the Text Entry Companion.
4. Tap the font name in the companion. This opens the Edit Style panel.
5. Scroll the Font list. Each font name is rendered in its own typeface, so you can judge the look at a glance. Tap one and it applies to the text immediately.
6. Use the Style section to choose a variant. Families that include them offer options like ultralight, thin, italic, bold, and black.
7. Tap Done to commit, or Cancel to discard everything you changed in that session.

Reopen the panel whenever you want by double-tapping the text and tapping the font name again. Tapping off the text or starting an edit on another layer closes it.

Shortcuts worth knowing

• The "Aa" or Edit Style button at the top right of the keyboard jumps straight to styling.
• You can Scribble the name of a font into the Font Style field with Apple Pencil, and Procreate switches to it automatically. This is faster than scrolling when you have a long font library.
• If you only want to restyle part of a text block, highlight those characters first. Changes apply to the highlighted selection.

Procreate Pocket on iPhone

The flow is nearly the same, with a different layout. Double-tap the text, then tap Edit Style. The panel has three tabs: Typeface, Design, and Attributes. The font list sits on the left of the Typeface tab and the style variants for the selected font sit on the right. Swipe the handle at the top of the panel upward to expand it and show more options. There's also a button that dismisses the panel and brings the keyboard back so you can keep typing.

How to import a custom font

Procreate only lists fonts installed on your device, so for client or brand typefaces you'll need to import them.

1. Download the font and make sure it's unzipped. In the Files app, press and hold a zip file and choose Uncompress.
2. In Procreate, add a text layer and double-tap it to open the Text Entry Companion.
3. Tap the font name to open the Edit Style panel.
4. Tap Import Font, which opens the Files browser.
5. Navigate to the font file and tap it.

Procreate Pocket documents support for .otf, .ttf, and .ttc files. Imported fonts appear alphabetically in the list, provided the file imported successfully and contains characters that can render its name. If a font doesn't show up, check that you've selected the actual font file rather than the zip, and that the file isn't corrupted.

One professional note: check the license before you import. Many free font sites mark fonts as personal use only, and that matters if the lettering ends up in client work, broadcast, or a title sequence. Handle that the same way you would for any project that moves into After Effects.

Fine-tune type with the Design controls

Changing the typeface is only the first step. The Design tab gives you six sliders, and for lettering and title work, the spacing controls matter most.

• Size scales the type. The text box keeps its width and adjusts its height to fit.
• Kerning changes the space between a specific pair of letters. Place the cursor between two letters to see it work.
• Tracking adjusts the space across every letter in a highlighted word or block.
• Leading controls the space between lines.
• Baseline shifts the invisible line the text sits on within its box.
• Opacity sets the transparency of the text.

If you work in After Effects, the vocabulary will feel familiar from the Character panel. The difference is that kerning in Procreate is a manual slider, so a custom lockup takes a bit more care. For logo-like lettering, kern the pairs by eye and zoom out to check the overall rhythm.

Use the Attributes tab for alignment and effects

The Attributes tab covers the finishing options:

• Alignment: left, center, right, or justified.
• Underline: adds a stroke below the text.
• Outline: turns solid letterforms into outlined ones.
• Orientation: switches between horizontal and vertical text in the current version of Procreate.
• Capitalization: toggles all caps without retyping, and toggling it off restores your original casing.

Underline, outline, and orientation can be combined.

Why you can't change the font after rasterizing

Text stays editable only while it's a vector text layer. You can recognize one by the "A" in its layer thumbnail. As long as it's vector, you can retype it, change font, style, spacing, and alignment, and add underline, outline, and capitalization effects. It also scales up and down without losing quality.

Rasterizing converts the text to pixels. After that you can paint on it, distort it, apply selections and adjustments, and merge it, but you can no longer swap the font. Keep a duplicate of the vector layer, hidden, before you rasterize. That gives you a way back if the client changes the typeface in round three.

Layer names also update automatically to match the text content. If you'd rather use your own naming, tap the layer and choose Rename.

Troubleshooting common font problems

• The font doesn't change: make sure the text layer is selected, and that you've highlighted the characters you want to change.
• The font list looks short: only installed and imported fonts appear. Import what you need.
• The Edit Style panel closed on its own: that happens when you tap off the text. Double-tap the text and tap the font name to reopen it.
• A style option is missing: variants depend on the family. A font with only one weight won't offer bold or italic.
• Text is greyed out or won't edit: it has probably been rasterized. Undo, or recreate the text layer.

Taking Procreate lettering into a motion pipeline

Most motion designers use Procreate for hand lettering, type exploration, boards, and styleframes rather than final animation. A practical hand-off looks like this:

1. Finalize the font, spacing, and layout while the text is still vector.
2. Duplicate the layer, rasterize the copy, and hide the original.
3. Export the artwork with a transparent background as a PNG or PSD. Treat it as pixel art. Don't count on live, editable type surviving the trip into another application.
4. Rebuild any type that must stay editable or sharp at delivery resolution as live text in After Effects, using the Procreate version as a visual reference for font, tracking, and placement.

This is also where an AI motion tool can be useful in a controlled way. A Procreate lettering frame can serve as a keyframe or style reference.

Be realistic about type, though. Generative tools can interpret letterforms rather than reproduce them exactly. For brand-critical copy, keep the final title as live type in After Effects and composite it over generated backgrounds, textures, or motion elements. You keep your compositing workflow and use the tool where artistic control matters most: look development, stylized plates, and motion built from your own frames.

Quick reference

Once you know the route from text layer to companion to Edit Style, changing fonts in Procreate takes a few taps. The part worth planning is what happens afterward: keep a vector master, import only fonts you're licensed to use, and decide early which type will be rebuilt as live text in your compositing app.

To change the font in Procreate, add a text layer (Actions > Add > Add Text), double-tap the text to open the Text Entry Companion, then tap the font name to open the Edit Style panel. Pick a typeface from the list, choose a style variant such as italic or bold, and tap Done to apply it. If the font you need isn't listed, use Import Font in the same panel to bring in an .otf or .ttf file from the Files app.

The steps below cover the full process, the typography controls that matter once you've picked a typeface, and how to get lettering out of Procreate and into a motion pipeline.

Change a font in Procreate, step by step

Procreate keeps text as editable vector type until you rasterize it, so you can swap fonts as often as you like.

1. Tap Actions > Add > Add Text. A bounding box appears with the placeholder word "Text" already highlighted, using Procreate's default font, Helvetica Neue.
2. Type your copy with the iOS keyboard or Apple Pencil Scribble.
3. Double-tap the text to open the Text Entry Companion.
4. Tap the font name in the companion. This opens the Edit Style panel.
5. Scroll the Font list. Each font name is rendered in its own typeface, so you can judge the look at a glance. Tap one and it applies to the text immediately.
6. Use the Style section to choose a variant. Families that include them offer options like ultralight, thin, italic, bold, and black.
7. Tap Done to commit, or Cancel to discard everything you changed in that session.

Reopen the panel whenever you want by double-tapping the text and tapping the font name again. Tapping off the text or starting an edit on another layer closes it.

Shortcuts worth knowing

• The "Aa" or Edit Style button at the top right of the keyboard jumps straight to styling.
• You can Scribble the name of a font into the Font Style field with Apple Pencil, and Procreate switches to it automatically. This is faster than scrolling when you have a long font library.
• If you only want to restyle part of a text block, highlight those characters first. Changes apply to the highlighted selection.

Procreate Pocket on iPhone

The flow is nearly the same, with a different layout. Double-tap the text, then tap Edit Style. The panel has three tabs: Typeface, Design, and Attributes. The font list sits on the left of the Typeface tab and the style variants for the selected font sit on the right. Swipe the handle at the top of the panel upward to expand it and show more options. There's also a button that dismisses the panel and brings the keyboard back so you can keep typing.

How to import a custom font

Procreate only lists fonts installed on your device, so for client or brand typefaces you'll need to import them.

1. Download the font and make sure it's unzipped. In the Files app, press and hold a zip file and choose Uncompress.
2. In Procreate, add a text layer and double-tap it to open the Text Entry Companion.
3. Tap the font name to open the Edit Style panel.
4. Tap Import Font, which opens the Files browser.
5. Navigate to the font file and tap it.

Procreate Pocket documents support for .otf, .ttf, and .ttc files. Imported fonts appear alphabetically in the list, provided the file imported successfully and contains characters that can render its name. If a font doesn't show up, check that you've selected the actual font file rather than the zip, and that the file isn't corrupted.

One professional note: check the license before you import. Many free font sites mark fonts as personal use only, and that matters if the lettering ends up in client work, broadcast, or a title sequence. Handle that the same way you would for any project that moves into After Effects.

Fine-tune type with the Design controls

Changing the typeface is only the first step. The Design tab gives you six sliders, and for lettering and title work, the spacing controls matter most.

• Size scales the type. The text box keeps its width and adjusts its height to fit.
• Kerning changes the space between a specific pair of letters. Place the cursor between two letters to see it work.
• Tracking adjusts the space across every letter in a highlighted word or block.
• Leading controls the space between lines.
• Baseline shifts the invisible line the text sits on within its box.
• Opacity sets the transparency of the text.

If you work in After Effects, the vocabulary will feel familiar from the Character panel. The difference is that kerning in Procreate is a manual slider, so a custom lockup takes a bit more care. For logo-like lettering, kern the pairs by eye and zoom out to check the overall rhythm.

Use the Attributes tab for alignment and effects

The Attributes tab covers the finishing options:

• Alignment: left, center, right, or justified.
• Underline: adds a stroke below the text.
• Outline: turns solid letterforms into outlined ones.
• Orientation: switches between horizontal and vertical text in the current version of Procreate.
• Capitalization: toggles all caps without retyping, and toggling it off restores your original casing.

Underline, outline, and orientation can be combined.

Why you can't change the font after rasterizing

Text stays editable only while it's a vector text layer. You can recognize one by the "A" in its layer thumbnail. As long as it's vector, you can retype it, change font, style, spacing, and alignment, and add underline, outline, and capitalization effects. It also scales up and down without losing quality.

Rasterizing converts the text to pixels. After that you can paint on it, distort it, apply selections and adjustments, and merge it, but you can no longer swap the font. Keep a duplicate of the vector layer, hidden, before you rasterize. That gives you a way back if the client changes the typeface in round three.

Layer names also update automatically to match the text content. If you'd rather use your own naming, tap the layer and choose Rename.

Troubleshooting common font problems

• The font doesn't change: make sure the text layer is selected, and that you've highlighted the characters you want to change.
• The font list looks short: only installed and imported fonts appear. Import what you need.
• The Edit Style panel closed on its own: that happens when you tap off the text. Double-tap the text and tap the font name to reopen it.
• A style option is missing: variants depend on the family. A font with only one weight won't offer bold or italic.
• Text is greyed out or won't edit: it has probably been rasterized. Undo, or recreate the text layer.

Taking Procreate lettering into a motion pipeline

Most motion designers use Procreate for hand lettering, type exploration, boards, and styleframes rather than final animation. A practical hand-off looks like this:

1. Finalize the font, spacing, and layout while the text is still vector.
2. Duplicate the layer, rasterize the copy, and hide the original.
3. Export the artwork with a transparent background as a PNG or PSD. Treat it as pixel art. Don't count on live, editable type surviving the trip into another application.
4. Rebuild any type that must stay editable or sharp at delivery resolution as live text in After Effects, using the Procreate version as a visual reference for font, tracking, and placement.

This is also where an AI motion tool can be useful in a controlled way. A Procreate lettering frame can serve as a keyframe or style reference.

Be realistic about type, though. Generative tools can interpret letterforms rather than reproduce them exactly. For brand-critical copy, keep the final title as live type in After Effects and composite it over generated backgrounds, textures, or motion elements. You keep your compositing workflow and use the tool where artistic control matters most: look development, stylized plates, and motion built from your own frames.

Quick reference

Once you know the route from text layer to companion to Edit Style, changing fonts in Procreate takes a few taps. The part worth planning is what happens afterward: keep a vector master, import only fonts you're licensed to use, and decide early which type will be rebuilt as live text in your compositing app.