To change the frame rate in Procreate Dreams, open Movie Settings, go to the Project tab, tap Frames per second, and choose a preset or tap Custom to type your own value. The presets are Frame by frame (12), Anime (15), Cinema (24), Television (30), PAL (50), NTSC (60), and Mobile (120). You can also set the frame rate when you create a project by tapping the three-dot menu on the format screen. Pick the rate before you start animating, because it determines how your timing translates into frames.

How to change frame rate in an existing Procreate Dreams project

1. Open your project and go to Movie Settings.
2. Select the Project tab. It holds the artist info, resolution, duration, and history options.
3. Tap Frames per second.
4. Choose a preset, or tap Custom and enter the exact number you need.
5. Close the dialog and scrub the Timeline to check how your existing content plays back.

Some community guides say the frame rate can only be set when you create a new project. The official Project settings list Frames per second as an adjustable option. If you can't find the control in your version, update the app. If you still can't, use the creation method below and move your content into a new project.

Setting frame rate when creating a new project

1. Tap the plus icon in the upper right of the project gallery.
2. Select the format you want, such as widescreen.
3. Tap the three-dot menu in the upper right of the format screen.
4. Set the frame rate and duration.
5. Create the project with Draw (opens with a ready drawing layer) or Empty.

If your delivery spec is fixed, this is the safest route. You set the rate before any timing exists, so nothing needs to be reinterpreted.

Procreate Dreams frame rate presets

Custom covers anything else. Check that the field accepts the exact value you need before you commit to a long project.

Choosing the right frame rate before you animate

The best frame rate is the one your downstream tools and delivery spec expect. A few practical rules:

• Match the destination composition. If your After Effects comp, Premiere sequence, or Nuke project runs at 24 fps, animate at 24 or at a clean divisor like 12. Mismatched rates force retiming, which can create uneven holds in hand-drawn work.
• Treat 12 fps as "on twos" for 24 fps delivery. Each drawing holds for two frames in a 24 fps timeline. This is the standard way to get a hand-drawn feel without producing a drawing for every frame.
• Use 15 fps with care. It doesn't divide evenly into 24 or 30 in a straightforward way, so it works best as a stylistic choice or when the final piece will live at 15 fps.
• Go higher only when it helps. 60 and 120 fps add drawing or tweening workload and file size. They make sense for screen-native content, not for most hand-drawn animation.
• Remember that frames are the unit of work. Doubling the frame rate doubles the number of frames covering the same duration, which affects both drawing effort and playback performance on the iPad.

What happens to your timing when you change the rate

Changing frames per second changes how many frames make up each second of playback. The practical effect depends on how your content is built. Hand-drawn frame-by-frame sequences are tied to individual frames, while transforms and keyframed motion are tied to positions on the Timeline. Because of that, a rate change can alter how long a drawn sequence feels or where your keyframes land relative to the beat.

Because the research behind this guide doesn't document exactly how Dreams redistributes existing content on a rate change, treat it as something to verify rather than assume:

1. Duplicate the project before changing anything.
2. Change the frame rate on the duplicate.
3. Play through the sections with the most precise timing, such as lip-sync, impacts, and loops.
4. Compare against the original. If the timing drifted, revert and rebuild in a fresh project at the correct rate.

If playback looks too fast or too slow, the frame rate isn't always the cause. A project set to a high rate with sparse drawn content can feel like it's racing. A project at a low rate can feel choppy even when the drawings are good. Check the rate first, then the duration of each held frame.

Related settings to check at the same time

The Project tab sits next to several settings you should confirm when you set the frame rate.

Duration

Tap Duration to set hours, minutes, and seconds for the whole movie. You can also tap and hold the grey vertical bar at the end of the Timeline and drag left or right. Fit to content snaps the duration to the right edge of the last item on the Timeline. Since the length of your movie is expressed in time, changing the frame rate changes the total frame count, so re-check your end point afterward.

Resolution

Resolution is the pixel size of the exported video. It can't exceed 3840 x 3840 pixels, and less powerful hardware may limit it further. Pick it together with the frame rate, because high resolution at a high frame rate is the heaviest combination for the iPad to play back.

History

The History setting controls undo steps, from 10 up to infinite. Higher counts, especially infinite, make project files noticeably larger as you work. Long, high-frame-rate projects grow quickly, so choose a sensible number.

Timecode display

In Movie Settings → Stage, you can toggle the Timecode readout in the bottom left of the viewing area. It's useful for confirming that your duration and frame rate line up with a spec, such as a 10-second spot at 24 fps.

Exporting from Dreams and matching frame rate in other apps

Frame rate problems often appear after export, when footage is dropped into a comp at the wrong rate. A reliable handoff looks like this:

1. Decide the delivery rate first and set it in Dreams before animating.
2. Turn on a transparent background in Movie Settings → Stage if you need alpha. The handbook notes this is useful for alpha-aware HEVC and ProRes 4444 video, and for image sequences such as PNGs.
3. Export a video or an image sequence. Sequences are frame-exact and avoid codec surprises, which suits compositing.
4. Interpret the footage correctly. In After Effects, use the Interpret Footage option to set the sequence to the frame rate you animated at. Premiere Pro has an equivalent. Image sequences often import at a default rate, so check this each time.
5. Match the comp. Set the After Effects composition (or Nuke project, or Blender output frame rate) to the delivery rate, then retime only if you intend to.

If you animated at 12 fps for a 24 fps comp, you can either interpret the sequence at 12 fps and let the comp hold frames, or export at 24 fps with held frames baked in. Pick one and stay consistent across the project.

Where Styleframe fits in a Dreams workflow

Procreate Dreams is strong for hand-drawn, frame-by-frame animation on the iPad. Many professional pipelines then need extra work around it: style exploration, in-betweens from keyframes, background plates, or finishing at higher resolution. Styleframe is an AI video and motion tool that can sit beside a Dreams project for that kind of work.

As with any footage you bring into a comp, set the frame rate in Interpret Footage or your project settings to match your delivery spec.

Quick troubleshooting

• Can't find the frame rate option: Look under Movie Settings → Project → Frames per second, or update the app. As a fallback, set it when creating a new project through the three-dot menu.
• Timing changed after the switch: Revert to a duplicate you made beforehand, or rebuild in a new project at the target rate.
• Footage plays at the wrong speed in After Effects: Use Interpret Footage on the clip or sequence and set the correct rate, then check the comp's frame rate.
• Project plays back choppily on the iPad: Lower the resolution or frame rate, or reduce the undo history to keep the file lean.
• Need transparency: Turn on Transparent background in Stage settings before exporting to ProRes 4444, HEVC with alpha, or PNG sequences.

FAQ

What is the default frame rate for animation in Procreate Dreams? The Project settings offer presets from 12 to 120 fps. Check the value in Frames per second for your project, and set it deliberately rather than relying on the default.

What frame rate should I use for 2D character animation? Use 12 fps if you plan to animate on twos for a 24 fps delivery, or 24 fps if you want a drawing available for every frame. Match whichever rate your final composition uses.

Can I use a custom frame rate? Yes. Tap Custom in the Frames per second dialog and enter the number you need.

Does changing the frame rate change the resolution? No. Resolution is a separate Project setting, capped at 3840 x 3840 pixels.

To change the frame rate in Procreate Dreams, open Movie Settings, go to the Project tab, tap Frames per second, and choose a preset or tap Custom to type your own value. The presets are Frame by frame (12), Anime (15), Cinema (24), Television (30), PAL (50), NTSC (60), and Mobile (120). You can also set the frame rate when you create a project by tapping the three-dot menu on the format screen. Pick the rate before you start animating, because it determines how your timing translates into frames.

How to change frame rate in an existing Procreate Dreams project

1. Open your project and go to Movie Settings.
2. Select the Project tab. It holds the artist info, resolution, duration, and history options.
3. Tap Frames per second.
4. Choose a preset, or tap Custom and enter the exact number you need.
5. Close the dialog and scrub the Timeline to check how your existing content plays back.

Some community guides say the frame rate can only be set when you create a new project. The official Project settings list Frames per second as an adjustable option. If you can't find the control in your version, update the app. If you still can't, use the creation method below and move your content into a new project.

Setting frame rate when creating a new project

1. Tap the plus icon in the upper right of the project gallery.
2. Select the format you want, such as widescreen.
3. Tap the three-dot menu in the upper right of the format screen.
4. Set the frame rate and duration.
5. Create the project with Draw (opens with a ready drawing layer) or Empty.

If your delivery spec is fixed, this is the safest route. You set the rate before any timing exists, so nothing needs to be reinterpreted.

Procreate Dreams frame rate presets

Custom covers anything else. Check that the field accepts the exact value you need before you commit to a long project.

Choosing the right frame rate before you animate

The best frame rate is the one your downstream tools and delivery spec expect. A few practical rules:

• Match the destination composition. If your After Effects comp, Premiere sequence, or Nuke project runs at 24 fps, animate at 24 or at a clean divisor like 12. Mismatched rates force retiming, which can create uneven holds in hand-drawn work.
• Treat 12 fps as "on twos" for 24 fps delivery. Each drawing holds for two frames in a 24 fps timeline. This is the standard way to get a hand-drawn feel without producing a drawing for every frame.
• Use 15 fps with care. It doesn't divide evenly into 24 or 30 in a straightforward way, so it works best as a stylistic choice or when the final piece will live at 15 fps.
• Go higher only when it helps. 60 and 120 fps add drawing or tweening workload and file size. They make sense for screen-native content, not for most hand-drawn animation.
• Remember that frames are the unit of work. Doubling the frame rate doubles the number of frames covering the same duration, which affects both drawing effort and playback performance on the iPad.

What happens to your timing when you change the rate

Changing frames per second changes how many frames make up each second of playback. The practical effect depends on how your content is built. Hand-drawn frame-by-frame sequences are tied to individual frames, while transforms and keyframed motion are tied to positions on the Timeline. Because of that, a rate change can alter how long a drawn sequence feels or where your keyframes land relative to the beat.

Because the research behind this guide doesn't document exactly how Dreams redistributes existing content on a rate change, treat it as something to verify rather than assume:

1. Duplicate the project before changing anything.
2. Change the frame rate on the duplicate.
3. Play through the sections with the most precise timing, such as lip-sync, impacts, and loops.
4. Compare against the original. If the timing drifted, revert and rebuild in a fresh project at the correct rate.

If playback looks too fast or too slow, the frame rate isn't always the cause. A project set to a high rate with sparse drawn content can feel like it's racing. A project at a low rate can feel choppy even when the drawings are good. Check the rate first, then the duration of each held frame.

Related settings to check at the same time

The Project tab sits next to several settings you should confirm when you set the frame rate.

Duration

Tap Duration to set hours, minutes, and seconds for the whole movie. You can also tap and hold the grey vertical bar at the end of the Timeline and drag left or right. Fit to content snaps the duration to the right edge of the last item on the Timeline. Since the length of your movie is expressed in time, changing the frame rate changes the total frame count, so re-check your end point afterward.

Resolution

Resolution is the pixel size of the exported video. It can't exceed 3840 x 3840 pixels, and less powerful hardware may limit it further. Pick it together with the frame rate, because high resolution at a high frame rate is the heaviest combination for the iPad to play back.

History

The History setting controls undo steps, from 10 up to infinite. Higher counts, especially infinite, make project files noticeably larger as you work. Long, high-frame-rate projects grow quickly, so choose a sensible number.

Timecode display

In Movie Settings → Stage, you can toggle the Timecode readout in the bottom left of the viewing area. It's useful for confirming that your duration and frame rate line up with a spec, such as a 10-second spot at 24 fps.

Exporting from Dreams and matching frame rate in other apps

Frame rate problems often appear after export, when footage is dropped into a comp at the wrong rate. A reliable handoff looks like this:

1. Decide the delivery rate first and set it in Dreams before animating.
2. Turn on a transparent background in Movie Settings → Stage if you need alpha. The handbook notes this is useful for alpha-aware HEVC and ProRes 4444 video, and for image sequences such as PNGs.
3. Export a video or an image sequence. Sequences are frame-exact and avoid codec surprises, which suits compositing.
4. Interpret the footage correctly. In After Effects, use the Interpret Footage option to set the sequence to the frame rate you animated at. Premiere Pro has an equivalent. Image sequences often import at a default rate, so check this each time.
5. Match the comp. Set the After Effects composition (or Nuke project, or Blender output frame rate) to the delivery rate, then retime only if you intend to.

If you animated at 12 fps for a 24 fps comp, you can either interpret the sequence at 12 fps and let the comp hold frames, or export at 24 fps with held frames baked in. Pick one and stay consistent across the project.

Where Styleframe fits in a Dreams workflow

Procreate Dreams is strong for hand-drawn, frame-by-frame animation on the iPad. Many professional pipelines then need extra work around it: style exploration, in-betweens from keyframes, background plates, or finishing at higher resolution. Styleframe is an AI video and motion tool that can sit beside a Dreams project for that kind of work.

As with any footage you bring into a comp, set the frame rate in Interpret Footage or your project settings to match your delivery spec.

Quick troubleshooting

• Can't find the frame rate option: Look under Movie Settings → Project → Frames per second, or update the app. As a fallback, set it when creating a new project through the three-dot menu.
• Timing changed after the switch: Revert to a duplicate you made beforehand, or rebuild in a new project at the target rate.
• Footage plays at the wrong speed in After Effects: Use Interpret Footage on the clip or sequence and set the correct rate, then check the comp's frame rate.
• Project plays back choppily on the iPad: Lower the resolution or frame rate, or reduce the undo history to keep the file lean.
• Need transparency: Turn on Transparent background in Stage settings before exporting to ProRes 4444, HEVC with alpha, or PNG sequences.

FAQ

What is the default frame rate for animation in Procreate Dreams? The Project settings offer presets from 12 to 120 fps. Check the value in Frames per second for your project, and set it deliberately rather than relying on the default.

What frame rate should I use for 2D character animation? Use 12 fps if you plan to animate on twos for a 24 fps delivery, or 24 fps if you want a drawing available for every frame. Match whichever rate your final composition uses.

Can I use a custom frame rate? Yes. Tap Custom in the Frames per second dialog and enter the number you need.

Does changing the frame rate change the resolution? No. Resolution is a separate Project setting, capped at 3840 x 3840 pixels.