To change image opacity in Procreate, open the Layers panel, tap the small "N" to the right of the image layer's name, and drag the Opacity slider left to make it more transparent. As a shortcut, tap the layer with two fingers and slide left or right on the canvas. Because layer opacity can be changed repeatedly, it is the non-destructive route. Adjustments > Opacity and selection-based opacity are applied once you commit them.

Which Opacity Are You Changing?

Procreate uses "opacity" for four different controls, and picking the right one saves rework:

• Layer opacity controls how visible a whole layer is. This is the one you want for an imported image.
• Adjustments > Opacity also acts on the active layer's contents, but through a slide-on-canvas interface that commits when you leave it.
• Selection opacity changes only an isolated region of a layer.
• Brush opacity controls how strong each stroke is while you paint. It has no effect on pixels already on the canvas.

If your goal is a faded reference photo, a ghosted overlay, or a layered composite, start with layer opacity.

Step 1: Put the Image on Its Own Layer

Opacity in Procreate is applied per layer, so the image needs to be isolated before you can fade it.

Insert the image into your canvas so that it sits on its own layer, then position and scale it as needed.

If the image is already merged into a layer with other artwork, the opacity change will affect everything on that layer. Use a selection to cut the image to its own layer first.

Method 1: The Layer Opacity Slider

This is the standard method for changing layer opacity.

1. Open the Layers panel in the top right.
2. Find the image layer.
3. Tap the N to the right of the layer name. "N" is the default letter shown there, and tapping it opens the layer's blend mode and opacity options.
4. Drag the Opacity slider beneath the blend mode list. Left means more transparent, right means more opaque.

Since you can reopen this panel at any time and change the value again, nothing about the image is permanently altered. That matters when you are balancing a reference layer against line work and need to keep adjusting.

Method 2: The Two-Finger Tap

For quicker adjustments, tap the layer with two fingers at the same time inside the Layers panel. An opacity slider appears at the top of the screen, showing the layer's current opacity (100% by default).

• Slide a finger left on the canvas to lower opacity.
• Slide right to raise it.

This is the fastest option when you are comparing a few layers and want to scrub values without opening the blend mode panel. It adjusts the same layer opacity as Method 1, so the result is equally non-destructive.

Method 3: Adjustments > Opacity

The Adjustments menu has its own Opacity tool.

1. Select the image layer.
2. Tap Adjustments, then Opacity.
3. Slide your finger left or right across the screen. The bar at the top shows the value.
4. Use the bottom buttons to Cancel, Undo, Redo, or Reset.
5. Commit by tapping the Adjustments icon again or choosing another tool.

This works well if you prefer the Adjustments workflow. For opacity specifically, though, the layer slider is usually the better choice. It can be revisited later without stacking changes into the pixels, while the Adjustments version is a one-time action once committed.

Changing Opacity on Part of an Image

Sometimes you only want a portion of the image faded, like a soft edge or a single object.

1. Open the Selection tool, choose a selection method, and make a selection.
2. In the Layers panel, tap the image layer with two fingers.
3. Slide left or right on the canvas to reduce or increase opacity of the selected area only.
4. Exit the mode to apply the change.

Treat this as destructive. Once applied, the change is baked in, and you can undo it right away but cannot return to adjust it later in the project. Duplicating the layer before you make a selection-based change is a cheap safety net.

Brush Opacity: Controlling Strokes, Not Imported Images

If you are painting over or around the image, brush opacity is a separate control. Select a brush and use the lower slider in the sidebar to set stroke opacity. Drag up for more, down for less.

Two details trip people up:

• Many brushes respond to Apple Pencil pressure, so a brush set to 100% can still look weak if you press lightly. Check the brush's pressure settings if strokes look thinner than expected.
• Brush opacity only affects new marks. It cannot fade the imported image.

Layer Opacity Is Not the Same as Blend Modes or Clipping

A few related controls look similar but behave differently.

• Blend modes live in the same panel as the opacity slider. Combining a blend mode with reduced opacity can give you tracing overlays or color washes that interact with the layers beneath.
• Clipping Mask confines one layer to the shape of the layer below it, which helps when you want a faded texture only inside certain artwork.

Troubleshooting

The slider doesn't change anything. Confirm the correct layer is active. The slider acts on the selected layer, and one layer at a time.

The image looks faded but won't go fully transparent. Check for a second copy or a merged duplicate underneath.

Two-finger tap opens something else. Make sure you are tapping the layer row in the Layers panel, not the canvas.

Using Opacity Work in a Motion Pipeline

Procreate is a common place for motion designers and animators to build style frames, boards, texture passes, and hand-drawn elements before moving to After Effects, Premiere Pro, Blender, Cinema 4D, or Nuke. A few habits make handoff easier:

• Keep opacity on layers, not baked into pixels. Layer opacity can be changed repeatedly, while adjustments and selection-based changes are applied once committed.
• Export elements separately when you need control later. Exporting key layers separately lets you set opacity, blend modes, and masks in your compositor.
• Name layers clearly. It saves time when you are rebuilding a stack in a compositor.

Where Styleframe Fits

Once a Procreate piece is finished, the stills can serve as source material for motion.

Quick Reference

For nearly any imported image, tap the N, set the slider, and keep the change on the layer. It stays editable, and it carries the most flexibility into whichever tool finishes the job.

To change image opacity in Procreate, open the Layers panel, tap the small "N" to the right of the image layer's name, and drag the Opacity slider left to make it more transparent. As a shortcut, tap the layer with two fingers and slide left or right on the canvas. Because layer opacity can be changed repeatedly, it is the non-destructive route. Adjustments > Opacity and selection-based opacity are applied once you commit them.

Which Opacity Are You Changing?

Procreate uses "opacity" for four different controls, and picking the right one saves rework:

• Layer opacity controls how visible a whole layer is. This is the one you want for an imported image.
• Adjustments > Opacity also acts on the active layer's contents, but through a slide-on-canvas interface that commits when you leave it.
• Selection opacity changes only an isolated region of a layer.
• Brush opacity controls how strong each stroke is while you paint. It has no effect on pixels already on the canvas.

If your goal is a faded reference photo, a ghosted overlay, or a layered composite, start with layer opacity.

Step 1: Put the Image on Its Own Layer

Opacity in Procreate is applied per layer, so the image needs to be isolated before you can fade it.

Insert the image into your canvas so that it sits on its own layer, then position and scale it as needed.

If the image is already merged into a layer with other artwork, the opacity change will affect everything on that layer. Use a selection to cut the image to its own layer first.

Method 1: The Layer Opacity Slider

This is the standard method for changing layer opacity.

1. Open the Layers panel in the top right.
2. Find the image layer.
3. Tap the N to the right of the layer name. "N" is the default letter shown there, and tapping it opens the layer's blend mode and opacity options.
4. Drag the Opacity slider beneath the blend mode list. Left means more transparent, right means more opaque.

Since you can reopen this panel at any time and change the value again, nothing about the image is permanently altered. That matters when you are balancing a reference layer against line work and need to keep adjusting.

Method 2: The Two-Finger Tap

For quicker adjustments, tap the layer with two fingers at the same time inside the Layers panel. An opacity slider appears at the top of the screen, showing the layer's current opacity (100% by default).

• Slide a finger left on the canvas to lower opacity.
• Slide right to raise it.

This is the fastest option when you are comparing a few layers and want to scrub values without opening the blend mode panel. It adjusts the same layer opacity as Method 1, so the result is equally non-destructive.

Method 3: Adjustments > Opacity

The Adjustments menu has its own Opacity tool.

1. Select the image layer.
2. Tap Adjustments, then Opacity.
3. Slide your finger left or right across the screen. The bar at the top shows the value.
4. Use the bottom buttons to Cancel, Undo, Redo, or Reset.
5. Commit by tapping the Adjustments icon again or choosing another tool.

This works well if you prefer the Adjustments workflow. For opacity specifically, though, the layer slider is usually the better choice. It can be revisited later without stacking changes into the pixels, while the Adjustments version is a one-time action once committed.

Changing Opacity on Part of an Image

Sometimes you only want a portion of the image faded, like a soft edge or a single object.

1. Open the Selection tool, choose a selection method, and make a selection.
2. In the Layers panel, tap the image layer with two fingers.
3. Slide left or right on the canvas to reduce or increase opacity of the selected area only.
4. Exit the mode to apply the change.

Treat this as destructive. Once applied, the change is baked in, and you can undo it right away but cannot return to adjust it later in the project. Duplicating the layer before you make a selection-based change is a cheap safety net.

Brush Opacity: Controlling Strokes, Not Imported Images

If you are painting over or around the image, brush opacity is a separate control. Select a brush and use the lower slider in the sidebar to set stroke opacity. Drag up for more, down for less.

Two details trip people up:

• Many brushes respond to Apple Pencil pressure, so a brush set to 100% can still look weak if you press lightly. Check the brush's pressure settings if strokes look thinner than expected.
• Brush opacity only affects new marks. It cannot fade the imported image.

Layer Opacity Is Not the Same as Blend Modes or Clipping

A few related controls look similar but behave differently.

• Blend modes live in the same panel as the opacity slider. Combining a blend mode with reduced opacity can give you tracing overlays or color washes that interact with the layers beneath.
• Clipping Mask confines one layer to the shape of the layer below it, which helps when you want a faded texture only inside certain artwork.

Troubleshooting

The slider doesn't change anything. Confirm the correct layer is active. The slider acts on the selected layer, and one layer at a time.

The image looks faded but won't go fully transparent. Check for a second copy or a merged duplicate underneath.

Two-finger tap opens something else. Make sure you are tapping the layer row in the Layers panel, not the canvas.

Using Opacity Work in a Motion Pipeline

Procreate is a common place for motion designers and animators to build style frames, boards, texture passes, and hand-drawn elements before moving to After Effects, Premiere Pro, Blender, Cinema 4D, or Nuke. A few habits make handoff easier:

• Keep opacity on layers, not baked into pixels. Layer opacity can be changed repeatedly, while adjustments and selection-based changes are applied once committed.
• Export elements separately when you need control later. Exporting key layers separately lets you set opacity, blend modes, and masks in your compositor.
• Name layers clearly. It saves time when you are rebuilding a stack in a compositor.

Where Styleframe Fits

Once a Procreate piece is finished, the stills can serve as source material for motion.

Quick Reference

For nearly any imported image, tap the N, set the slider, and keep the change on the layer. It stays editable, and it carries the most flexibility into whichever tool finishes the job.