To change layer order in Procreate, open the Layers panel, tap and hold the layer until it lifts, drag it up or down the list, and release it in its new position. Layers higher in the stack appear in front of those below them. To move several layers at once, swipe right on each one to select it as a secondary layer, then drag the selection to its new spot. If a layer won't lift or only slides sideways, close the Layers panel and try again, or force-quit Procreate and restart the iPad.

How layer order works in Procreate

Procreate stacks layers like cels, or like layers in an After Effects composition. Whatever sits at the top of the Layers panel renders in front, and everything beneath it renders behind. Reordering therefore changes what overlaps what, and it also changes how blend modes, masks, and clipping behave, because each of those reads from the layers below it.

If you come from After Effects, the model will feel familiar. The difference is that the layer stack is how you control depth in Procreate. Getting it right before you export matters, especially if the artwork is headed into a motion pipeline.

Reorder a single layer

1. Open the Layers panel.
2. Find the layer you want to move.
3. Press and hold on the layer until it lifts slightly off the list.
4. Drag it up or down past neighboring layers.
5. Lift your finger or Apple Pencil to drop it in place.

The press-and-hold step is the one people most often miss. A quick tap selects the layer, and a horizontal swipe selects it as a secondary layer or reveals other options. Only a deliberate hold followed by a vertical drag reorders it.

Check which layer is active first

The active layer, which Procreate calls the Primary layer, shows in bright blue. Only one layer can be Primary at a time, and any painting you do lands on it. Make sure the correct layer is selected before you resume drawing.

Reorder multiple layers at once

When a reshuffle involves several layers, moving them one by one is slow.

1. In the Layers panel, tap the layer that will be your Primary selection.
2. Swipe right on each additional layer you want to include. These become Secondary layers and show in dark blue.
3. Press and hold one of the selected layers, then drag the group of selected layers to its new location.

You can select as many Secondary layers as you like. Selecting more than one layer also adds Delete and Group options at the top of the panel, so the same selection can be grouped before or after you move it.

A few limits apply to multi-selection:

• Painting, drawing, and smudging only affect the Primary layer.
• Selection and transform actions affect every selected layer.
• You can't apply Adjustments with several layers selected.
• Cut and Copy only apply to the Primary layer.

Use groups to control stacking in bulk

Groups are the cleanest way to manage order in a complex piece. Select several layers by swiping right, then tap Group at the top of the panel. The layers collapse into a single folder-like item that you can move as one unit. Use the arrow on the group to expand or collapse it.

This turns reordering into two levels of control:

• Between groups: drag a whole group above or below another to change which major element (foreground, character, background) sits in front.
• Within a group: expand it and reorder the individual layers inside without disturbing the rest of the stack.

You can also drag a layer onto an existing group to add it. Groups can themselves be selected as Primary or Secondary, and a Secondary group behaves as though every layer inside it were selected.

Name layers before the stack gets deep

Tap a layer to open its flyout, then tap the layer name to edit it. Descriptive names such as "fg_smoke," "char_line," and "bg_sky" make reordering far less error-prone.

Select the right layer from the canvas

Hunting through a long list for the layer you need is slow. Procreate's Layer Select gesture lets you touch the artwork on the canvas and jump to the layer holding that content. To set it up, go to Actions > Prefs > Gesture Controls > Layer Select, and assign a touch or Apple Pencil shortcut. Once the right layer is selected, scroll the panel to it and reorder as usual.

Reordering layers in Procreate Dreams

If you animate in Procreate Dreams, the Drawing Layers panel works much the same way. Tap and hold a layer or group to pick it up, drag it up or down, and release it where you want it. To move several, swipe right on each one first, then hold and drag. To group, drag a layer onto another layer or group, or select several and tap the Group option at the top right.

Tapping a selected group also opens options to rename, ungroup, or flatten it, so you can merge a group into a single layer once its internal order is final.

Troubleshooting: when a layer won't move

Users report a few recurring problems. They are usually touch-recognition quirks rather than a broken file.

The layer lifts but won't move, or won't lift at all. Hold your finger or Pencil still on the layer until it clearly lifts, then drag straight up or down. A slight sideways drift can be read as a swipe, which selects the layer instead of moving it.

It only slides left or right. That is the swipe gesture, not a drag. Release, press and hold again, and keep the motion vertical.

It works once, then stops. Close the Layers panel and reopen it. Reordering sometimes recovers after the panel refreshes.

Nothing works. Force-quit Procreate by swiping it out of the app switcher, close other background apps, and restart the iPad. One user who was stuck reported this fixing the problem. Try it after you've confirmed that your save is current.

Also check that you have no stray secondary selections. If several layers are highlighted, your drag may be moving more than you intended. Tap a single layer to reset the selection.

Common reordering mistakes

• Dropping a layer into a group by accident. Releasing directly over a group can nest the layer inside it. Drop between items, not on top of them, unless you mean to group.
• Forgetting about clipping and masks. A clipped layer depends on the layer beneath it. Move the base layer and the clipped one may no longer read as intended.
• Reordering with blend modes active. Layers set to Multiply, Screen, or Overlay look different when their neighbors change. Review the result after each move.
• Moving the wrong layer. Check the blue highlights before dragging.

Why layer order matters when Procreate art goes into a motion pipeline

For motion designers and animators, a Procreate file is often a source asset rather than a finished product. Stacking order determines what a compositor sees when the artwork is flattened or split into separate elements. Clean order, clear names, and sensible groups mean fewer surprises when the art reaches After Effects, Nuke, or a 3D tool.

A practical pre-export checklist:

1. Reorder layers so depth reads correctly, from foreground to background.
2. Group related elements, such as character, props, and effects.
3. Name every layer and group.
4. Hide scratch or reference layers you don't want in the composite.
5. Confirm blend modes and masks still look right after the final reorder.

Where Styleframe fits

Once the stack is tidy, you can use clean frames exported from Procreate as source material in other tools, such as Styleframe.

Quick reference

Final thoughts

Reordering layers in Procreate takes one gesture: press, hold, drag, release. The harder part is doing it deliberately at scale, with multi-select, groups, clear names, and a quick check of blends and masks afterward. Get those habits right and your layered files stay readable, whether they end as finished illustrations or become the starting point for animation and compositing.

To change layer order in Procreate, open the Layers panel, tap and hold the layer until it lifts, drag it up or down the list, and release it in its new position. Layers higher in the stack appear in front of those below them. To move several layers at once, swipe right on each one to select it as a secondary layer, then drag the selection to its new spot. If a layer won't lift or only slides sideways, close the Layers panel and try again, or force-quit Procreate and restart the iPad.

How layer order works in Procreate

Procreate stacks layers like cels, or like layers in an After Effects composition. Whatever sits at the top of the Layers panel renders in front, and everything beneath it renders behind. Reordering therefore changes what overlaps what, and it also changes how blend modes, masks, and clipping behave, because each of those reads from the layers below it.

If you come from After Effects, the model will feel familiar. The difference is that the layer stack is how you control depth in Procreate. Getting it right before you export matters, especially if the artwork is headed into a motion pipeline.

Reorder a single layer

1. Open the Layers panel.
2. Find the layer you want to move.
3. Press and hold on the layer until it lifts slightly off the list.
4. Drag it up or down past neighboring layers.
5. Lift your finger or Apple Pencil to drop it in place.

The press-and-hold step is the one people most often miss. A quick tap selects the layer, and a horizontal swipe selects it as a secondary layer or reveals other options. Only a deliberate hold followed by a vertical drag reorders it.

Check which layer is active first

The active layer, which Procreate calls the Primary layer, shows in bright blue. Only one layer can be Primary at a time, and any painting you do lands on it. Make sure the correct layer is selected before you resume drawing.

Reorder multiple layers at once

When a reshuffle involves several layers, moving them one by one is slow.

1. In the Layers panel, tap the layer that will be your Primary selection.
2. Swipe right on each additional layer you want to include. These become Secondary layers and show in dark blue.
3. Press and hold one of the selected layers, then drag the group of selected layers to its new location.

You can select as many Secondary layers as you like. Selecting more than one layer also adds Delete and Group options at the top of the panel, so the same selection can be grouped before or after you move it.

A few limits apply to multi-selection:

• Painting, drawing, and smudging only affect the Primary layer.
• Selection and transform actions affect every selected layer.
• You can't apply Adjustments with several layers selected.
• Cut and Copy only apply to the Primary layer.

Use groups to control stacking in bulk

Groups are the cleanest way to manage order in a complex piece. Select several layers by swiping right, then tap Group at the top of the panel. The layers collapse into a single folder-like item that you can move as one unit. Use the arrow on the group to expand or collapse it.

This turns reordering into two levels of control:

• Between groups: drag a whole group above or below another to change which major element (foreground, character, background) sits in front.
• Within a group: expand it and reorder the individual layers inside without disturbing the rest of the stack.

You can also drag a layer onto an existing group to add it. Groups can themselves be selected as Primary or Secondary, and a Secondary group behaves as though every layer inside it were selected.

Name layers before the stack gets deep

Tap a layer to open its flyout, then tap the layer name to edit it. Descriptive names such as "fg_smoke," "char_line," and "bg_sky" make reordering far less error-prone.

Select the right layer from the canvas

Hunting through a long list for the layer you need is slow. Procreate's Layer Select gesture lets you touch the artwork on the canvas and jump to the layer holding that content. To set it up, go to Actions > Prefs > Gesture Controls > Layer Select, and assign a touch or Apple Pencil shortcut. Once the right layer is selected, scroll the panel to it and reorder as usual.

Reordering layers in Procreate Dreams

If you animate in Procreate Dreams, the Drawing Layers panel works much the same way. Tap and hold a layer or group to pick it up, drag it up or down, and release it where you want it. To move several, swipe right on each one first, then hold and drag. To group, drag a layer onto another layer or group, or select several and tap the Group option at the top right.

Tapping a selected group also opens options to rename, ungroup, or flatten it, so you can merge a group into a single layer once its internal order is final.

Troubleshooting: when a layer won't move

Users report a few recurring problems. They are usually touch-recognition quirks rather than a broken file.

The layer lifts but won't move, or won't lift at all. Hold your finger or Pencil still on the layer until it clearly lifts, then drag straight up or down. A slight sideways drift can be read as a swipe, which selects the layer instead of moving it.

It only slides left or right. That is the swipe gesture, not a drag. Release, press and hold again, and keep the motion vertical.

It works once, then stops. Close the Layers panel and reopen it. Reordering sometimes recovers after the panel refreshes.

Nothing works. Force-quit Procreate by swiping it out of the app switcher, close other background apps, and restart the iPad. One user who was stuck reported this fixing the problem. Try it after you've confirmed that your save is current.

Also check that you have no stray secondary selections. If several layers are highlighted, your drag may be moving more than you intended. Tap a single layer to reset the selection.

Common reordering mistakes

• Dropping a layer into a group by accident. Releasing directly over a group can nest the layer inside it. Drop between items, not on top of them, unless you mean to group.
• Forgetting about clipping and masks. A clipped layer depends on the layer beneath it. Move the base layer and the clipped one may no longer read as intended.
• Reordering with blend modes active. Layers set to Multiply, Screen, or Overlay look different when their neighbors change. Review the result after each move.
• Moving the wrong layer. Check the blue highlights before dragging.

Why layer order matters when Procreate art goes into a motion pipeline

For motion designers and animators, a Procreate file is often a source asset rather than a finished product. Stacking order determines what a compositor sees when the artwork is flattened or split into separate elements. Clean order, clear names, and sensible groups mean fewer surprises when the art reaches After Effects, Nuke, or a 3D tool.

A practical pre-export checklist:

1. Reorder layers so depth reads correctly, from foreground to background.
2. Group related elements, such as character, props, and effects.
3. Name every layer and group.
4. Hide scratch or reference layers you don't want in the composite.
5. Confirm blend modes and masks still look right after the final reorder.

Where Styleframe fits

Once the stack is tidy, you can use clean frames exported from Procreate as source material in other tools, such as Styleframe.

Quick reference

Final thoughts

Reordering layers in Procreate takes one gesture: press, hold, drag, release. The harder part is doing it deliberately at scale, with multi-select, groups, clear names, and a quick check of blends and masks afterward. Get those habits right and your layered files stay readable, whether they end as finished illustrations or become the starting point for animation and compositing.