To change the color of an object in Procreate, put the object on its own layer, then recolor it with Alpha Lock plus Fill Layer, the Recolor tool, or ColorDrop. For a quick shift on a layer or photo, use Adjustments > Hue, Saturation, Brightness. Which method is best depends on whether the object is flat color, textured, or part of a photo, and whether you need the change to stay editable.

Which method fits your artwork

Everything below assumes the object you want to change is isolated on a layer. If it isn't, separate it first with a selection, then copy it to a new layer. Most recolor frustration comes from working on a layer that contains more than the object.

Method 1: Alpha Lock and Fill Layer

This is the cleanest way to recolor an entire layer's contents without fringing.

1. Choose your new color in the color picker.
2. Open the Layers panel and tap the layer with your object.
3. Tap Alpha Lock. Alternatively, swipe right on the layer with two fingers. The thumbnail shows a checkerboard when it's active.
4. Tap the layer again and choose Fill Layer.

Because Alpha Lock restricts changes to pixels that already exist, the fill respects the original edges. There's no leftover halo of the old color. While Alpha Lock stays on, you can paint any colors you like inside the object, and strokes never spill outside it. Turn it off when you want to draw beyond the original shape again.

This works well for lettering, line art, and flat shapes. It replaces everything on the layer with a single color, though, so it's the wrong tool if the layer holds several objects that need different results.

Method 2: The Recolor tool

Recolor is built for objects with texture, gradients, or varied values, where a flat fill would destroy the detail. In recent versions of Procreate it lives in the Quick Menu rather than the Adjustments panel, so you may need to set it up first.

Set up the Quick Menu:

1. Open the Actions menu (wrench icon) > Prefs > Gesture controls.
2. Choose Quick Menu and assign a gesture, such as a tap-and-hold or a sidebar button.
3. Open the Quick Menu, press and hold any existing button, and select Recolor from the list.

Use it:

1. Select the layer containing your object.
2. Pick the new color.
3. Open the Quick Menu and tap Recolor. A small cursor appears.
4. Drag the cursor onto the object. You'll see a live preview. Tap to commit.

If the whole background changes color, the cursor landed on the wrong area, so move it onto the object. Adjust the Threshold slider at the bottom of the screen if the recolor doesn't reach every pixel of a textured object. You can also tap other swatches while the cursor is active to audition colors before committing.

Recolor is better than a flat fill for painted surfaces. It's still a destructive pixel operation, so duplicate the layer first.

Method 3: ColorDrop and selections

For simple closed shapes, drag the color from the color dot at the top right of the interface onto the shape and release. Don't pause before dragging, or the dot may revert to your previous color.

ColorDrop fills a contiguous area, so it changes one object at a time. If your line art has gaps, the color escapes. In that case:

• Use the Selection tool to select the object.
• Fill the selection with your active color.

For lettering or line work where you want everything on a layer changed, Alpha Lock (Method 1) is faster than selecting letter by letter.

Method 4: Hue, Saturation, Brightness

When you want to shift the overall color of a layer rather than replace it:

1. Select the layer.
2. Open Adjustments > Hue, Saturation, Brightness.
3. Choose to apply it to the layer.
4. Drag the sliders. Hue rotates the color around the spectrum, Saturation controls intensity, Brightness controls lightness.

Hue shifts all colors on the layer together, so isolating the object matters. If a red car sits against a green hedge, a hue rotation moves both. That leads to the photo workflow.

Recoloring an object in a photo

This approach keeps the original recoverable:

1. Duplicate the photo layer twice. Hide the bottom copy as a backup.
2. Select the middle layer and apply a Hue, Saturation, Brightness adjustment until the target object reads the right color. Ignore what happens to the rest of the image.
3. Show the top layer, select it, and use the Eraser to erase the object. This reveals the recolored layer underneath, but only inside the object.
4. Zoom in and adjust the eraser size as you work near boundaries.

You could also select the object first and apply the adjustment only inside it. Erasing keeps edges editable for longer, since you can repaint any part of the mask by switching back to the layer.

Fine-tuning with Color Balance and Curves

If a plain hue shift looks flat, use the other Adjustments:

• Color Balance lets you push shadows, midtones, and highlights independently toward red, green, blue, or their opposites. Midtones give the most even shift.
• Curves gives control over tone and color, with a histogram to guide you. It's the most precise option for matching an object's color to a scene.

Troubleshooting common problems

• Whole canvas changes: You're on the wrong layer, or the object isn't isolated. Check the active layer and move the object to its own.
• Fringes of the old color: Use Alpha Lock with Fill Layer instead of filling inside a selection.
• Color looks muddy after a hue shift: Add a Saturation or Curves adjustment.
• Recolor only affects part of the object: Raise the Threshold slider.
• Changes aren't reversible later: Duplicate the layer before adjusting.

Quick recap

For flat objects, use Alpha Lock and Fill Layer. For textured ones, use Recolor from the Quick Menu. For single shapes, use ColorDrop or a selection fill. For global shifts, use Hue, Saturation, Brightness. Isolate the object on its own layer first, and duplicate before committing destructive changes.

To change the color of an object in Procreate, put the object on its own layer, then recolor it with Alpha Lock plus Fill Layer, the Recolor tool, or ColorDrop. For a quick shift on a layer or photo, use Adjustments > Hue, Saturation, Brightness. Which method is best depends on whether the object is flat color, textured, or part of a photo, and whether you need the change to stay editable.

Which method fits your artwork

Everything below assumes the object you want to change is isolated on a layer. If it isn't, separate it first with a selection, then copy it to a new layer. Most recolor frustration comes from working on a layer that contains more than the object.

Method 1: Alpha Lock and Fill Layer

This is the cleanest way to recolor an entire layer's contents without fringing.

1. Choose your new color in the color picker.
2. Open the Layers panel and tap the layer with your object.
3. Tap Alpha Lock. Alternatively, swipe right on the layer with two fingers. The thumbnail shows a checkerboard when it's active.
4. Tap the layer again and choose Fill Layer.

Because Alpha Lock restricts changes to pixels that already exist, the fill respects the original edges. There's no leftover halo of the old color. While Alpha Lock stays on, you can paint any colors you like inside the object, and strokes never spill outside it. Turn it off when you want to draw beyond the original shape again.

This works well for lettering, line art, and flat shapes. It replaces everything on the layer with a single color, though, so it's the wrong tool if the layer holds several objects that need different results.

Method 2: The Recolor tool

Recolor is built for objects with texture, gradients, or varied values, where a flat fill would destroy the detail. In recent versions of Procreate it lives in the Quick Menu rather than the Adjustments panel, so you may need to set it up first.

Set up the Quick Menu:

1. Open the Actions menu (wrench icon) > Prefs > Gesture controls.
2. Choose Quick Menu and assign a gesture, such as a tap-and-hold or a sidebar button.
3. Open the Quick Menu, press and hold any existing button, and select Recolor from the list.

Use it:

1. Select the layer containing your object.
2. Pick the new color.
3. Open the Quick Menu and tap Recolor. A small cursor appears.
4. Drag the cursor onto the object. You'll see a live preview. Tap to commit.

If the whole background changes color, the cursor landed on the wrong area, so move it onto the object. Adjust the Threshold slider at the bottom of the screen if the recolor doesn't reach every pixel of a textured object. You can also tap other swatches while the cursor is active to audition colors before committing.

Recolor is better than a flat fill for painted surfaces. It's still a destructive pixel operation, so duplicate the layer first.

Method 3: ColorDrop and selections

For simple closed shapes, drag the color from the color dot at the top right of the interface onto the shape and release. Don't pause before dragging, or the dot may revert to your previous color.

ColorDrop fills a contiguous area, so it changes one object at a time. If your line art has gaps, the color escapes. In that case:

• Use the Selection tool to select the object.
• Fill the selection with your active color.

For lettering or line work where you want everything on a layer changed, Alpha Lock (Method 1) is faster than selecting letter by letter.

Method 4: Hue, Saturation, Brightness

When you want to shift the overall color of a layer rather than replace it:

1. Select the layer.
2. Open Adjustments > Hue, Saturation, Brightness.
3. Choose to apply it to the layer.
4. Drag the sliders. Hue rotates the color around the spectrum, Saturation controls intensity, Brightness controls lightness.

Hue shifts all colors on the layer together, so isolating the object matters. If a red car sits against a green hedge, a hue rotation moves both. That leads to the photo workflow.

Recoloring an object in a photo

This approach keeps the original recoverable:

1. Duplicate the photo layer twice. Hide the bottom copy as a backup.
2. Select the middle layer and apply a Hue, Saturation, Brightness adjustment until the target object reads the right color. Ignore what happens to the rest of the image.
3. Show the top layer, select it, and use the Eraser to erase the object. This reveals the recolored layer underneath, but only inside the object.
4. Zoom in and adjust the eraser size as you work near boundaries.

You could also select the object first and apply the adjustment only inside it. Erasing keeps edges editable for longer, since you can repaint any part of the mask by switching back to the layer.

Fine-tuning with Color Balance and Curves

If a plain hue shift looks flat, use the other Adjustments:

• Color Balance lets you push shadows, midtones, and highlights independently toward red, green, blue, or their opposites. Midtones give the most even shift.
• Curves gives control over tone and color, with a histogram to guide you. It's the most precise option for matching an object's color to a scene.

Troubleshooting common problems

• Whole canvas changes: You're on the wrong layer, or the object isn't isolated. Check the active layer and move the object to its own.
• Fringes of the old color: Use Alpha Lock with Fill Layer instead of filling inside a selection.
• Color looks muddy after a hue shift: Add a Saturation or Curves adjustment.
• Recolor only affects part of the object: Raise the Threshold slider.
• Changes aren't reversible later: Duplicate the layer before adjusting.

Quick recap

For flat objects, use Alpha Lock and Fill Layer. For textured ones, use Recolor from the Quick Menu. For single shapes, use ColorDrop or a selection fill. For global shifts, use Hue, Saturation, Brightness. Isolate the object on its own layer first, and duplicate before committing destructive changes.