To combine all layers in Procreate, open the Layers panel, tap the top layer, and choose Flatten from the Layer Options menu (the exact menu wording can vary slightly between versions). That collapses the visible stack into a single layer. If you need more control, swipe right on each layer to select them all and pinch them together with two fingers, or put them in a group and flatten the group. Hidden layers may not appear in the merged result, and blend modes can change how the merged layer looks, so check both before you commit.

The three ways to combine every layer

Procreate has several merge paths, and they behave differently enough to matter in a production file.

Whichever you choose, treat it as a destructive step. Duplicate the canvas first, as described below.

Method 1: Flatten the canvas

Flatten is the fastest way to turn a layered painting into a single image.

1. Open the Layers panel.
2. Tap a layer once to select it, then tap it again to open Layer Options.
3. Tap Flatten.

Visible layers are merged into one. Hidden layers may not be included in the merged result, so if you want a hidden layer in the final image, turn it on before you flatten. If you want to keep it out of the image but preserve it, duplicate the file first.

One thing to verify afterward is how the background color layer was handled. Pinch-merging leaves the background color layer alone, so a merged result can look like it has no background. After any merge, toggle the background layer on and off and compare the result to what you had before.

Method 2: Select all layers and pinch

This is the manual route, and it's useful when you want some layers merged and others left alone.

1. Tap the first layer you want in the merge.
2. Swipe right on each additional layer. Selected layers get highlighted.
3. Place two fingers on the selected layers and pinch them together.

The layers collapse into one. For "all layers," select every layer except the background color layer, since that one isn't part of the merge anyway.

This method has a quirk that frustrates many artists: the merged layer inherits the blend mode of the layer at the bottom of the selection. If that layer is set to Multiply, the merged result is a Multiply layer. Set the bottom layer to Normal before you pinch unless you specifically want something else.

Method 3: Group everything, then flatten the group

If your file is already organized, grouping is a clean way to combine everything without mis-selecting a layer.

1. Select all layers (swipe right across them).
2. Tap Group at the top of the Layers panel.
3. Tap the group and choose Flatten.

Procreate also offers Merge Down, which combines a layer with the one directly below it. That's handy for incremental cleanup, but it's slow if you really do want everything in one layer.

Why your merged layer looks different

This is a common problem in the Procreate forums. A merged layer can look different from the stack it came from. The cause is blend modes.

Blend modes like Multiply, Overlay, Color Dodge, and Add act on everything underneath them. When you merge a subset of layers, the blend modes inside that subset have nothing below them except each other, so they calculate differently than they did over your full composition. A single layer also can't be both Overlay and Multiply, so the merge has to pick one mode for the result.

There are a few reliable fixes:

• Preview first. Hide the background layer and look at the artwork. If it looks different with the background off, it will look the same way after the merge.
• Give the stack a solid base. Add a Normal-mode layer filled with a flat shape behind the elements you're merging. For a character, select the area outside the shape, invert the selection, and fill it. The blend modes then have something consistent to interact with.
• Set the bottom layer to Normal. The merged layer takes that mode, so make it the one you want.
• Merge the whole stack, not part of it. If everything is in the merge, including the base that the blend modes were reacting to, the result is closest to what you saw.

Some artists get around this by saving a PSD and merging in Photoshop, which handles the merge differently. It works, but if the look matters, flattening the full stack with the background visible is usually more predictable.

Combine layers without losing the originals

Procreate doesn't have a one-tap "merge to new layer and keep the sources" command. Here are three safe ways to get the same result.

Duplicate the artwork in the Gallery. This is the safest method. Duplicate the artwork from the Gallery and flatten the copy. Your layered original stays untouched, and you can bring the flattened version back into the layered file later.

Duplicate the layers first. Select the layers, duplicate them, then merge the duplicates. It's quick, but it clutters the panel, so rename or group the originals afterward.

Merge, copy, undo, paste. Pinch the layers together, swipe on the merged layer and tap Copy, then Undo to restore the separate layers. Open the Actions (wrench) menu and use the clipboard insert option to paste the merged image as a new layer. It works, but it's risky: if the app crashes or is interrupted mid-operation, you may not be able to undo. Also remember that hidden layers won't appear in the merged copy.

For anything you'd be upset to lose, use the Gallery duplicate.

Export the combined result for After Effects, Premiere, or Nuke

If the reason you're flattening is to hand the artwork to a compositing or editing pipeline, you often don't need to flatten inside Procreate at all.

• Layered handoff: Export as PSD to keep layers, then bring it into your compositing app. Note that blend modes and layer structure can translate imperfectly, so spot-check against your Procreate canvas.
• Flat handoff: Export as PNG or JPEG for a single flat image. If you need transparency, turn off the background color layer before exporting and check the result.
• Check resolution and color: Confirm the canvas dimensions match your composition, and verify the color profile so your frame doesn't shift when it lands in a video timeline.

Keeping the layered file as your master and exporting flattened versions as needed is a better habit than flattening in place. You can always re-export; you can't un-flatten.

Where a flattened frame fits in an AI-assisted motion workflow

Flattening is often the step right before a still becomes something that moves. A single combined image is what you need as a clean reference or keyframe when you start animating or restyling artwork.

Styleframe is an AI video and motion tool. Check its current documentation for the inputs, features, and output formats it supports, and for how a flattened Procreate frame can be used with it.

Flattening can help here, but don't do it blindly. If you need separate elements for animation or compositing, export those layers individually or as a PSD, and flatten only the version you're using as a reference.

Troubleshooting common problems

The merged layer looks washed out or too dark. A blend mode is reacting differently. Set the bottom layer to Normal, add a solid base behind the stack, or merge the full composition.

A layer disappeared after flattening. It may have been hidden. Hidden layers may not appear in a merge. Undo, make the layer visible, and flatten again.

The background vanished. Pinch-merging doesn't include the background color layer. Check whether it's visible, or add a fill layer you can merge.

The Flatten option isn't showing up. The menu differs slightly between versions and depends on what's selected. Try tapping a group, or select all layers and group them first.

I need the layers back. Undo immediately if you can. If the file has been closed, you may not be able to recover the layers, which is why a Gallery duplicate before flattening is worth the few seconds.

Quick reference

• Tap a layer, then Flatten, to combine everything visible.
• Swipe right to select layers, then pinch, to merge a subset.
• Group, then flatten the group, for a tidy, controlled merge.
• Set the bottom layer to Normal and preview with the background hidden.
• Duplicate the artwork in the Gallery before any merge you can't afford to lose.
• Export PSD for layered handoffs and PNG for flat ones.

To combine all layers in Procreate, open the Layers panel, tap the top layer, and choose Flatten from the Layer Options menu (the exact menu wording can vary slightly between versions). That collapses the visible stack into a single layer. If you need more control, swipe right on each layer to select them all and pinch them together with two fingers, or put them in a group and flatten the group. Hidden layers may not appear in the merged result, and blend modes can change how the merged layer looks, so check both before you commit.

The three ways to combine every layer

Procreate has several merge paths, and they behave differently enough to matter in a production file.

Whichever you choose, treat it as a destructive step. Duplicate the canvas first, as described below.

Method 1: Flatten the canvas

Flatten is the fastest way to turn a layered painting into a single image.

1. Open the Layers panel.
2. Tap a layer once to select it, then tap it again to open Layer Options.
3. Tap Flatten.

Visible layers are merged into one. Hidden layers may not be included in the merged result, so if you want a hidden layer in the final image, turn it on before you flatten. If you want to keep it out of the image but preserve it, duplicate the file first.

One thing to verify afterward is how the background color layer was handled. Pinch-merging leaves the background color layer alone, so a merged result can look like it has no background. After any merge, toggle the background layer on and off and compare the result to what you had before.

Method 2: Select all layers and pinch

This is the manual route, and it's useful when you want some layers merged and others left alone.

1. Tap the first layer you want in the merge.
2. Swipe right on each additional layer. Selected layers get highlighted.
3. Place two fingers on the selected layers and pinch them together.

The layers collapse into one. For "all layers," select every layer except the background color layer, since that one isn't part of the merge anyway.

This method has a quirk that frustrates many artists: the merged layer inherits the blend mode of the layer at the bottom of the selection. If that layer is set to Multiply, the merged result is a Multiply layer. Set the bottom layer to Normal before you pinch unless you specifically want something else.

Method 3: Group everything, then flatten the group

If your file is already organized, grouping is a clean way to combine everything without mis-selecting a layer.

1. Select all layers (swipe right across them).
2. Tap Group at the top of the Layers panel.
3. Tap the group and choose Flatten.

Procreate also offers Merge Down, which combines a layer with the one directly below it. That's handy for incremental cleanup, but it's slow if you really do want everything in one layer.

Why your merged layer looks different

This is a common problem in the Procreate forums. A merged layer can look different from the stack it came from. The cause is blend modes.

Blend modes like Multiply, Overlay, Color Dodge, and Add act on everything underneath them. When you merge a subset of layers, the blend modes inside that subset have nothing below them except each other, so they calculate differently than they did over your full composition. A single layer also can't be both Overlay and Multiply, so the merge has to pick one mode for the result.

There are a few reliable fixes:

• Preview first. Hide the background layer and look at the artwork. If it looks different with the background off, it will look the same way after the merge.
• Give the stack a solid base. Add a Normal-mode layer filled with a flat shape behind the elements you're merging. For a character, select the area outside the shape, invert the selection, and fill it. The blend modes then have something consistent to interact with.
• Set the bottom layer to Normal. The merged layer takes that mode, so make it the one you want.
• Merge the whole stack, not part of it. If everything is in the merge, including the base that the blend modes were reacting to, the result is closest to what you saw.

Some artists get around this by saving a PSD and merging in Photoshop, which handles the merge differently. It works, but if the look matters, flattening the full stack with the background visible is usually more predictable.

Combine layers without losing the originals

Procreate doesn't have a one-tap "merge to new layer and keep the sources" command. Here are three safe ways to get the same result.

Duplicate the artwork in the Gallery. This is the safest method. Duplicate the artwork from the Gallery and flatten the copy. Your layered original stays untouched, and you can bring the flattened version back into the layered file later.

Duplicate the layers first. Select the layers, duplicate them, then merge the duplicates. It's quick, but it clutters the panel, so rename or group the originals afterward.

Merge, copy, undo, paste. Pinch the layers together, swipe on the merged layer and tap Copy, then Undo to restore the separate layers. Open the Actions (wrench) menu and use the clipboard insert option to paste the merged image as a new layer. It works, but it's risky: if the app crashes or is interrupted mid-operation, you may not be able to undo. Also remember that hidden layers won't appear in the merged copy.

For anything you'd be upset to lose, use the Gallery duplicate.

Export the combined result for After Effects, Premiere, or Nuke

If the reason you're flattening is to hand the artwork to a compositing or editing pipeline, you often don't need to flatten inside Procreate at all.

• Layered handoff: Export as PSD to keep layers, then bring it into your compositing app. Note that blend modes and layer structure can translate imperfectly, so spot-check against your Procreate canvas.
• Flat handoff: Export as PNG or JPEG for a single flat image. If you need transparency, turn off the background color layer before exporting and check the result.
• Check resolution and color: Confirm the canvas dimensions match your composition, and verify the color profile so your frame doesn't shift when it lands in a video timeline.

Keeping the layered file as your master and exporting flattened versions as needed is a better habit than flattening in place. You can always re-export; you can't un-flatten.

Where a flattened frame fits in an AI-assisted motion workflow

Flattening is often the step right before a still becomes something that moves. A single combined image is what you need as a clean reference or keyframe when you start animating or restyling artwork.

Styleframe is an AI video and motion tool. Check its current documentation for the inputs, features, and output formats it supports, and for how a flattened Procreate frame can be used with it.

Flattening can help here, but don't do it blindly. If you need separate elements for animation or compositing, export those layers individually or as a PSD, and flatten only the version you're using as a reference.

Troubleshooting common problems

The merged layer looks washed out or too dark. A blend mode is reacting differently. Set the bottom layer to Normal, add a solid base behind the stack, or merge the full composition.

A layer disappeared after flattening. It may have been hidden. Hidden layers may not appear in a merge. Undo, make the layer visible, and flatten again.

The background vanished. Pinch-merging doesn't include the background color layer. Check whether it's visible, or add a fill layer you can merge.

The Flatten option isn't showing up. The menu differs slightly between versions and depends on what's selected. Try tapping a group, or select all layers and group them first.

I need the layers back. Undo immediately if you can. If the file has been closed, you may not be able to recover the layers, which is why a Gallery duplicate before flattening is worth the few seconds.

Quick reference

• Tap a layer, then Flatten, to combine everything visible.
• Swipe right to select layers, then pinch, to merge a subset.
• Group, then flatten the group, for a tidy, controlled merge.
• Set the bottom layer to Normal and preview with the background hidden.
• Duplicate the artwork in the Gallery before any merge you can't afford to lose.
• Export PSD for layered handoffs and PNG for flat ones.