Procreate can't nest one brush set inside another, so "combining" folders means one of three things: moving brushes from one set into another, stacking sets under a divider set, or grouping sets in separate brush libraries (Procreate 5.4 and later). To merge two sets into one, pick up the brushes, drop them into the destination set, then delete the empty set. To combine two brushes into one custom brush, use Dual Brush, which is a separate feature.

What "combining brush folders" means in Procreate

Procreate calls folders "brush sets." Each set holds brushes, and the list of sets runs down the left side of the brush panel. People who search this keyword usually want one of these:

• Merge two sets into one. Move the contents of one set into another.
• Group related sets together. For example, keep all the sets from one brush maker next to each other.
• Separate sets into larger buckets. For example, drawing brushes in one place and stamps in another.
• Fuse two brushes. This is the Dual Brush feature, covered near the end.

Procreate's team has said that dropping a set onto another set doesn't put it inside. The set simply returns to the list. Nesting sets has been requested many times but isn't a feature. Everything below is a workaround within that limit.

Before you start: back up your sets

Moving brushes is low risk, but deleting a set is permanent. Before you clean anything up:

1. Tap the set name to open its menu.
2. Choose Share, then Save to Files.
3. Pick a folder in iCloud, Dropbox, or local storage.

Do this for any set you plan to merge and delete. If a drag goes wrong, you can re-import the file instead of rebuilding the set.

Method 1: Merge two sets by moving brushes

This is the closest thing to a true merge. You move every brush from a source set into a destination set.

1. Open the brush panel and tap the source set.
2. Press and hold a brush thumbnail until it lifts, then nudge it slightly.
3. While still holding, tap the other brushes you want to take. They bunch into one draggable stack. In newer versions you can also swipe right on brushes to select several at once.
4. With the stack still held, use your other hand to scroll the set list and tap the destination set. It opens under your finger.
5. Drop the brushes into the destination set.

In Procreate 5.4 and later, moving a brush between sets relocates it rather than copying it. If you want the brush to exist in both places, swipe left on it to duplicate it first.

Once the source set is empty, you can delete it. Check that it's really empty first, and keep your backup.

If you're moving a lot of brushes, scroll to the destination set before you start. Dragging a long stack across a very long set list is where most mistakes happen.

Method 2: Select several sets and move them together

If your goal is to group sets rather than merge them, you can pick up more than one set at a time.

1. Press and hold the first set, then drag it slightly out of its position.
2. Without releasing, tap the other sets you want. They join your selection.
3. Drop the group at the new spot in the list.

This groups sets by position, for example all your watercolor sets in a row. It doesn't put them inside a parent folder.

Users report this gesture can be fiddly, especially when moving dozens of sets. Common problems are the wrong sets getting selected, and sets only moving when picked up from the top of the list. If it misbehaves, drop what you're holding, scroll back to the top, and try again with a smaller batch. Moving sets in groups of five to ten is more reliable than one big selection.

New and imported sets land at the top of the list, so you'll usually be moving things down from there.

Method 3: Use divider sets as folders

Because sets can't nest, many artists create empty sets that act as labels.

1. Scroll to the top of the set list and tap the + to create a new set.
2. Name it clearly, for example "— ✏️ Lettering —". An emoji and a few dashes make it stand out in a long list.
3. Drag the relevant sets directly beneath that divider.
4. Repeat for each category.

Choose categories that match how you actually work. Some artists sort by medium (lettering, watercolor, inking, stamps), some by brush maker, and some by how often they use the brushes. Pick one scheme and stick with it, or the list gets harder to scan than it was before.

Before you start sorting, do a quick clear-out. Some brushes with large grain textures take up noticeable storage, and fewer sets means less dragging. Don't delete the set Procreate uses to hold imported brushes, because you'll need it for future imports.

Method 4: Group sets with brush libraries

Procreate 5.4 added multiple brush libraries, which is the nearest thing to a real top-level folder.

1. Open the brush panel and pinch on the current library to see all libraries.
2. Tap + and choose Create New Library.
3. Name it, for example "Stamps" or "Daily drivers."
4. Drag libraries to reorder them.
5. Tap and hold a brush or set to pick it up, return to the library view, open the new library, and drop it in.

Libraries are the cleanest answer if you want separate buckets, such as one for core drawing, painting, and lettering brushes and another just for stamps. The tradeoff is that moving sets between libraries can be slower. At least one walkthrough notes you may have to move sets one at a time, so plan for it as a one-time cleanup.

A few other 5.4 features help once things are sorted:

• Long-press a set title to rename it or assign a custom icon. An emoji at the start of the name can serve as the icon.
• Swipe down in the panel to reveal a search bar, which helps when you can't find a moved brush.
• You can share and save brushes, sets, and whole libraries as files, then import them with the plus button or by dragging files into Procreate.

Combining two brushes: Dual Brush

If you meant fusing two brushes into one, that's Dual Brush. It uses the shape and grain of each brush to make a new one.

1. Open the brush panel and find the two brushes.
2. Tap the first to select it as the Primary (it turns bright blue).
3. Swipe the second to select it as the Secondary (it turns dark blue).
4. Tap Combine at the top right of the library.

The two brushes must be in the same set. This is where Method 1 pays off: if the brushes you want are in different sets, move them into one set first. You can only combine single brushes, not existing Dual Brushes. Since 5.4 you can combine default brushes too. The new brush takes the Primary brush's name.

To tune it, open the Dual Brush in Brush Studio, select either component to edit it independently, and change the Combine Mode to alter how the two blend, much like a layer blend mode. To reverse it, open the Secondary brush preview and tap Uncombine.

Troubleshooting common problems

• Dropping a set on another set does nothing. That's expected. Sets can't go inside sets. Use a divider or a library instead.
• Duplicates appear after a drag. Delete the extra copies once you've confirmed the originals are intact, and restore from your backup if anything is missing.
• Only some brushes move. Make sure each brush is added to the stack before you start scrolling, and that you're not letting go before the destination set opens.
• You can't rename or delete a default set. Procreate's built-in sets are protected. Push them to the bottom of the list instead.
• The list is hard to sort. There's no automatic alphabetical sort, so numbering your divider sets ("01 Lettering") is a simple way to enforce order.

Where this fits in a motion pipeline

For motion designers and animators, Procreate is often where hand-drawn style frames, textures, and cleanup passes get made before they move into After Effects or Nuke. A tidy brush library makes it easier to repeat the same look across a sequence, because you can reach the same ink, grain, and stamp brushes each time.

Quick recap

• Procreate has no nested folders, so merge by moving brushes between sets.
• Select multiple sets by holding one, then tapping others, to reorder them as a group.
• Use divider sets for lightweight folder labels.
• Use libraries (5.4 and later) for true top-level grouping.
• Back up before deleting anything, since deletion can't be undone.
• Move brushes into the same set before using Dual Brush to combine them.

Spend one session on the setup and you won't have to repeat it. After that, new imports are just a matter of dropping them under the right divider or into the right library.

Procreate can't nest one brush set inside another, so "combining" folders means one of three things: moving brushes from one set into another, stacking sets under a divider set, or grouping sets in separate brush libraries (Procreate 5.4 and later). To merge two sets into one, pick up the brushes, drop them into the destination set, then delete the empty set. To combine two brushes into one custom brush, use Dual Brush, which is a separate feature.

What "combining brush folders" means in Procreate

Procreate calls folders "brush sets." Each set holds brushes, and the list of sets runs down the left side of the brush panel. People who search this keyword usually want one of these:

• Merge two sets into one. Move the contents of one set into another.
• Group related sets together. For example, keep all the sets from one brush maker next to each other.
• Separate sets into larger buckets. For example, drawing brushes in one place and stamps in another.
• Fuse two brushes. This is the Dual Brush feature, covered near the end.

Procreate's team has said that dropping a set onto another set doesn't put it inside. The set simply returns to the list. Nesting sets has been requested many times but isn't a feature. Everything below is a workaround within that limit.

Before you start: back up your sets

Moving brushes is low risk, but deleting a set is permanent. Before you clean anything up:

1. Tap the set name to open its menu.
2. Choose Share, then Save to Files.
3. Pick a folder in iCloud, Dropbox, or local storage.

Do this for any set you plan to merge and delete. If a drag goes wrong, you can re-import the file instead of rebuilding the set.

Method 1: Merge two sets by moving brushes

This is the closest thing to a true merge. You move every brush from a source set into a destination set.

1. Open the brush panel and tap the source set.
2. Press and hold a brush thumbnail until it lifts, then nudge it slightly.
3. While still holding, tap the other brushes you want to take. They bunch into one draggable stack. In newer versions you can also swipe right on brushes to select several at once.
4. With the stack still held, use your other hand to scroll the set list and tap the destination set. It opens under your finger.
5. Drop the brushes into the destination set.

In Procreate 5.4 and later, moving a brush between sets relocates it rather than copying it. If you want the brush to exist in both places, swipe left on it to duplicate it first.

Once the source set is empty, you can delete it. Check that it's really empty first, and keep your backup.

If you're moving a lot of brushes, scroll to the destination set before you start. Dragging a long stack across a very long set list is where most mistakes happen.

Method 2: Select several sets and move them together

If your goal is to group sets rather than merge them, you can pick up more than one set at a time.

1. Press and hold the first set, then drag it slightly out of its position.
2. Without releasing, tap the other sets you want. They join your selection.
3. Drop the group at the new spot in the list.

This groups sets by position, for example all your watercolor sets in a row. It doesn't put them inside a parent folder.

Users report this gesture can be fiddly, especially when moving dozens of sets. Common problems are the wrong sets getting selected, and sets only moving when picked up from the top of the list. If it misbehaves, drop what you're holding, scroll back to the top, and try again with a smaller batch. Moving sets in groups of five to ten is more reliable than one big selection.

New and imported sets land at the top of the list, so you'll usually be moving things down from there.

Method 3: Use divider sets as folders

Because sets can't nest, many artists create empty sets that act as labels.

1. Scroll to the top of the set list and tap the + to create a new set.
2. Name it clearly, for example "— ✏️ Lettering —". An emoji and a few dashes make it stand out in a long list.
3. Drag the relevant sets directly beneath that divider.
4. Repeat for each category.

Choose categories that match how you actually work. Some artists sort by medium (lettering, watercolor, inking, stamps), some by brush maker, and some by how often they use the brushes. Pick one scheme and stick with it, or the list gets harder to scan than it was before.

Before you start sorting, do a quick clear-out. Some brushes with large grain textures take up noticeable storage, and fewer sets means less dragging. Don't delete the set Procreate uses to hold imported brushes, because you'll need it for future imports.

Method 4: Group sets with brush libraries

Procreate 5.4 added multiple brush libraries, which is the nearest thing to a real top-level folder.

1. Open the brush panel and pinch on the current library to see all libraries.
2. Tap + and choose Create New Library.
3. Name it, for example "Stamps" or "Daily drivers."
4. Drag libraries to reorder them.
5. Tap and hold a brush or set to pick it up, return to the library view, open the new library, and drop it in.

Libraries are the cleanest answer if you want separate buckets, such as one for core drawing, painting, and lettering brushes and another just for stamps. The tradeoff is that moving sets between libraries can be slower. At least one walkthrough notes you may have to move sets one at a time, so plan for it as a one-time cleanup.

A few other 5.4 features help once things are sorted:

• Long-press a set title to rename it or assign a custom icon. An emoji at the start of the name can serve as the icon.
• Swipe down in the panel to reveal a search bar, which helps when you can't find a moved brush.
• You can share and save brushes, sets, and whole libraries as files, then import them with the plus button or by dragging files into Procreate.

Combining two brushes: Dual Brush

If you meant fusing two brushes into one, that's Dual Brush. It uses the shape and grain of each brush to make a new one.

1. Open the brush panel and find the two brushes.
2. Tap the first to select it as the Primary (it turns bright blue).
3. Swipe the second to select it as the Secondary (it turns dark blue).
4. Tap Combine at the top right of the library.

The two brushes must be in the same set. This is where Method 1 pays off: if the brushes you want are in different sets, move them into one set first. You can only combine single brushes, not existing Dual Brushes. Since 5.4 you can combine default brushes too. The new brush takes the Primary brush's name.

To tune it, open the Dual Brush in Brush Studio, select either component to edit it independently, and change the Combine Mode to alter how the two blend, much like a layer blend mode. To reverse it, open the Secondary brush preview and tap Uncombine.

Troubleshooting common problems

• Dropping a set on another set does nothing. That's expected. Sets can't go inside sets. Use a divider or a library instead.
• Duplicates appear after a drag. Delete the extra copies once you've confirmed the originals are intact, and restore from your backup if anything is missing.
• Only some brushes move. Make sure each brush is added to the stack before you start scrolling, and that you're not letting go before the destination set opens.
• You can't rename or delete a default set. Procreate's built-in sets are protected. Push them to the bottom of the list instead.
• The list is hard to sort. There's no automatic alphabetical sort, so numbering your divider sets ("01 Lettering") is a simple way to enforce order.

Where this fits in a motion pipeline

For motion designers and animators, Procreate is often where hand-drawn style frames, textures, and cleanup passes get made before they move into After Effects or Nuke. A tidy brush library makes it easier to repeat the same look across a sequence, because you can reach the same ink, grain, and stamp brushes each time.

Quick recap

• Procreate has no nested folders, so merge by moving brushes between sets.
• Select multiple sets by holding one, then tapping others, to reorder them as a group.
• Use divider sets for lightweight folder labels.
• Use libraries (5.4 and later) for true top-level grouping.
• Back up before deleting anything, since deletion can't be undone.
• Move brushes into the same set before using Dual Brush to combine them.

Spend one session on the setup and you won't have to repeat it. After that, new imports are just a matter of dropping them under the right divider or into the right library.