To make a Procreate brush very tapered, duplicate the brush, open Brush Studio, and go to the Taper panel. Set the Size taper to 100%, drag the Tip slider toward its sharpest position, stretch both end nodes to lengthen the taper, and switch off Classic Taper. If you draw with an Apple Pencil, use the Pressure taper section and make sure the Apple Pencil Size setting lets pressure change the line width.

Duplicate the brush before you change anything

Duplicate the brush in your library and rename the copy something like "Ink Taper Long." If you edit a default brush directly and save it, you may forget the original settings, and you may want that default again on a different project.

Pick a sensible starting brush. A simple round brush is a good place to begin, since a textured or grainy brush can make the thin ends harder to read.

Understand the two Taper sections

Open Brush Studio and choose Taper from the left-hand list. The panel has two halves, and mixing them up is one possible reason edits seem to do nothing:

• Pressure taper applies when you draw with an Apple Pencil or another pressure-sensitive stylus.
• Touch taper applies when you draw with a finger or a stylus without pressure support.

Test with the same input you adjusted. If you edit Touch taper and then draw with an Apple Pencil, you won't see the change. The reverse is also true. Some artists find tapers work with a finger but not with a Pencil, so checking that you're editing the right half of the panel is a good first step.

Each section has the same controls:

• Start and end nodes: Drag these along the stroke preview to set how much of the stroke's beginning and end gets tapered. Longer reach produces a more dramatic, gradual point.
• Link Tip Sizes: When on, moving one node moves its partner so both ends match. Turn it off to make asymmetric tapers, such as a short entry and a long flick at the exit.
• Size: How far the width shrinks across the taper zone. Higher values mean a bigger change.
• Opacity: Fades the stroke across the taper zone only.
• Pressure: A softer, more natural fade that depends on how hard you press. Pressing harder reduces the fade.
• Tip: Controls how sharp the end point is. It only has an effect when Size has a value above zero.
• Tip Animation: Animates the taper while you draw. Turning it off gives a snappier look, and the finished stroke is the same either way.
• Classic Taper: A toggle at the bottom for Procreate's older taper system.

Step-by-step: build an extremely tapered brush

1. Set the taper length

In the section that matches your input, drag the start and end nodes inward so the taper zones cover a large share of the stroke. For a long, whip-like point, push each node well toward the middle. Turn on Link Tip Sizes first if you want both ends to match.

2. Push Size to the maximum

Raise the Size slider to 100%. This is the main driver of how thin the ends become. If the taper looks too mild, this is the first thing to check.

3. Sharpen the Tip

Slide Tip toward the sharp end. A blunt tip leaves a rounded stub at the stroke's end even with a large Size value. A sharp tip lets the line come to a true point.

4. Turn off Classic Taper

Several users report that Classic Taper is the setting behind a stroke that tapers at only one end. Switch it off, redraw a test stroke, and compare. One user found that turning it off only reversed the effect, so combine this with the other checks below if one end still won't taper.

5. Add Pressure to the taper

Increase the Pressure value in the Pressure taper section for a smoother, more organic fade. It's also what lets you control the final shape: press lightly for a thin point, press harder to keep the line fuller. If you want the taper to stay consistent regardless of pressure, keep this lower and rely on Size and Tip instead.

Fix: only one end tapers

This is a common complaint, and it usually has a short list of causes. Work through them in order:

1. Turn off Classic Taper. Some artists report this as the culprit.
2. Turn on Link Tip Sizes so the end node matches the start node.
3. Check you're editing the right section (Pressure vs Touch) for the tool you're drawing with.
4. Check the Apple Pencil settings. In Brush Studio, open the Apple Pencil section and look at the Size slider under Pressure. You may need to adjust it to get the taper working.
5. Check Dynamics. If speed changes your brush size, a fast flick at the stroke's end can fight the taper. Some artists get better two-ended tapers by setting the speed-based size response to a negative value. Treat that as an experiment, since results vary by brush.
6. Draw more deliberately. Some users find fast flicks hard to control when tapering, so try slower, more deliberate strokes.

Supporting settings that make the taper visible

A strong taper setting can still look weak if other settings flatten it. These are worth checking.

Stroke Path: Spacing

High spacing breaks the stroke into visible stamps and ruins the smooth point. Reduce Spacing to a low value, around 3% as a starting point, so the stamps merge into one fluid line.

Stabilization: StreamLine

StreamLine smooths wobble in the line, which helps a long taper look intentional instead of jittery. A modest Amount, around 10%, is enough for many ink brushes.

Apple Pencil: Size

Under the Apple Pencil section, raise the Size response so pressure meaningfully changes width. Values in the 80% range are a reasonable starting point. This makes the Pencil's pressure and the taper cooperate instead of competing.

Fall Off

Fall Off, found under Stroke Properties, fades a stroke gradually along its length. It's a different tool from taper.

A starter recipe to adapt

One user on the Procreate forum shared a tapered round brush built from a duplicated Round Brush with settings like these. Adjust it to your taste and stylus.

• Stroke Path Spacing: about 3%
• StreamLine Amount: about 10%
• Taper: Tip size brought in about halfway, Size around 80% (push toward 100% for a more extreme taper)
• Taper: Classic Taper off
• Apple Pencil Size: around 80%

Draw ten or so test strokes at different speeds and pressures. Then change one setting at a time. Changing several together makes it hard to learn which one did what.

Technique still matters

Settings set the range, but your hand finishes the job. Two habits help:

• Let pressure do the shaping. Start light, build pressure through the middle, and lift smoothly. Some artists prefer to rely mostly on pressure and use taper settings as a gentle assist.
• Match speed to the stroke. Long, confident strokes taper better than short, hesitant ones. A very short stroke may not have enough length for the taper zones to complete.

If you draw with a finger, tune the Touch taper section separately. It can produce good tapers, but they behave differently from pressure-based ones.

Using tapered Procreate linework in a motion pipeline

If you work in After Effects, Premiere Pro, Nuke, or Blender, tapered brushes are useful for more than illustration. Hand-drawn linework with a natural point can serve as:

• Frame-by-frame animated strokes, like writing-on effects, smoke wisps, or energy lines
• Texture and matte elements to layer over footage
• Style references for look development

Export your artwork as transparent PNGs so the thin, soft ends keep their alpha edges, and bring them into your compositing app as image sequences or stills. Draw at a generous canvas size. Fine tapered points are the first thing to degrade when you scale up an image later.

Quick troubleshooting checklist

• Taper has no visible effect: Confirm you're editing the right section, then raise Size and check the Tip slider.
• Ends are rounded and blunt: Sharpen Tip and make sure Size is above zero.
• One end only: Turn off Classic Taper and enable Link Tip Sizes.
• Jagged or dotted thin ends: Lower Spacing.
• Shaky long points: Add a little StreamLine.
• Finger taper works but Pencil doesn't: Review the Apple Pencil Size setting and the Pressure taper section.
• Fast flicks behave unpredictably: Check Dynamics settings that tie size to speed.

Final notes

Very tapered brushes come from several settings working together: long taper zones, a high Size value, a sharp Tip, low Spacing, matched Pencil pressure, and Classic Taper turned off. Duplicate a brush, change one thing at a time, and save a version whenever a stroke feels right. Once you have two or three dependable tapered brushes, you can reuse them across illustration, animation assets, and style references for the rest of your pipeline.

To make a Procreate brush very tapered, duplicate the brush, open Brush Studio, and go to the Taper panel. Set the Size taper to 100%, drag the Tip slider toward its sharpest position, stretch both end nodes to lengthen the taper, and switch off Classic Taper. If you draw with an Apple Pencil, use the Pressure taper section and make sure the Apple Pencil Size setting lets pressure change the line width.

Duplicate the brush before you change anything

Duplicate the brush in your library and rename the copy something like "Ink Taper Long." If you edit a default brush directly and save it, you may forget the original settings, and you may want that default again on a different project.

Pick a sensible starting brush. A simple round brush is a good place to begin, since a textured or grainy brush can make the thin ends harder to read.

Understand the two Taper sections

Open Brush Studio and choose Taper from the left-hand list. The panel has two halves, and mixing them up is one possible reason edits seem to do nothing:

• Pressure taper applies when you draw with an Apple Pencil or another pressure-sensitive stylus.
• Touch taper applies when you draw with a finger or a stylus without pressure support.

Test with the same input you adjusted. If you edit Touch taper and then draw with an Apple Pencil, you won't see the change. The reverse is also true. Some artists find tapers work with a finger but not with a Pencil, so checking that you're editing the right half of the panel is a good first step.

Each section has the same controls:

• Start and end nodes: Drag these along the stroke preview to set how much of the stroke's beginning and end gets tapered. Longer reach produces a more dramatic, gradual point.
• Link Tip Sizes: When on, moving one node moves its partner so both ends match. Turn it off to make asymmetric tapers, such as a short entry and a long flick at the exit.
• Size: How far the width shrinks across the taper zone. Higher values mean a bigger change.
• Opacity: Fades the stroke across the taper zone only.
• Pressure: A softer, more natural fade that depends on how hard you press. Pressing harder reduces the fade.
• Tip: Controls how sharp the end point is. It only has an effect when Size has a value above zero.
• Tip Animation: Animates the taper while you draw. Turning it off gives a snappier look, and the finished stroke is the same either way.
• Classic Taper: A toggle at the bottom for Procreate's older taper system.

Step-by-step: build an extremely tapered brush

1. Set the taper length

In the section that matches your input, drag the start and end nodes inward so the taper zones cover a large share of the stroke. For a long, whip-like point, push each node well toward the middle. Turn on Link Tip Sizes first if you want both ends to match.

2. Push Size to the maximum

Raise the Size slider to 100%. This is the main driver of how thin the ends become. If the taper looks too mild, this is the first thing to check.

3. Sharpen the Tip

Slide Tip toward the sharp end. A blunt tip leaves a rounded stub at the stroke's end even with a large Size value. A sharp tip lets the line come to a true point.

4. Turn off Classic Taper

Several users report that Classic Taper is the setting behind a stroke that tapers at only one end. Switch it off, redraw a test stroke, and compare. One user found that turning it off only reversed the effect, so combine this with the other checks below if one end still won't taper.

5. Add Pressure to the taper

Increase the Pressure value in the Pressure taper section for a smoother, more organic fade. It's also what lets you control the final shape: press lightly for a thin point, press harder to keep the line fuller. If you want the taper to stay consistent regardless of pressure, keep this lower and rely on Size and Tip instead.

Fix: only one end tapers

This is a common complaint, and it usually has a short list of causes. Work through them in order:

1. Turn off Classic Taper. Some artists report this as the culprit.
2. Turn on Link Tip Sizes so the end node matches the start node.
3. Check you're editing the right section (Pressure vs Touch) for the tool you're drawing with.
4. Check the Apple Pencil settings. In Brush Studio, open the Apple Pencil section and look at the Size slider under Pressure. You may need to adjust it to get the taper working.
5. Check Dynamics. If speed changes your brush size, a fast flick at the stroke's end can fight the taper. Some artists get better two-ended tapers by setting the speed-based size response to a negative value. Treat that as an experiment, since results vary by brush.
6. Draw more deliberately. Some users find fast flicks hard to control when tapering, so try slower, more deliberate strokes.

Supporting settings that make the taper visible

A strong taper setting can still look weak if other settings flatten it. These are worth checking.

Stroke Path: Spacing

High spacing breaks the stroke into visible stamps and ruins the smooth point. Reduce Spacing to a low value, around 3% as a starting point, so the stamps merge into one fluid line.

Stabilization: StreamLine

StreamLine smooths wobble in the line, which helps a long taper look intentional instead of jittery. A modest Amount, around 10%, is enough for many ink brushes.

Apple Pencil: Size

Under the Apple Pencil section, raise the Size response so pressure meaningfully changes width. Values in the 80% range are a reasonable starting point. This makes the Pencil's pressure and the taper cooperate instead of competing.

Fall Off

Fall Off, found under Stroke Properties, fades a stroke gradually along its length. It's a different tool from taper.

A starter recipe to adapt

One user on the Procreate forum shared a tapered round brush built from a duplicated Round Brush with settings like these. Adjust it to your taste and stylus.

• Stroke Path Spacing: about 3%
• StreamLine Amount: about 10%
• Taper: Tip size brought in about halfway, Size around 80% (push toward 100% for a more extreme taper)
• Taper: Classic Taper off
• Apple Pencil Size: around 80%

Draw ten or so test strokes at different speeds and pressures. Then change one setting at a time. Changing several together makes it hard to learn which one did what.

Technique still matters

Settings set the range, but your hand finishes the job. Two habits help:

• Let pressure do the shaping. Start light, build pressure through the middle, and lift smoothly. Some artists prefer to rely mostly on pressure and use taper settings as a gentle assist.
• Match speed to the stroke. Long, confident strokes taper better than short, hesitant ones. A very short stroke may not have enough length for the taper zones to complete.

If you draw with a finger, tune the Touch taper section separately. It can produce good tapers, but they behave differently from pressure-based ones.

Using tapered Procreate linework in a motion pipeline

If you work in After Effects, Premiere Pro, Nuke, or Blender, tapered brushes are useful for more than illustration. Hand-drawn linework with a natural point can serve as:

• Frame-by-frame animated strokes, like writing-on effects, smoke wisps, or energy lines
• Texture and matte elements to layer over footage
• Style references for look development

Export your artwork as transparent PNGs so the thin, soft ends keep their alpha edges, and bring them into your compositing app as image sequences or stills. Draw at a generous canvas size. Fine tapered points are the first thing to degrade when you scale up an image later.

Quick troubleshooting checklist

• Taper has no visible effect: Confirm you're editing the right section, then raise Size and check the Tip slider.
• Ends are rounded and blunt: Sharpen Tip and make sure Size is above zero.
• One end only: Turn off Classic Taper and enable Link Tip Sizes.
• Jagged or dotted thin ends: Lower Spacing.
• Shaky long points: Add a little StreamLine.
• Finger taper works but Pencil doesn't: Review the Apple Pencil Size setting and the Pressure taper section.
• Fast flicks behave unpredictably: Check Dynamics settings that tie size to speed.

Final notes

Very tapered brushes come from several settings working together: long taper zones, a high Size value, a sharp Tip, low Spacing, matched Pencil pressure, and Classic Taper turned off. Duplicate a brush, change one thing at a time, and save a version whenever a stroke feels right. Once you have two or three dependable tapered brushes, you can reuse them across illustration, animation assets, and style references for the rest of your pipeline.