To save a transparent PNG in Procreate, hide the Background color layer in the Layers panel, then tap Actions (wrench icon) > Share > PNG and save the file. Export to Files or Dropbox rather than Photos, because Photos previews transparency as white or black and has been reported to alter exported files. Confirm the result by dropping the PNG into After Effects or another app that displays an alpha channel.

The Quick Export Steps

1. Open the artwork and tap the Layers icon.
2. Uncheck the Background color layer at the bottom of the stack. It isn't deleted, just hidden, so you can bring it back later.
3. Hide any other layer that carries a solid fill, such as a paper texture, a reference photo, or a color-block layer you used for contrast while painting.
4. Tap Actions (the wrench) > Share.
5. Choose PNG.
6. Pick a destination: Save to Files or a cloud app. Avoid Save Image, which writes to Photos, unless you have a reason to use it.

PNG is the format that matters here. It carries an alpha channel, while JPEG does not and fills transparent areas with a flat color, usually white. If your export arrives with a white background, check the file extension first.

Why the Background Layer Is the Usual Culprit

Every Procreate canvas starts with a Background color layer, filled white by default. Hiding it is what makes the canvas transparent. The checkerboard you see in the canvas only appears when no visible layer fills the pixels underneath.

Most "my transparent PNG has a background" problems come from one of three things:

• The Background color layer is still checked. It's easy to toggle it off, then undo or reopen the file and forget about it.
• A second opaque layer is hiding behind your artwork. A full-canvas fill, a texture set to Multiply on a white base, or a mockup layer will all render into the export.
• The artwork has a soft, semi-opaque fringe. Low-opacity edges from airbrushes or large soft erasers export correctly, but they look like a gray halo when you place them over a contrasting background.

Before exporting, toggle every layer one at a time or temporarily group everything you want to keep and hide the rest. It takes thirty seconds and saves a round trip.

Don't Trust Photos to Judge Transparency

Procreate's own support forum has several long threads from people who exported a clean transparent PNG and saw a white background afterward. In at least some cases the issue wasn't Procreate. Photos displays transparent pixels as white when its toolbars are visible and as black in full-screen mode, so the preview tells you almost nothing about the alpha channel.

There is a second, more serious problem. Users in those threads report that saving to Photos can alter the file itself. One forum participant described PNGs usually being turned into JPGs and PSDs being flattened when they passed through Photos. Not everyone reproduces it, and in one thread a Procreate staff member couldn't reproduce the lost-transparency problem when saving a PNG to Photos. But the pattern is consistent enough that you should skip the risk.

A safer routine:

• Export to Files or Dropbox.
• Drag the file directly into the app where you want to use it when you can.
• To verify, reopen the exported PNG in an app that shows a checkerboard, or in After Effects with a colored solid underneath. Don't verify in Photos.

Chat apps such as Discord add another layer of confusion, since they often show transparent images over a dark background. If you re-download from a chat app, you may get a processed copy rather than your original.

Copy and Paste as a Backup Route

If an export keeps coming out wrong, you can bypass the share sheet. Use the Copy command (via the Actions menu) to copy the canvas or a selection, then paste into a layout or graphics app that preserves transparency from the clipboard. Many apps do. Export from there as PNG. This is clunky for large batches, but it's a useful way to figure out whether the problem is in your Procreate file or in the export destination.

PSD, TIFF, and Other Formats

Users sometimes need print-ready files and assume PNG won't do. A few notes:

• PNG is the right choice for single-image transparency, including web graphics, avatars, stickers, and lettering to be placed over video.
• PSD keeps layers. It's the better handoff if you'll rebuild or adjust the artwork in Photoshop or After Effects. Exporting PSD to Photos has been reported to flatten it, which is another reason to use Files.
• TIFF is sometimes requested for print, but one forum user reported a solid white background in TIFF and PSD exports even with the background layer hidden. If you need alpha, export PNG instead and convert on desktop.
• Importing back into Procreate can behave differently than dragging. Forum reports describe PSD files being flattened when imported through one route but keeping transparency when dragged in from Photos or Files. Procreate staff logged that as a bug, so test your route before relying on it.

Animated Work and Transparent Video

Motion designers often ask whether Procreate's animation tools can output transparency. The limits are worth knowing before you commit to a workflow:

• A community question asked whether the Time-lapse replay can be exported with a transparent background to overlay on other video. The answer there was no.
• For frame-based animation with transparency, the dependable approach is to export frames as individual PNGs (or PSDs), and then assemble them as an image sequence in After Effects, Premiere Pro, or Nuke.

Bringing the PNG Into After Effects and Other Tools

Once you have a clean file, handling it in your compositing app is straightforward, but a few checks prevent edge problems:

• Interpret Footage. In After Effects, right-click the footage > Interpret Footage > Main and confirm the alpha is set to Straight or Premultiplied as appropriate. If you see dark or light fringes around soft edges, this setting is the first place to look.
• Color management. Procreate's color profile may differ from your project's working space. If colors shift between the iPad and your comp, check the document color profile in Procreate and your After Effects project settings.
• Resolution. Procreate canvas sizes are limited by your device. A canvas that looked large on the iPad can still be soft when placed in a UHD comp. Plan for it before you paint, or upscale afterward.
• Naming and numbering. For sequences, use zero-padded numbering (frame_0001.png) so After Effects and Nuke can recognize the files as a sequence on import.

Where Styleframe Fits After the Export

Procreate is a drawing tool, and once the artwork is out, most of the finishing work happens elsewhere. Styleframe is an AI video and motion tool that artists can use for that finishing work. Check its site for current features and export options, then bring the results into the same compositing workflow you already use.

Troubleshooting Checklist

If your transparent PNG still shows a background, run through this list:

1. Is the Background color layer unchecked? Check again after any undo or file reopen.
2. Are other full-canvas layers hidden? Look at group folders and blend-mode layers.
3. Did you select PNG, not JPEG? The share sheet lists them next to each other.
4. Where did you save it? Re-export to Files or Dropbox and compare.
5. How are you previewing it? Open it in an app with a checkerboard, or over a colored solid in After Effects.
6. Is it a format issue? For PSD or TIFF, try PNG as a diagnostic.
7. Is it an import problem? Drag the file in from Files rather than using a picker.
8. Is your software current? Check the Procreate and iOS versions, since export behavior has changed between updates and has been tracked as bugs before.

Summary

Saving a transparent PNG in Procreate comes down to hiding the Background color layer, exporting as PNG through the Share menu, and avoiding Photos for both saving and previewing. After that, verify the alpha in a tool that actually displays it, and set up the file correctly in your compositing app. For animation, export frames as an image sequence, since transparent video isn't available from Procreate's time-lapse replay.

To save a transparent PNG in Procreate, hide the Background color layer in the Layers panel, then tap Actions (wrench icon) > Share > PNG and save the file. Export to Files or Dropbox rather than Photos, because Photos previews transparency as white or black and has been reported to alter exported files. Confirm the result by dropping the PNG into After Effects or another app that displays an alpha channel.

The Quick Export Steps

1. Open the artwork and tap the Layers icon.
2. Uncheck the Background color layer at the bottom of the stack. It isn't deleted, just hidden, so you can bring it back later.
3. Hide any other layer that carries a solid fill, such as a paper texture, a reference photo, or a color-block layer you used for contrast while painting.
4. Tap Actions (the wrench) > Share.
5. Choose PNG.
6. Pick a destination: Save to Files or a cloud app. Avoid Save Image, which writes to Photos, unless you have a reason to use it.

PNG is the format that matters here. It carries an alpha channel, while JPEG does not and fills transparent areas with a flat color, usually white. If your export arrives with a white background, check the file extension first.

Why the Background Layer Is the Usual Culprit

Every Procreate canvas starts with a Background color layer, filled white by default. Hiding it is what makes the canvas transparent. The checkerboard you see in the canvas only appears when no visible layer fills the pixels underneath.

Most "my transparent PNG has a background" problems come from one of three things:

• The Background color layer is still checked. It's easy to toggle it off, then undo or reopen the file and forget about it.
• A second opaque layer is hiding behind your artwork. A full-canvas fill, a texture set to Multiply on a white base, or a mockup layer will all render into the export.
• The artwork has a soft, semi-opaque fringe. Low-opacity edges from airbrushes or large soft erasers export correctly, but they look like a gray halo when you place them over a contrasting background.

Before exporting, toggle every layer one at a time or temporarily group everything you want to keep and hide the rest. It takes thirty seconds and saves a round trip.

Don't Trust Photos to Judge Transparency

Procreate's own support forum has several long threads from people who exported a clean transparent PNG and saw a white background afterward. In at least some cases the issue wasn't Procreate. Photos displays transparent pixels as white when its toolbars are visible and as black in full-screen mode, so the preview tells you almost nothing about the alpha channel.

There is a second, more serious problem. Users in those threads report that saving to Photos can alter the file itself. One forum participant described PNGs usually being turned into JPGs and PSDs being flattened when they passed through Photos. Not everyone reproduces it, and in one thread a Procreate staff member couldn't reproduce the lost-transparency problem when saving a PNG to Photos. But the pattern is consistent enough that you should skip the risk.

A safer routine:

• Export to Files or Dropbox.
• Drag the file directly into the app where you want to use it when you can.
• To verify, reopen the exported PNG in an app that shows a checkerboard, or in After Effects with a colored solid underneath. Don't verify in Photos.

Chat apps such as Discord add another layer of confusion, since they often show transparent images over a dark background. If you re-download from a chat app, you may get a processed copy rather than your original.

Copy and Paste as a Backup Route

If an export keeps coming out wrong, you can bypass the share sheet. Use the Copy command (via the Actions menu) to copy the canvas or a selection, then paste into a layout or graphics app that preserves transparency from the clipboard. Many apps do. Export from there as PNG. This is clunky for large batches, but it's a useful way to figure out whether the problem is in your Procreate file or in the export destination.

PSD, TIFF, and Other Formats

Users sometimes need print-ready files and assume PNG won't do. A few notes:

• PNG is the right choice for single-image transparency, including web graphics, avatars, stickers, and lettering to be placed over video.
• PSD keeps layers. It's the better handoff if you'll rebuild or adjust the artwork in Photoshop or After Effects. Exporting PSD to Photos has been reported to flatten it, which is another reason to use Files.
• TIFF is sometimes requested for print, but one forum user reported a solid white background in TIFF and PSD exports even with the background layer hidden. If you need alpha, export PNG instead and convert on desktop.
• Importing back into Procreate can behave differently than dragging. Forum reports describe PSD files being flattened when imported through one route but keeping transparency when dragged in from Photos or Files. Procreate staff logged that as a bug, so test your route before relying on it.

Animated Work and Transparent Video

Motion designers often ask whether Procreate's animation tools can output transparency. The limits are worth knowing before you commit to a workflow:

• A community question asked whether the Time-lapse replay can be exported with a transparent background to overlay on other video. The answer there was no.
• For frame-based animation with transparency, the dependable approach is to export frames as individual PNGs (or PSDs), and then assemble them as an image sequence in After Effects, Premiere Pro, or Nuke.

Bringing the PNG Into After Effects and Other Tools

Once you have a clean file, handling it in your compositing app is straightforward, but a few checks prevent edge problems:

• Interpret Footage. In After Effects, right-click the footage > Interpret Footage > Main and confirm the alpha is set to Straight or Premultiplied as appropriate. If you see dark or light fringes around soft edges, this setting is the first place to look.
• Color management. Procreate's color profile may differ from your project's working space. If colors shift between the iPad and your comp, check the document color profile in Procreate and your After Effects project settings.
• Resolution. Procreate canvas sizes are limited by your device. A canvas that looked large on the iPad can still be soft when placed in a UHD comp. Plan for it before you paint, or upscale afterward.
• Naming and numbering. For sequences, use zero-padded numbering (frame_0001.png) so After Effects and Nuke can recognize the files as a sequence on import.

Where Styleframe Fits After the Export

Procreate is a drawing tool, and once the artwork is out, most of the finishing work happens elsewhere. Styleframe is an AI video and motion tool that artists can use for that finishing work. Check its site for current features and export options, then bring the results into the same compositing workflow you already use.

Troubleshooting Checklist

If your transparent PNG still shows a background, run through this list:

1. Is the Background color layer unchecked? Check again after any undo or file reopen.
2. Are other full-canvas layers hidden? Look at group folders and blend-mode layers.
3. Did you select PNG, not JPEG? The share sheet lists them next to each other.
4. Where did you save it? Re-export to Files or Dropbox and compare.
5. How are you previewing it? Open it in an app with a checkerboard, or over a colored solid in After Effects.
6. Is it a format issue? For PSD or TIFF, try PNG as a diagnostic.
7. Is it an import problem? Drag the file in from Files rather than using a picker.
8. Is your software current? Check the Procreate and iOS versions, since export behavior has changed between updates and has been tracked as bugs before.

Summary

Saving a transparent PNG in Procreate comes down to hiding the Background color layer, exporting as PNG through the Share menu, and avoiding Photos for both saving and previewing. After that, verify the alpha in a tool that actually displays it, and set up the file correctly in your compositing app. For animation, export frames as an image sequence, since transparent video isn't available from Procreate's time-lapse replay.