The Layers Interface

Layers allows you to separate different elements of your artwork, and combine and blend them to achieve the effects you're after.

The Layers Interface

The Layers interface is accessed by tapping the two overlapping squares icon in your expanded tools.

The Layers button is a set of overlapping squares just next to the Colors button. Tap on this to open Layers.

Layers appears at the bottom of your screen as a popout. This is designed in such a way that you can modify your layers (such as changing blend modes) and see the effects in realtime.

Tap on a layer to make it active, and swipe up and down to see more of your layers. They render from bottom to top - a layer above another will appear to be above it on the canvas, or closer to the viewer.

You can drag the pull handle at the top center upwards to expand Layers to fill the view, allowing you to see more of your layers at once. Drag the handle down slightly to return to the default Layers view, and drag it the whole way to to close out of Layers completely.

Tap on the + button to create a new layer above your currently-selected layer.

Layer thumbnails show you a small preview of the painted content on the layer.

Layer groups contain multiple layers. You'll know it's a group because it will show an arrow to the right of the layer name, tapping on which will expand or contract the layer group.

Tapping on the ellipsis icon will open up the layer bulk actions, which are explained in the following main section, along with how to select multiple layers.

Tapping the small letter to the right of the layer name will open up the blend modes and layer opacity menu, which is detailed in a section below.

This checkbox denotes layer visibility. Tapping this will hide the layer, and tapping it again will show the layer. Tapping and holding this will 'solo' the layer, meaning that you will only be able to see that layer.

While soloing, you can tap other checkboxes to solo other layers at the same time, and tapping and holding the checkbox will turn off solo mode.

Tapping background color will allow you to select the background color of the canvas using Procreate Pockets various methods of choosing color.

Moving a Layer

Tap and hold on a layer to pick it up. Drag it to elsewhere in your Layers interface to reorder it, or drag it outside of Procreate Pocket to Files or Photos to save the layer.

You can also select multiple layers and then move them together. Selecting layers is explained below.

Selecting Layers and Bulk Actions

To select a layer, tap on it in Layers. It will highlight a saturated blue. Swipe from left to right on other layers to select secondary layers. They will highlight in a less saturated blue.

When you have multiple layers selected, tap the ellipsis icon to access Layer Bulk Actions:

Selects all the layers in your canvas. This button will change to 'Deselect All' if you have all selected.

Groups all the layers you currently have selected. You must have multiple layers selected for this option to appear.

Flattens all the selected layers into one. This will apply all blends and opacity effects for the selected layers.

Exports all the selected layers as individual PNG files. Once exported, the iOS sharing system will appear, allowing you to save or share the images.

Immediately duplicates all the selected layers. The duplicated layers will appear above the selected layers.

Deletes all the selected layers from your project.

Layer Blend Modes and Opacity

Tapping the small letters to the right of the layer name allows you to change the opacity and blend mode of any given layer.

Opacity is how opaque or transparent your layer image data is, and blend modes combine the pixel information of the current layer with the layers below to create interesting and colorful effects.

When a layer is expanded, you can change its opacity by dragging this slider left and right. This is a non-destructive action - you can change this at any time and it won't permanently affect the pixel content on your layers.

With blend modes and opacity expanded, you can scroll through the available blend modes for your current layer. When the layers interface is condensed, you can see the changes take effect on your layers in realtime.

Check out the Blend Modes section of the Procreate Handbook for information about how blend modes work.

Layer Options Menu

The layer options menu offers you a broad range of ways to interact with layers at a touch.

In addition to the options below, you will also find Ungroup and Flatten if you have held down on a layer group. Ungroup will disband the group and bring all the layers upwards in the hierarchy. Flatten will merge all of the grouped layers together into a single layer.

Tap on this to rename the layer you have selected. This will bring up the iOS keyboard and allow you to type in a new name.

Selects all the contents of the current layer. This allows you to modify only the selected content on that layer.

Copies all of the image content on the layer to the iOS clipboard. This allows you to paste it elsewhere in Procreate Pocket or to another app.

Fills the current layer with the color you have selected in the Colors interface. This will flood fill the whole layer or selection you have currently active.

Removes all image data from the layer immediately. This will respect active selections.

Alpha Lock sets your layer so that only existing pixel content on the layer can be modified. Only where you have laid down paint on the layer will you be able to paint, when alpha lock is active.

Creates a mask for the layer. This mask will appear above the layer and be linked to it. You can tap the layer mask to select it and paint on it with grayscale values.

The darker the shade you paint, the less the content beneath will be revealed. The lighter the shade, the more content will be revealed. Use pure black to obscure the content completely, and pure white to reveal it.

Sets the layer to be a clipping mask for the layer beneath. This functions similarly to alpha lock, but detached. When a layer is clipping another layer, it will only show content through where there exists content on the layer beneath.

You can have multiple layers clipped over each other, and they are denoted in the Layers interface by an indented thumbnail, and carrying a small downward-facing arrow.

Sets the layer to adhere to the Drawing Guide you have currently set up. For example, if you had a default 2D Grid set up, having Drawing Assist on would lock all of your paint strokes to be perfectly horizontal or vertical.

Layers with Drawing Assist turned on will have 'Assisted' written beneath their name. Open the layer options menu and tapping on Drawing Assist again will deactivate Drawing Assist for that layer.

Immediately inverts all the color values of the content on the layer.

Sets the layer to be a reference layer. Reference layers are used with ColorDrop and Automatic Selection. This means that you can set your reference layer to something like your line work, then ColorDrop to another layer, such as the one directly beneath, to fill it while respecting your line-work lines.

This is a useful way to separate elements of your canvas. You can only have one reference layer active at any given time, and it will be denoted by 'Reference' written beneath the layer name. Enter this menu and tap on Reference again to switch it off.

Immediately merges the current layer and the one below, bringing both together and flattening them in the process.

Puts the selected layer into a layer group with the layer directly beneath. If a group already exists directly beneath, this layer will become a part of that group.

Layer Actions

Swiping from right to left on a layer will provide you with three options. These are your layer actions:

Locks your layer so that further changes cannot be made. This is useful for when you have finalised a layer and don't want to accidentally make unwanted changes.

A dialogue will appear if you attempt to modify a locked layer. This button will become Unlock if you have locked the layer. Tap this to unlock the layer.

Immediately makes a copy of the layer and places it directly above.

Removes the layer and all its contents straight away.