Procreate is one of the most popular digital illustration apps available for the iPad. With its intuitive interface and powerful editing tools, Procreate makes it easy to create stunning works of art on an iPad. One handy feature in Procreate is the ability to copy and paste elements within your illustrations, which can save you a lot of time when creating your artwork.
Table of Contents
Accessing the Copy and Paste Menu
Procreate offers a few different ways to access the Copy and Paste menu. The quickest way is to use the three finger drag gesture:
- Place three fingers on the iPad screen
- Drag down to open the Copy/Paste menu
This menu provides the following options:
- Cut
- Copy
- Copy All
- Paste
- Duplicate
- Clear
Using this menu makes copying and pasting images in Procreate quick and straightforward.
Copying Whole Layers
If you want to copy an entire layer from your illustration, the easiest method is:
- Go to the Layers panel
- Swipe left on the layer you want to copy
- Select “Duplicate” from the menu
This will create an exact copy of that layer that you can then move and edit separately. Duplicating layers is useful for creating multiple versions of the same element or using copies as the basis for new artwork.
Using the Selection Tool
You can also use Procreate’s Selection tool to copy just part of an image:
- Select the Selection tool
- Draw around the area you want to copy
- Open the Copy/Paste menu and select Copy
- Create a new layer
- Paste the copied selection
The Selection tool allows you to copy any part of your illustration, whether it’s an entire layer, part of a layer, or elements across multiple layers. This makes the Selection tool extremely versatile for copying pieces of images.
Pasting Between Canvases
A great aspect of Procreate’s Copy/Paste feature is that you can paste copied images between different canvases. For example:
- Open one Procreate illustration and copy an element
- Open a different Procreate canvas
- Paste the copied selection onto the new canvas
This allows you to reuse elements from your Procreate library across multiple projects. Copying and pasting between canvases saves the effort of recreating the same components every time.
Tips for Effective Copying and Pasting
Here are some tips for utilizing Procreate’s Copy/Paste function efficiently:
- Use layers to organize elements – Copying whole layers is faster than selecting individual components
- Name layers clearly so you can identify content when copying
- Duplicate layers before making changes to retain an original copy
- Use alpha locks to only copy certain aspects of a layered image
- Paste copies onto new layers to avoid accidentally editing originals
Implementing these tips will streamline your copying and pasting workflow in Procreate.
Alternative Copy and Paste Methods
In addition to the main Copy/Paste menu, there are a couple of other ways to duplicate elements in Procreate:
Transform Tool: You can access copy and paste functions through the Transform tool’s options. After selecting an area with the Transform tool, tap Copy or Paste from the menu bar.
QuickMenu: Set up customized shortcuts in QuickMenu to quickly copy and paste items with finger gestures. This allows fast duplication without navigating menus.
Conclusion
Learning how to effectively copy and paste images in Procreate can speed up your illustration workflow tremendously. Implement the techniques in this guide to reuse elements across projects, organize layered images for easy copying, and streamline your creative process. Mastering Procreate’s Copy/Paste functionality will save you significant time while allowing you to focus on developing stunning digital artwork.
As a Procreate user for over 5 years, I utilize copy and paste on almost every project. This article covers the methods I rely on to efficiently duplicate layered images and elements between canvases. Let me know if you have any other questions!
