The three ways to get new brushes into Procreate

You can add brushes to Procreate in three ways: read them from the official Procreate shop, import brush files you find elsewhere, or create your own from scratch. Most people start by downloading — Procreate's built-in shop is the safest route because every brush there works with your version of the app. Importing brushes from other sources (design blogs, artist portfolios, free brush sites) requires you to find the file on your device first, then drag it into Procreate. Making your own brushes takes longer but gives you complete control over how they behave.

Which route you choose depends on what you need the brush to do and how much time you want to spend. If you need a brush today and don't want to troubleshoot, the shop is fastest. If you've found a specific brush online that you want to try, importing takes about two minutes. If you're building a custom set for a particular project or style, making your own makes sense — but it's also the steepest learning curve.

Key Takeaways

  • The Procreate shop is built into the app and requires only a tap to read; brushes appear in your library when ready.
  • Imported brush files must be in .brush or .brushset format to work with Procreate, and you can drag them directly into the app or open them from your Files app.
  • Creating a custom brush means opening the Brush Editor, adjusting shape, texture, and behavior settings, then saving it with a name you'll recognize later.
  • Brushes you read or import go into your library organized by category; you can rename, move, or delete them at any time.
  • If a brush doesn't behave the way you expected, check that it matches your Procreate version — older brushes sometimes need adjustment in newer versions.

Downloading brushes from the Procreate shop

Open Procreate and tap the brush icon (it looks like a circle with bristles) in the top toolbar. This opens your brush library. At the bottom of the library panel, you'll see a plus sign icon — tap it and select "Browse Procreate Shop." The shop opens inside the app and shows brushes organized by category: drawing, painting, lettering, texture, and so on.

Browse or search for what you need. When you find a brush you want, tap it to see a preview and description, then tap the price (or "Get" if it's free). If you've already purchased it, you'll see a read icon instead. After you tap to purchase or read, the brush appears in your library within seconds. You can use it when ready — no file management, no dragging, no setup.

Brushes from the shop are always compatible with your version of Procreate because they're built for the version you're running. This matters because older brush files sometimes behave differently in newer app versions, and the shop avoids that problem entirely.

Importing brush files you already have

If you've downloaded a brush file from a website, artist portfolio, or design community, you need to get it into Procreate. The file will be named something like MyBrush.brush or BrushSet.brushset — those are the two formats Procreate reads. If the file is in a different format (like .abr, which is Adobe's format), Procreate won't recognize it.

Once you have the file, you have two options. The easiest: open your Files app, find the brush file, tap it, and select "Open in Procreate." The app opens and the brush imports automatically into your library. The second option: open Procreate, go to your brush library, tap the plus sign, select "Import," and navigate to the file in your device's storage. Either way takes about the same time.

After import, the brush appears in your library, usually in a folder labeled "Imported" or in a category the brush creator assigned. You can rename it, move it to a different folder, or delete it if it doesn't work the way you expected. Imported brushes stay in your library until you remove them — they don't disappear if you close the app or update Procreate.

Creating a custom brush from the Brush Editor

To make your own brush, open your brush library, tap the plus sign, and select "Create Brush." Procreate opens the Brush Editor, which shows a long list of settings: brush shape, texture, dynamics, behavior, and more. You don't need to understand all of them — start with the ones that matter most for what you're trying to build.

Brush Shape controls the outline of the brush stroke. You can use a circle (the default), import an image to trace, or draw your own shape. Texture adds surface detail — roughness, grain, or pattern. Dynamics control how the brush responds to pressure, tilt, speed, and rotation as you draw. Behavior settings determine whether the brush scatters, blurs, or blends as you use it.

Start by changing one or two settings, then test the brush on a blank canvas to see what happens. Adjust, test again, and repeat until it feels right. When you're done, tap "Done" at the top, give the brush a name you'll remember, and it saves to your library. You can edit it again later by opening the brush library, long-pressing the brush, and selecting "Edit Brush."

Creating brushes is slower than downloading or importing, but it's the only way to build exactly what you need. Many artists create a custom brush set for each project — one set for inking, another for watercolor effects, another for texture work.

Organizing brushes into folders and sets

As your brush library grows, organizing it saves time. In your brush library, tap the plus sign and select "Create Folder." Name it something specific — "Lettering," "Texture," "Imported," "Project Name" — then drag brushes into it. You can create as many folders as you need, and folders can hold both individual brushes and brush sets.

A brush set is different from a folder: it's a single file that contains multiple brushes and travels together. To create a set, select the brushes you want to group (long-press one, then tap others to add them), then tap "Create Set." The set appears in your library as a single item you can tap to expand. Sets are useful if you want to share a collection with another artist or back it up as a single file.

You can rename, reorder, or delete folders and sets at any time. Long-press a folder to see options like "Rename," "Duplicate," or "Delete." Deleting a folder doesn't delete the brushes inside — they move back to your main library.

Troubleshooting brushes that don't work as expected

If you import a brush and it behaves strangely — it's too small, too transparent, doesn't respond to pressure, or looks nothing like the preview — the most common cause is a version mismatch. Brushes made for older versions of Procreate sometimes need adjustment in newer versions because the app's brush engine changes.

Try opening the brush in the Brush Editor (long-press the brush, select "Edit Brush") and look at the Dynamics section. If pressure sensitivity is turned off, turn it on. If the opacity is very low, raise it. Make small changes, test on canvas, and adjust again. You can always revert by deleting the brush and re-importing the original file.

If a brush file won't import at all, check that it's in .brush or .brushset format. Files in other formats (Adobe's .abr, for example) need to be converted before Procreate can read them — there are free online converters, but they're outside Procreate itself. If you're not sure what format a file is, look at the extension at the end of the filename.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use brushes from Adobe Photoshop in Procreate?

Not directly — Photoshop brushes use a different format (.abr) that Procreate doesn't read. You can convert them using free online tools, but the conversion doesn't always preserve all the original brush behavior. It's usually faster to find a Procreate-native version of the brush you want.

Do I lose my brushes if I update Procreate?

No. Brushes you've downloaded, imported, or created stay in your library after an update. The app stores them separately from the app itself, so updating doesn't touch them. If a brush behaves differently after an update, you can edit it in the Brush Editor to adjust.

Can I share a brush I created with another artist?

Yes. Create a brush set containing the brushes you want to share, then long-press the set and select "Share." You can send it via email, AirDrop, or any other method. The other artist imports it the same way they'd import any brush file — tap it in Files and select "Open in Procreate."

What's the difference between a brush and a brush set?

A brush is a single tool with one set of settings. A brush set is a collection of multiple brushes packaged together as one file. Sets are useful for keeping related brushes organized — for example, a lettering set might contain five different fonts, all in one file.

Do I need to pay for brushes, or can I find free ones?

Both exist. The Procreate shop has paid and free brushes. Many artists and design communities also share free brushes online — search for "free Procreate brushes" and look for .brush or .brushset files. Quality varies, so test them on a blank canvas before using them on real work.