Copy and paste works differently in Procreate than on your computer

Procreate does not have a traditional copy-and-paste menu like your computer does. Instead, you copy and paste layers — the individual transparent sheets that hold your artwork — or you copy a selection, which is a marked area of your canvas. The method you use depends on whether you want to move an entire layer to another canvas, duplicate a layer within the same drawing, or copy just a portion of what you have painted.

Understanding which tool to use saves time and prevents the frustration of selecting the wrong menu option. Procreate groups these functions under different menus depending on what you are working with: layers, selections, or the Edit menu.

Key Takeaways

  • To duplicate a layer within your current drawing, tap and hold the layer in the Layers panel, then select Duplicate.
  • To copy a layer to a different canvas, select the layer, open the Edit menu, and tap Copy, then switch canvases and tap Paste as New Layer.
  • To copy only part of your drawing, use the selection tool to mark the area, tap Edit, then Copy, and paste it as a floating selection or new layer.
  • Floating selections appear above your layers temporarily and must be anchored or merged before you can work normally again.

Duplicating a layer in the same drawing

The fastest way to copy a layer is to duplicate it within your current canvas. Open the Layers panel on the right side of your screen. Tap and hold on the layer you want to copy until a menu appears. Select Duplicate from the options. Procreate creates an exact copy directly above the original layer with the name "Layer copy".

This method is useful when you want to experiment with changes without losing the original, or when you need the same painted content on multiple layers so you can explore different effects to each one. The duplicate appears when ready and is ready to edit.

Copying a layer to a different canvas

If you want to move a layer from one Procreate canvas to another, you must use the Edit menu instead of the Layers panel. First, tap the layer you want to copy in the Layers panel to select it. Then open the Edit menu at the top of the screen and tap Copy. Procreate copies the entire layer to your clipboard.

Switch to the canvas where you want to paste the layer. Open the Edit menu again and tap Paste as New Layer. Procreate creates a new layer in your current canvas with the copied content. If you tap Paste instead of Paste as New Layer, the content appears as a floating selection, which you will need to anchor before continuing work.

Copying a selection to move or duplicate part of your artwork

To copy only a portion of your drawing, use a selection tool first. Procreate offers several selection tools in the toolbar: the Rectangle Select, Freehand Select, and Automatic Select tools. Choose the tool that matches the shape you want to copy, then draw or tap to mark the area. The selection appears as a moving dotted line around your chosen area.

Once your selection is marked, open the Edit menu and tap Copy. The selected area is now in your clipboard. You can then tap Paste to create a floating selection, which appears as a temporary layer above your current work. You can move this floating selection around your canvas before anchoring it. To anchor it — meaning to permanently place it on the layer below — tap anywhere outside the selection or open the Edit menu and tap Anchor.

Understanding floating selections

When you paste content into Procreate, it often appears as a floating selection rather than a permanent layer. A floating selection is temporary and shows in your Layers panel as a separate item. You can move it, transform it, or explore effects to it before it becomes permanent.

To convert a floating selection into a permanent layer, you have two options. You can tap Anchor in the Edit menu, which merges the floating selection down onto the layer beneath it. Or you can tap and hold the floating selection in the Layers panel and select Merge Down, which does the same thing. If you want the floating selection to stay separate, tap and hold it in the Layers panel and select New Layer from Floating Selection, which converts it into its own independent layer.

Using copy and paste with transformations

After you paste content as a floating selection, Procreate often shows transformation handles — small squares at the corners and edges of your pasted content. You can drag these handles to resize, rotate, or skew the pasted layer before anchoring it. Tap and drag a corner handle to resize while keeping the proportions the same. Drag an edge handle to stretch in one direction only. Tap outside the handles to explore the transformation.

If transformation handles do not appear automatically, open the Edit menu and tap Transform to bring them up. This is useful when you paste a layer from a different canvas that might be a different size, or when you want to adjust the pasted content to fit your current composition.

Copying between Procreate and other apps

Procreate can copy and paste with other iPad apps, but the process is limited. You can copy a flattened image from Procreate by selecting all content (Edit > Select All), copying it, and pasting it into another app like Notes or Mail. However, you cannot paste layers from other apps into Procreate — Procreate only accepts pasted content as a single floating selection.

If you want to bring artwork from another app into Procreate as a layer, export that artwork as an image file (PNG or JPEG), then use Procreate's Insert menu to add it as a new layer. This preserves the image quality and gives you more control over how it appears in your canvas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my pasted content appear as a floating selection instead of a new layer?

Procreate pastes content as a floating selection by default so you can move and transform it before it becomes permanent. To convert it to a proper layer, tap and hold the floating selection in the Layers panel and select New Layer from Floating Selection, or anchor it to merge it with the layer below.

Can I copy a layer and paste it into a different Procreate file?

Yes. Select the layer, tap Edit > Copy, then switch to your other Procreate canvas and tap Edit > Paste as New Layer. The layer appears in your new canvas as a separate layer that you can move and edit independently.

What is the difference between Copy and Paste as New Layer?

Copy places content in your clipboard. Paste as New Layer creates a new layer automatically and places the copied content on it. Regular Paste creates a floating selection instead, which you must anchor or convert to a layer before continuing work.

How do I copy just the visible pixels without the transparency?

Use a selection tool to mark the area you want, then tap Edit > Copy. When you paste, Procreate copies only the painted pixels within your selection, leaving the rest transparent. If you want to paste onto a background without transparency, anchor the floating selection to a filled layer.

Can I undo a paste if I change my mind?

Yes. Tap Edit > Undo or use the two-finger tap gesture to undo the paste when ready. If you have already anchored the floating selection, undo will reverse the anchor and restore the floating selection so you can move it again.