How to Copy and Paste in Procreate: 6 Easy Steps

Written by Daisie Team

Published on 11 July 2023 6 min read

Procreate has revolutionized the world of digital art, bringing creativity to the tips of your fingers. Its intuitive interface and powerful tools have made it a favorite among artists and designers alike. One feature that's particularly useful is the ability to copy and paste, making your work more efficient. This blog post will guide you through how to copy and paste in Procreate in 6 easy steps.

1. Open Your Procreate App

Before we start copying and pasting in Procreate, let's first get the app up and running. The process is as simple as tapping an icon, but let's break it down for clarity.

Launch the App

Find the Procreate icon on your device. It's usually on your home screen, but if you can't find it, swipe down on your screen and type 'Procreate' into the search bar. Tap on the icon to open the app. It's important to note that Procreate is only available on iOS, so you'll need an iPad or iPhone to use it.

Navigate to Your Workspace

Once you've launched Procreate, you'll find yourself on the gallery page which houses all your artworks. To start a new project, tap the '+' sign located in the upper right corner. A menu will pop up with various canvas sizes. Choose the one that fits your project. There you have it—you're now in your workspace, ready to dive into how to copy and paste in Procreate.

2. Select Your Design

Now that your workspace is set up, it's time to create or select the design you want to copy and paste. This step involves choosing the right brush and colors to bring your vision to life.

Pick Your Brush

Procreate offers a variety of brushes to choose from, each one with its own unique texture and style. To select a brush, tap the brush icon in the top right corner of your screen to open the Brush Library. Scroll through the list or use the search bar to find the perfect brush for your design. Once you've found your brush, tap on it to select it. Remember, different brushes can drastically change the look and feel of your design, so don't be afraid to experiment!

Choose Your Colors

With your brush selected, it's time to choose your colors. Tap the circle in the upper right corner to open the Color Picker. Here, you can choose any color you can imagine. If you're unsure about which colors to use, Procreate has a Color Harmony function that suggests complementary colors. This makes it easier than ever to create a visually stunning design. Once your colors are chosen, it's time to start drawing your design. Remember, this is the design that you'll be learning how to copy and paste in Procreate, so make it something you love.

3. Create a Selection

Once your design is complete, the next step is to select the part you want to copy. This is where the magic of "how to copy and paste in Procreate" really begins. Don't worry—it's not as complicated as it sounds!

Use the Selection Tool

To create a selection, tap on the "S" icon at the top of the screen. This will open up the Selection Tool. Now, you can choose between three different selection methods: Automatic, Freehand, and Rectangle. The Automatic Selection Tool is great for selecting large areas of the same color, while the Freehand Selection Tool lets you manually draw around the area you want to select. The Rectangle Selection Tool, on the other hand, is perfect for selecting square or rectangular areas. Pick the one that suits your needs best.

Outline Your Design

With the selection tool chosen, it's time to outline the part of your design you want to copy. If you're using the Automatic Selection Tool, simply tap on the area you want to select. For the Freehand and Rectangle tools, you'll need to draw around the area you want to select. Don't worry if it's not perfect—you can always adjust your selection later. Once you're happy with your selection, you're ready for the next step: copying your design in Procreate.

4. Copy Your Selection

So, you've selected your design. Great! What's next? It's time for copying—the main step in "how to copy and paste in Procreate." Let's dive in.

Navigate to the Copy Option

First things first: you need to find the copy option. Look for the wrench icon at the top of the screen and tap on it. This will open the Actions menu. Under the 'Add' section, you'll see the option 'Copy.' Tap on it, and voila! You've copied your selection.

Copy Your Design

With your design now copied, it's stored on your iPad's clipboard. This means you can paste it anywhere within your Procreate workspace—or even in other apps! Remember, your copied design will stay on your clipboard until you copy something else. So, you can paste it as many times as you want. Isn't that handy?

5. Paste Your Selection

Okay, you've successfully copied your design. Now, let’s move on to the next step in our "how to copy and paste in Procreate" guide, which is pasting the design. It's simpler than you might think, so let's get to it.

Navigate to the Paste Option

Ready to see your copied design come to life in a new spot? Here's how: head back to the Actions menu by tapping on the wrench icon. Under the 'Add' section, this time you're going to select 'Paste.' That's it—you've pasted your design!

Paste Your Design

Once you've pasted your design, it will show up as a new layer in your layers panel. The great thing about this is you can move and adjust this pasted design independently from the rest of your artwork. So, feel free to get creative and play around with your design’s placement. Remember, there's no limit to how many times you can paste your design. The more, the merrier!

6. Adjust Your Pasted Design

Now that you've mastered the art of copying and pasting in Procreate, are you ready to make your pasted design shine? Let's dive into the last step of our guide — adjusting your pasted design. With Procreate's intuitive and user-friendly interface, you can easily tweak your design to fit perfectly into your masterpiece.

Move Your Design

Moving your design is as simple as dragging it around your canvas. With the move tool, which you can find in the toolbar at the top of your screen, you can drag your design to any part of your canvas. Remember, the pasted design is on its own layer, so don't worry about disturbing other parts of your artwork.

Resize Your Design

Feeling that your design might look better a bit larger or smaller? No problem! You can easily resize your design using the same move tool. Just select your design and drag the blue nodes at its corners. Voila! You've just resized your design. Just a tip — if you want to keep the proportions of your design while resizing, make sure to keep the 'Uniform' option checked.

Rotate Your Design

Last but not least, let's add a twist to your design — literally. With the move tool, you can also rotate your design. Just tap and hold outside of your design and then twist your fingers. There you go, you've just rotated your design. Remember, you can rotate your design to any degree, so feel free to experiment until you find the perfect angle.

There you have it — a simple guide on how to copy and paste in Procreate. With these easy steps, you can now duplicate and modify elements of your artwork effortlessly. So, what are you waiting for? Get your stylus, open Procreate, and let your creativity soar!

If you found our blog post on "How to Copy and Paste in Procreate: 6 Easy Steps" helpful and want to explore more about Procreate, we highly recommend checking out Vicky Catalan's workshop, 'Intro to Procreate: Drawing with Digital Tools'. This in-depth workshop will teach you the ins and outs of using Procreate and help unleash your creative potential with digital art tools. Don't miss out on this opportunity to enhance your digital art skills!