How to Remove Background in Procreate: A Step-by-Step Guide

Published on 11 July 2023 5 min read

3. Select the Background

Use the Selection Tool
Refine Your Selection

If you are an artist or designer who often uses Procreate, there may be instances where you need to remove a background from an image. This guide will take you through the process step-by-step, making it as simple as possible. So, if you've been wondering how to remove background Procreate, you're in the right place.

1. Launch Procreate

First things first, let's get Procreate up and running. If you don’t already have it, you can download it from the App Store – it’s available for both iPhone and iPad. Once installed, follow the steps below to begin:

Open a New Canvas

Upon launching Procreate, you'll find yourself on the "Gallery" screen. Here, you have two options: you can either open an existing canvas or create a new one. Since we're starting from scratch, tap on the "+" icon located at the top right corner of your screen to open a new canvas. You can choose from a variety of canvas sizes to meet your specific needs.

Select Your Brush

With your new canvas open, it's time to select a brush. Procreate offers an impressive range of brushes in its library. To access them, tap on the "Brush" icon located in the top right corner. Explore the brushes and select one that you feel comfortable with. If you're not sure which one to pick, the "Hard Airbrush" is a good starting point for removing backgrounds.

Now that you've launched Procreate and prepared your canvas, you're ready to move on to importing your image. But remember, every journey starts with a single step, or in this case, a single brush stroke. So, let's dive into how to remove background Procreate.

2. Import Your Image

Now that you've got your canvas and brush ready, it's time to bring in the star of the show: your image. Importing your image into Procreate is a straightforward process, so let's get right to it.

Use the Photo Library

To import your image, tap on the tool icon—resembling a wrench—located in the upper left corner of the screen. This will open a drop-down menu. Next, tap on "Add" and then "Insert a photo". This will take you to your device's Photo Library. From here, you can select the image you want to work with.

Adjust the Image

Once your image is imported, you may need to adjust its size and position to fit your canvas just right. To do this, tap on the arrow icon in the top menu. You'll see blue dots appear around your image—these are your transformation tools. Drag the dots to resize your image, and drag the image itself to move it around. When you're happy with your adjustments, tap on the "Arrow" icon again to set your image in place.

Great! You've successfully imported and adjusted your image. The next step in learning how to remove background Procreate is selecting the background you want to remove. It's just like highlighting text in a book, only this time, you're doing it with an image.

3. Select the Background

With your image in place, it's time to identify the background you want to remove. This step is a lot like figuring out what you don't want in your sandwich—it's all about selection and exclusion.

Use the Selection Tool

Tap on the 'S' icon on the top menu to activate the Selection Tool. This tool will be your best friend in your quest to remove the background. Once activated, draw around the area you want to remove. The area inside your selection will turn a lighter shade, indicating it has been selected.

Refine Your Selection

Don't worry if your initial selection isn't perfect—mine rarely is. Procreate offers a range of options to refine your selection. You can add to your selection, subtract from it, or even intersect it with a new selection. Experiment with these options until you get the background selection just right.

Wonderful! You've selected your image's background like a pro. Now, let's move on to the exciting part of learning how to remove background Procreate: the actual removal. This is where the magic happens!

4. Erase the Background

Now that you've selected your background, let's get to the meat of the matter—removing it. It's a bit like pruning a tree: you've identified the branches (or in this case, background) you don't need, and now it's time for some strategic trimming.

Use the Erase Tool

Start by tapping on the eraser icon on the top menu. This will activate the Erase Tool. Now, gently run the Erase Tool over the selected background. Remember, the Erase Tool is pressure-sensitive, so the harder you press, the more it erases. Use this to your advantage and adjust your pressure for precision.

Check Your Work

Once you've done the initial round of erasing, it's time to check your work. Zoom in and out to inspect your image for any missed spots or rough edges. If you find any, just use the Erase Tool to clean them up.

And voila! You've successfully erased your background. But we're not quite done learning how to remove background Procreate just yet. It's now time to save your masterpiece and show it off to the world.

5. Save Your Work

Upon successfully erasing the background, it's time to save your artwork. Think of this as putting your masterstroke in a virtual frame—preserving it exactly as you want it for future use.

Save as PNG

To maintain transparency, you'll want to save your work as a PNG file. To do this, click on the wrench icon, then on "Share". From the options, select "PNG". Procreate will automatically save your masterpiece as a PNG file, ensuring the areas where you've removed the background remain transparent.

Now that you've saved your work, why not share it? Again, click on the wrench icon, then "Share". This time, select where you want to share your artwork—be it on social media, with a colleague, or simply to your device's photo library for safekeeping.

And there you have it! You've learned how to remove background Procreate, not only saving your work but also sharing it with the world. Remember, like any skill, this process gets smoother and easier with practice. So, keep refining your techniques, and soon, you'll be a master at removing backgrounds in Procreate!

If you enjoyed our step-by-step guide on how to remove background in Procreate and want to dive deeper into the world of digital art, we highly recommend checking out Sameera Maruvada's workshop, "Procreate Basics: Making Digital Art." This workshop will equip you with the essential knowledge and skills needed to create stunning digital art using Procreate.