Step-by-Step Guide: How to Create a Transparent Background in Procreate

Written by Daisie Team

Published on 19 June 2023 7 min read

Creating digital art with transparent backgrounds is a popular technique for graphic designers and digital artists. In this blog, we'll explore how to make a transparent background in Procreate, a widely-used iPad app for digital art. We'll walk you through setting up your canvas, creating a transparent background, exporting your artwork, and troubleshooting common issues. By the end of this guide, you'll be able to add transparent backgrounds to your Procreate creations with ease.

Setting up Your Canvas

Before diving into creating a transparent background, it's essential to set up your canvas correctly in Procreate. The right canvas size and color profile will help ensure your final artwork looks great and maintains its transparency. Let's start with choosing the right size for your canvas.

Choosing the Right Size

When setting up your canvas in Procreate, consider the following factors:

Intended use: Think about where your artwork will be displayed. For example, if you're creating a logo for a website, you might need a smaller canvas size than if you're designing a poster.
Resolution: Higher resolution canvases help maintain image quality as you scale your artwork. For digital art, a resolution of 300 DPI (dots per inch) is usually sufficient.
Aspect ratio: Make sure to choose an aspect ratio that matches your final output. For instance, if you're creating a banner image for a website, you might want to use a 16:9 aspect ratio.

Procreate offers a range of preset canvas sizes to choose from, or you can create a custom size that fits your specific needs.

Selecting the Color Profile

Color profiles, also known as color spaces, determine how colors are displayed on different devices. In Procreate, you can choose between two main color profiles:

sRGB: This is the standard color profile for most digital devices and web browsers. If your artwork is primarily for digital use, sRGB is a suitable choice.
CMYK: This color profile is used for print purposes. If you plan to print your artwork, consider using a CMYK color profile to ensure accurate color reproduction.

To select a color profile in Procreate, simply choose the desired profile from the "Color Profile" dropdown menu when creating a new canvas.

Creating a Transparent Background

Now that your canvas is set up, it's time to learn how to make a transparent background in Procreate. A transparent background allows your artwork to be placed on various surfaces without any unwanted background colors. Let's explore the steps to remove the default background and use layers to ensure transparency.

Removing the Default Background

Procreate's default canvas comes with a white background. To make it transparent, follow these steps:

Open the Layers panel by tapping the two overlapping squares icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
In the Layers panel, locate the layer named "Background color."
Tap the checkbox on the right side of the "Background color" layer to uncheck it. This will remove the white background and reveal a checkerboard pattern, which represents transparency in Procreate.

Your canvas now has a transparent background. However, to maintain transparency throughout your design process, it's essential to use layers effectively.

Using Layers to Ensure Transparency

Layers are a powerful feature in Procreate that allows you to organize and edit your artwork more easily. By working with layers, you can ensure that your transparent background remains intact. Here are some tips on using layers effectively:

Create new layers: Instead of drawing directly on the transparent background, create a new layer for each element of your artwork. This way, you can manipulate individual elements without affecting the transparency.
Use blending modes: Blending modes help you control how layers interact with each other. For example, the "Multiply" blending mode can create a more seamless integration of your artwork with the transparent background.
Maintain separation: Avoid merging layers unless necessary, as this can cause unwanted interactions between the elements and the transparent background. Keeping layers separate ensures that you can easily make adjustments later on.

By using layers effectively, you can maintain the transparency of your background while creating stunning digital art in Procreate.

Exporting Your Artwork

Once you've created your masterpiece with a transparent background in Procreate, it's time to share it with the world. Exporting your artwork in the right format is crucial to preserving the transparency you've worked so hard to achieve. Let's go over choosing the correct file format and ensuring transparency is preserved during the export process.

Choosing the Right File Format

Not all file formats support transparency. To ensure your artwork maintains its transparent background, you should choose a format that supports it. Here are the most common formats that preserve transparency:

PNG (Portable Network Graphics): This format is ideal for preserving transparency and works well for digital and web use. It supports lossless data compression, which means your image quality won't be compromised.
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format): Although GIF supports transparency, it's limited to a single transparent color and has a lower color depth, which may not be suitable for detailed or complex artwork.
PSD (Photoshop Document): PSD is the native file format for Adobe Photoshop and supports transparency. However, it's not as widely compatible as PNG, so it's better suited for further editing rather than sharing or displaying your work.

For most cases, exporting your artwork as a PNG file is the best option to preserve transparency.

Ensuring Transparency is Preserved

Now that you've selected the right file format, it's time to export your artwork. Follow these steps to ensure the transparency is preserved during the export process:

In Procreate, tap the wrench icon in the top-left corner to open the Actions panel.
Select "Share" from the list of options.
Choose the appropriate file format (e.g., PNG) from the list. Procreate will prepare your artwork for export.
Once the export process is complete, you can save your artwork to your device or share it via your preferred method (e.g., email, social media, cloud storage).

With these steps, you've successfully exported your artwork while preserving the transparent background. You're now ready to showcase your creativity in various applications, from website designs to custom merchandise!

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Creating a transparent background in Procreate is usually a straightforward process. However, you might encounter some common issues along the way. Let's discuss how to address these problems and ensure your artwork has a perfect transparent background.

Transparency Not Showing Up

If you've followed all the steps to create a transparent background but it's still not showing up, it's possible that you accidentally added color or elements to the background layer. To fix this:

Open the Layers panel and locate the background layer. It should be labeled "Background."
Ensure the layer is turned off by tapping the checkbox next to it. The layer thumbnail should now appear empty, indicating transparency.
If the issue persists, create a new layer and move it to the bottom of the layer stack. Turn off the original background layer, and ensure the new layer is also set to transparent.

By following these steps, you should now have a transparent background in your artwork.

Unexpected Background Colors

When exporting your artwork with a transparent background, you might notice unexpected background colors in the final image. This could be due to the file format or the application you're using to view the image. To resolve this problem:

Ensure you've exported the artwork in a file format that supports transparency, such as PNG.
Open the image in an application that supports transparent backgrounds, like Adobe Photoshop or GIMP. Some image viewers might display a default background color even if the image has transparency.

By verifying the file format and using the right application, you should be able to see your artwork with the desired transparent background.

Problems with Exporting

If you're having issues exporting your artwork, it could be due to file size or compatibility. Here are some tips to help you resolve exporting issues:

Check that you have enough storage space on your device to save the exported file. Large, high-resolution images can take up significant space.
Try exporting your artwork in a different file format. If you initially chose PSD, for example, try exporting as a PNG instead.
If all else fails, try closing and reopening Procreate or restarting your device to resolve any temporary glitches.

With these troubleshooting tips, you should be well-equipped to tackle any issues you encounter while creating a transparent background in Procreate.

Additional Resources

Now that you know how to make a transparent background in Procreate, it's time to explore even more possibilities with this versatile drawing app. To further enhance your skills, check out these additional resources:

Procreate Community Forums

The Procreate Community Forums are a fantastic place to connect with fellow artists, ask questions, and share your work. You can find tips and tricks, as well as discussions about new features and updates. It's a great way to stay informed and inspired!

Procreate Tutorials and Guides

There are countless Procreate tutorials and guides available online, covering a wide range of topics and techniques. Some popular sources include YouTube channels, blogs, and even social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. By following these tutorials, you can learn new techniques, discover hidden features, and improve your overall skills in Procreate.

With the knowledge of how to make a transparent background in Procreate and the wealth of resources available, you're well on your way to becoming a Procreate expert. Keep practicing, experimenting, and learning to take your digital art to new heights!

If you're looking to improve your digital drawing skills, especially in illustrating fruits, don't miss out on the workshop titled 'How to Draw A Fruit In ProCreate' by Vicky Catalan. This workshop offers step-by-step guidance on mastering the art of fruit illustration using ProCreate, and it's perfect for artists of all skill levels!