Have you heard about the Procreate app? It is an awesome app that is changing the way artists create art. This is the sort of thing that screen printers love. If you create art for your screen printing business then you want to consider using Procreate as an option.
In this article we tell you exactly what Procreate is and give you all of the important details about this exciting software. After you hear about it we think that you are going to consider using Procreate in your business all the time. So let’s get started.
What Is Procreate?
Procreate is a complete art studio that works on the iPad. It was created by Savage Interactive in 2011. The goal of the software is to create digital art using the capabilities of the iPad. With Procreate you can create stunning raster images which can be converted into vectors and used for screen printing.
Why is Procreate Such A Big Deal?
Procreate allows users with an iPad to create art with a stylus that is incredible, and the best part of it is that it only costs $9.99. That’s right. $9.99. (We're not selling the app, we just want to point out that the price is pretty low for what you get.) That is a one time fee. Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator require monthly subscriptions that can get quite expensive. If you have an iPad then this is the tool for you. It may be the best ten bucks that you have ever spent.
Procreate frees you from your desktop computer to create art. You can sit in a room and create artwork with an iPad. You don’t even need a Wacom tablet. You can create art where you want to create art. The process is similar to creating art on paper.
What are Procreate's Features?
Procreate was designed with artists in mind. It comes with over 200 different brushes. These brushes are handcrafted to give you amazing textures. There are pencils, inks, charcoals, and many other options to choose from. You can also download thousands of brushes to add to your collection. Plus, you can even create your own brushes. This software is so great, you can even take two brushes and combine them together. It’s even possible to import brushes from Photoshop.
You will have control over the color in your artwork. Procreate allows you to choose new colors without leaving your artwork to go to a new menu. You drag the color panel right onto your artwork. You can even drop colors right onto your artwork to change them.
The iPad is a touch device and the makers of Procreate kept that in mind when developing the software. They have built in the power of gestures to keep the program interactive.
Procreate is fast. The software has a graphics engine built right in. This means that as fast as you can paint it can keep up. It was designed with the iPad in mind and therefore it uses their hardware to get the best results.
One of the most exciting things about Procreate is the ability to create animations. This is a complete art studio. You can create PSD files and GIFs with it. Procreate has features that make animation awesome. Plus Procreate has features to help assist your drawing. If you have issues with drawing the exact thing you want then Procreate is here to help. It will fix shapes for you. You will never have to worry about drawing a perfect circle again.
Procreate has one of the coolest features. It has a time-lapse replay built in. You can record your artwork being designed and play it back. Think of all of the awesome YouTube videos you can make.
What Do I Need To Use Procreate?
You need three things to use Procreate. You need a compatible iPad, stylus (Apple Pen), and the Procreate app.
iPad
According to the Procreate website the current version of the app works with the following iPad models:
- 12.9-inch iPad Pro (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th generation)
- 11inch iPad Pro (1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation)
- 10.5-inch iPad Pro
- 9.7 inch iPad Pro
- iPad (8th generation)
- iPad (7th generation)
- iPad (6th generation)
- iPad (5th generation)
- iPad mini (5th generation)
- iPad mini 4
- iPad Air (4th generation)
- iPad Air (3d generation)
- iPad Air 2
Apple Pencil
Procreate integrates with Apple Pencil. If the iPad that you are using is Apple Pencil compatible then it is not compatible with any other stylus. Therefore you should use the Apple Pencil. The newest version of the pencil (Apple Pencil 2nd generation) costs $129. The Apple Pencil 2 only works with two of the iPad models: 12.9 in. or 11 in. iPad Pro. The 1st generation of the Apple Pencil. The Apple Pencil 1st generation is only compatible with the following iPads:
- iPad Pro 12.9 in (1st and 2nd generation)
- Ipad Pro 10.5 in
- iPad Pro 9.7 in
- iPad (9th generation)
- iPad (8th generation)
- iPad (7th generation)
- iPad (6th generation)
- iPad Air (3rd generation)
- iPad mini (5th generation)
The iPad pencils are pressure sensitive and can tilt. This means that there are a lot of unique effects that can be created with the iPad pencil.
Procreate App
As previously mentioned the Procreate app is $9.99. It is available in 13 different languages and can be purchased from Apple’s App Store.
How Does The Artwork Get Saved From Procreate
Procreate supports most major image formats.
File Import Types
- .procreate
- PSD
- JPEG
- PNG
- TIFF
- GIF
File Export Types
Files can be exported for any of the file import types. They can also be exported as PDF, PNG, GIF.
What it does not do is save vector files. For screen printers this is a serious problem. Most screen printers use vectors to create their screen printed designs because they scale up without losing resolution. Which means that if you create a design in Procreate and you want to save it as a vector, you are going to have to export it as one of the other file types and convert it to a vector file in another program such as Illustrator using Image Trace.
What Resources for Procreate?
There are quite a few tutorials on YouTube plus there are help guides on the Procreate website. In addition to the tutorials there are things such as fonts, brushes, textures, stamps, and patterns that can be purchased from websites such as Creative Market and Etsy.
The Final Word on Procreate
This software is exciting. It gives you the freedom to get away from your desk and go out and create art in nature. The program is so customizable that you will be able to create practically any art sort of digital artwork that you can imagine. You will love the flexibility of it.
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