Creating Prints from Your Procreate Artwork

Turn your Procreate artwork into stunning prints.

Procreate is one of the most popular digital art apps for digital illustrators, designers, and fine artists. However, creating high-quality art prints from Procreate requires more than simply exporting a file. Proper canvas setup, resolution, color mode, and file formatting are essential for crisp print results.

Set Up Your Canvas for Printing

Good print quality begins with the correct canvas settings in Procreate. 

• Resolution: 300 DPI
• Color Profile: CMYK (or RGB if specified by your printer)
• Canvas Size: Final trim size plus bleed

For example, an 8" × 10" print with bleed should be set up as 8.25" × 10.25" at 300 DPI.

Work in Layers, Export as a Flat File

While Procreate layers are useful during creation, commercial printers like us typically require flattened files.

• Keep text, background, and artwork on separate layers while designing
• Duplicate your file before flattening
• Flatten the artwork only when exporting for print

Understand RGB vs CMYK Color Modes

Procreate supports both RGB and CMYK color profiles, but printing requires CMYK. RGB colors may appear brighter on screen and can shift when converted for print.

For color-critical projects, requesting a digital proof is highly recommended.

Choose the Best File Format for Printing

Selecting the proper file format helps preserve image quality.

• PDF – Preferred for professional printing
• TIFF – High quality, large file size
• PNG – Suitable for simple artwork
• JPEG – Use maximum quality only

Check Resolution and Image Quality

Before exporting, verify that your artwork is set to 300 DPI and inspect it at 100% zoom to check for pixelation, blurry edges, or soft text. 

Add Bleed and Safe Margins

Bleed allows artwork to print edge-to-edge without white borders.

• Standard bleed: 0.125" on all sides
• Keep important elements at least 0.25" inside the trim area

Export and Name Your File Correctly

Before exporting, duplicate your file, flatten the artwork, and use a clear file name such as:

Artwork_8x10_300dpi_CMYK.pdf

This is more for record keeping purposes so you can keep track of your files. Organizing your files ensures you submit the correct files to your print company.

Order a Proof Before Printing

Proofing helps catch color shifts, trim issues, and resolution problems before full production. This step is especially important for limited editions or client work.

Believe it or not, your monitor screen may not show perfect color representation, Digital proofs will help you detect huge color shifts before production begins - especially if a conversion from RGB to CMYK occurred.

Common Procreate Printing Mistakes to Avoid

• Designing at 72 DPI or 132 DPI
• Resizing artwork after completion 
• Forgetting bleed
• Exporting low-quality JPEG files
• Skipping proofing for color-sensitive projects

Final Thoughts on Printing from Procreate

With the right setup and export process, Procreate artwork can translate beautifully into professional-quality prints. Proper planning ensures your artwork looks just as impressive on paper as it does on screen.