How To Change Opacity In Procreate For Better Art

(Last updated on March 16th, 2023)

Can drawings in Procreate have opacity? The short answer is yes, but the long answer is that there are a few methods to consider. I will cover how to change the opacity in Procreate with just a few easy steps.

Opacity in Procreate

The opacity settings in Procreate used to be easily found in the Adjustments menu. This has changed since version 5 with a much different method depending on your device. There are ways to change the opacity of multiple layers and individual objects.

In this article, I’ll review a few ways to change opacity in Procreate. This includes the version of Procreate for iPads and Procreate Pocket for iPhones. Knowing these techniques can save you a lot of time in bringing opacity to your drawings.

The Finger Technique For Opacity

One of the fastest ways to alter the opacity in Procreate is using the finger gestures method. Here’s how easy it is to use this technique to change the opacity.

1. In your Procreate project, open the Layers panel and locate the layer you want to add opacity towards.

2. Take two fingers and double-tap on that layer. Doing so will open up the opacity slider.

3. Look at the top of the interface and see a blue slider for the opacity. Slide it to the right to increase the opacity or to the left to make it more transparent.

And that’s all there is to it. With simple taps and swipes, you can quickly apply transparency to your layers within a few seconds. Use this for when you’re drawing and time is of the essence.

The Layer Settings Technique For Opacity

Your layers’ opacity settings can also be found in the layer settings. Here’s how to change opacity using the layer settings.

1. Locate the layer in the Layers panel where you want to alter the opacity.

2. You should see an N next to that layer’s name. The N stands for Normal, which refers to the current blend mode. Tap the N.

3. After tapping the N, the layer settings should pop below the layer. You should see Opacity with a slider at the top of the list of settings to change. Move the slider with your finger to change the opacity.

At this stage, you can also add some fill color in a layer.

The Multiple Layer Technique For Opacity

If you want to change the opacity for multiple layers, it can be cumbersome to perform one of the previous two techniques repeatedly. The bad news is that Procreate doesn’t have a simple solution for changing opacity on several layers. The good news is that there’s a workaround for this problem.

The best way to change the opacity of multiple layers is to merge them. Here’s how to do just that:

1. Open the Layers panel and locate all the layers you want to merge.

2. Select the top layer by swiping to the right. It should be highlighted in blue. Continue swiping for all layers you want to merge for the opacity change. The other layers should be selected.

3. With your layers all selected, look at the top right of the Layers panel, and you should see a button that says Group. Touch on this button to create a group of your selected layers together.

4. As a safety, it’s best to duplicate the group you just created so you have a saved version before merging. This duplicate can make it easy to go back and make changes if needed. You can tap the New Group button with your current group selected.

5. When you’re ready to merge the layer group, select it and tap the Flatten option. This will automatically merge the layer group into one layer.

6. With your layers now merged into one, you can apply the opacity to it by using either the finger method or layer settings.

There are limitations to this process, as it means you can’t make any changes to the individual layers once they’re merged. 

Only go with this process if you’re sure you don’t need to make any changes to each layer and only need to change their opacity. If you’re additionally trying to mirror layers, there are simple tricks for that too. 

Change the Opacity of Individual Procreate Elements

While changing the opacity of a layer can be easy, you may modify the opacity of one part of a layer. 

The best way to do this is to isolate the portion to which you want to add transparency into a separate layer. Here’s how to make a layer for a particular selection in Procreate.

1. The first thing I need to do is select the portion of the layer I want to isolate. Start by selecting the layer from the Layers panel.

2. Find the S icon in the top-left part of the interface. Tapping this will bring up the Selection menu at the bottom of the screen.

3. In the Selection menu, you have two options to choose from when isolating a portion of the layer. Here are your options:

Automatic

This tool best suits specific elements of the background you want to isolate. The tool will automatically find and detect what areas to separate based on what part you click on the canvas. Use this tool for one-color or straightforward elements that can be easily selected.

Freehand

If the element you’re trying to isolate is too detailed, or you want complete control over what you select, the Freehand tool will give you the most control. This tool allows you to draw around the area you wish to isolate.

4. After you’ve selected the area you want isolated for opacity, it’s time to place it in a new layer. Tap the Copy and Paste button to automatically send your selection to a new layer. 

5. Select the new layer created from your paste and change the opacity. Only that area of your canvas will now be altered for opacity.

Change the Opacity of the Entire Procreate Canvas

Let’s say you have a project where you want to change the opacity of everything on the canvas. Unfortunately, there is no way to do this with a simple technique. For changing the opacity on everything, you’ll need to repeat the merged-layer method but use it with every layer.

It’s important to note once more that this process should be one of your later choices in the design process. Only use this method if you are close to the end of a project and don’t need to make additional edits to individual layers.

Changing Opacity in Procreate Pocket

So far, I’ve mentioned all the opacity techniques for Procreate on the iPad. The iPhone version of Procreate, known as Procreate Pocket, has a much different way of adding opacity. Here’s how to add opacity to your Procreate projects on the iPad.

1. Select the layer you want to add opacity for.

2. Find the Modify tool (a magic wand) in the interface’s top menu. This will open the Adjustments window.

3. In the Adjustments window, find the Opacity option at the top of the list and tap it to open the opacity slider.

4. The opacity slider should now appear as a blue slider at the screen’s top. Move it around to change the opacity.

Tips & Tricks

Consider the Project

It’s always important to know what type of project you add opacity to. If you need a blank background around your subject, ensure the background layer is 100% transparent. If you want a little bit of bleedthrough for a layered project, experiment by having a colored layer below to see how the transparency will look against different backgrounds.

Think Before You Merge

While merging layers can make opacity changes easy for those layers, you always want to be sure you don’t need to make additional edits to each layer.

Duplicate

Never be afraid to create a copy if you’re not sure about the edits you’re making to your layers. Having backup layers can save you a lot of time if you make a mistake and need to return to a previous state. It can also be handy for experimenting with different types of layer altercations.

Frequently Asked Questions