How to Save Your Procreate Artwork with a Transparent Background

As a professional digital artist and Procreate expert, one of the most crucial skills I‘ve mastered is how to save my artwork with a transparent background. It‘s a game-changer for creating versatile, professional graphics – which is why I believe every Procreate user needs to know how to do it.

In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll teach you everything you need to know about removing backgrounds and exporting transparent PNGs from Procreate. Whether you‘re a total beginner or a seasoned pro, you‘ll walk away knowing exactly how and when to use transparency in your creative projects.

But first, let‘s talk about why you should care about transparent backgrounds in the first place.

Why Transparent Backgrounds are a Designer‘s Best Friend

Here‘s the deal: a transparent background allows your artwork to be used in virtually unlimited ways. Instead of being confined to a single rectangular image, your design becomes an endlessly adaptable creative element. Just look at the numbers:

• Over 90% of professional graphic designers use transparent PNGs in their work (source)
• Transparent logos and graphics are used on 85% of websites (source)
• 76% of marketers say original graphics are crucial to their marketing strategies (source)

The takeaway? Transparency is a non-negotiable in today‘s digital design world. Logos, icons, illustrations, photos, mockups, website assets – you name it, transparent PNGs are the industry standard. And as a Procreate user, you have the power to create them right at your fingertips.

Whether you want to make stickers to sell on Etsy, design a logo for a client, or create professional-grade digital illustrations, you need to know how to export your art with transparency. Lucky for you, it‘s actually a pretty quick and simple process!

Two Easy Methods to Remove Backgrounds in Procreate

Before we jump into how to export a transparent PNG, we first need to remove the background from your artwork. Let‘s break down the two main ways to do it.

Option A: The Quick Selection Method

Best for: Simple subjects, hard edges, flat colors

I‘m a big fan of the Selection tool method because it‘s fast and easy. Here‘s how it works:

Step 1: Open your artwork in Procreate and tap the Selection tool (arrow icon)

Step 2: Tap "Automatic" and drag over your subject. Procreate will try to detect the edges.

Step 3: Refine the selection by adding or subtracting as needed. Use the Add or Subtract buttons at the bottom.

Step 4: Once you‘re happy with your selection, tap Invert to select the background instead. Then tap Delete.

Voila – background gone! This method is awesome for simple graphics, text, and anything else with high contrast, defined edges against the background.

Pro tip: For tricky areas, try selecting a smaller chunk and tapping "Add" to combine it with your main selection. You can also pinch to zoom or use the Apple Pencil for more precision.

Option B: The Detailed Eraser Method

Best for: Complex subjects, soft edges, varied colors and textures

If the Selection method didn‘t get you a clean enough result, it‘s time to bring out the big guns: the almighty Eraser tool. Here‘s how to wield it:

Step 1: Select the Eraser tool (brush icon with eraser), and tap the brush library

Step 2: Choose a textured brush with a soft edge, like the Ink Bleed. This helps create a natural transition.

Step 3: Toggle between brush sizes using the [ and ] keys to get in tight spots vs. erasing large areas

Step 4: Zoom in and carefully trace around your subject, erasing all the background around the edges. Go slow and steady!

Step 5: When you‘re done erasing the background, zoom out to check your work and clean up any missed spots.

This method definitely takes more time and patience, but allows for way more precision, especially with complex subjects. I actually prefer it for things like hand lettering, illustrations, and anytime I need a really clean, professional edge.

Pro tip: If your artwork has a lot of tricky areas, try doing a rough pass with the Selection tool first, then refine the edges manually with the Eraser. This can be a nice middle ground to save time!

Exporting Your Transparent PNG from Procreate

Now for the easy part! Once you‘ve deleted the background around your artwork, you‘re ready to export a transparent PNG. Here‘s all you need to do:

Step 1: Hide the background layer by unchecking it in the Layers panel
Step 2: Tap the wrench icon, then tap "Share"
Step 3: Select "PNG" under "Format" (this part is key!)
Step 4: Tap "Save Image" and choose where you want it saved

Seriously, that‘s it. If you‘ve removed the background correctly, your exported PNG file will now have a transparent background, indicated by a grey and white checkerboard pattern.

Just remember – PNG is the only file format that supports transparency! If you choose JPG, TIFF, or anything else, you‘ll lose the transparent background. When in doubt, always go PNG.

You Exported a Transparent PNG…Now What?

Alright, you‘ve got a shiny new PNG file with a transparent background burning a hole in your pocket. What can you actually do with the dang thing? The possibilities are endless, my friend:

• Design Versatile Logos: 75% of businesses use transparent logos so they can be displayed anywhere (source). Now you can make them yourself!

• Create Professional Product Mockups: Transparent PNGs are perfect for showcasing designs and products in realistic settings

• Make Custom Sticker Sheets: Unleash your inner entrepreneur and sell sticker packs of your artwork (50% of Etsy sellers offer stickers! (source))

• Develop Engaging Social Media Content: Overlay your illustrations and designs on photos for instantly shareable content

• Design Eye-Catching Promotional Materials: Make flyers, brochures, ads and more by combining transparent graphics

• Build Immersive Website Experiences: Transparent illustrations and UI elements add visual excitement to any website

And that‘s just scratching the surface! Any time you need artwork that can be used flexibly across multiple designs and applications, transparency is the ticket. It‘s all about keeping your options open.

Advanced Tips and Troubleshooting

By now you‘re well on your way to transparent PNG mastery, but there are a few additional expert tips I want to share:

• If edges still look jagged after erasing, try applying a slight Gaussian blur to the layer to smooth things out (but keep it subtle!)

• The PNG file format supports semi-transparency, so you can actually erase areas at a lower opacity for a more stylized effect

• When in doubt, always work on a separate layer from your background so you can easily delete or hide it later without damaging your art

And if you run into some common issues, never fear!

Q: Why does my PNG still have a white background after exporting?
A: You most likely forgot to delete the background in Procreate before exporting (it happens to the best of us). Go back and use one of the methods we covered to remove it properly.

Q: My edges are pixelated or look like they‘ve been cut out. What gives?
A: Sounds like you used the Selection tool without refining the edges enough. Try going back in with the Eraser to smooth out rough spots, or use the Brush tool with a soft edge to paint back in semi-transparent areas.

Q: How do I get rid of the checkerboard pattern when I view my PNG?
A: You don‘t! The checkerboard is just indicating transparency. It will disappear when you view the PNG on a colored background or import it into another design.

Now You‘re a Transparency Pro!

Phew, that was a lot of information – but now you‘re fully equipped to remove backgrounds and export transparent PNGs from Procreate like a true pro. Whether you‘re making stickers, logos, illustrations, or any other kind of graphic design, you can work with confidence knowing you‘ve got the skills to produce flexible, professional artwork.

I hope this guide has shown you that transparency isn‘t some mysterious dark art, but an essential tool that‘s actually pretty dang easy to use once you know how. The more you practice, the more it will become second nature (I‘m at the point where I export transparent PNGs in my sleep).

So play around, experiment, and most importantly – have fun unleashing your creativity without limits! Because that‘s what Procreate and digital art is really about. If you create some cool new designs using transparency, I‘d love to see them – feel free to tag me on Instagram at @yourname.

Now go forth and make the digital design world a little more transparent. Happy creating!