AxisDesignIndia
Get Ready to Create Transparent Backgrounds in Procreate
Are you tired of having a plain white background in your Procreate artwork? Want to make your designs stand out with transparent backgrounds? Look no further! In this article, we will walk you through a detailed tutorial on how to make transparent backgrounds in Procreate, allowing you to take your digital art to the next level. With easy-to-follow steps and helpful tips, you’ll be able to achieve professional-looking transparent backgrounds in no time!
Introduction
Procreate is a powerful digital art app available for the iPad, widely known for its extensive features and user-friendly interface. While the default background in Procreate is white, you can easily remove it and create transparent backgrounds to enhance the versatility of your artwork. Whether you’re designing logos, illustrations, or even digital lettering, having a transparent background gives you the freedom to seamlessly incorporate your creations into various projects.
The Importance of Transparent Backgrounds
Transparent backgrounds in digital art provide numerous benefits and open up a world of possibilities for artists. Here are a few reasons why transparent backgrounds are essential:
1. Versatility: Transparent backgrounds allow you to seamlessly integrate your artwork into different projects, such as website designs, social media posts, or even merchandise.
2. Enhanced Composition: By removing the background, you can focus the viewer’s attention on the main subject, creating a cleaner and more impactful composition.
3. Layering Flexibility: Transparent backgrounds enable you to layer different elements of your artwork, adding depth and complexity to your designs.
4. Branding Consistency: With a transparent background, you can easily incorporate your artwork into branded materials without any background color conflicts.
Now that you understand the importance of transparent backgrounds, let’s delve into the step-by-step tutorial on how to create them in Procreate.
Step 1: Open a New Canvas
To start creating your transparent background in Procreate, open the app and tap on the “+” symbol in the top right corner of the screen. This will bring up the canvas creation menu, where you can choose the dimensions for your artwork.
Procreate offers a variety of preset canvas sizes, ranging from standard dimensions for social media posts to custom sizes for digital illustrations. Select the size that suits your project by tapping on the corresponding preset or adjusting the width and height manually.
Choosing the Right Canvas Size
When selecting the canvas size, consider the purpose of your artwork. If you’re creating social media graphics, check the recommended dimensions for each platform to ensure your designs fit perfectly when shared.
TIP: If you’re unsure about the canvas size, it’s better to choose a larger size that can always be resized later without losing image quality.
Once you’ve chosen the canvas size, tap on “Create” to start working on your new transparent background.
Step 2: Choose a Background Color
Even though you intend to create a transparent background, it’s helpful to choose a temporary background color to visualize your artwork more effectively during the editing process. Procreate allows you to add multiple layers to your canvas, and by setting a background color, you can easily distinguish between your artwork and the background.
To add a background color, tap on the “Layer” icon located at the top right corner of the screen. This will open the layer menu, where you can manage different layers in your artwork.
Next, tap on the “+” symbol at the top right corner of the layer menu to create a new layer. By default, Procreate adds the new layer above the existing ones, making it the top layer.
Once the new layer is created, tap on it to select it. Then, tap on the color palette icon at the top left corner of the screen to access the color selection options.
In the color palette, you can choose a background color by tapping on a color swatch or create a custom color by adjusting the sliders for hue, saturation, and brightness. Take your time to find a color that complements your artwork and allows you to see it clearly.
Remember that this background color is temporary and will not be visible in the final version of your artwork. It’s solely for your convenience during the editing process.
Step 3: Duplicate the Background Layer
Before you start removing the background, it’s crucial to create a duplicate layer to preserve your original artwork. This way, if you make a mistake or want to go back to the original image, you’ll always have a backup layer.
To duplicate the background layer, go back to the layer menu by tapping on the “Layer” icon. Next, swipe left on the Background layer, which is usually the first layer in your artwork. This action will reveal options for the layer, including “Duplicate.”
Tap on “Duplicate” to create an identical copy of the background layer. Procreate automatically names the duplicated layer as “Background copy” or a similar variation. You may choose to rename it to something more descriptive if it helps you keep track of your layers.
By duplicating the background layer, you ensure that your original artwork remains untouched while you work on removing the background from the duplicate layer.
Organizing Layers for Efficiency
As your artwork becomes more complex, organizing your layers becomes increasingly important. You can create folders to group related layers or rearrange the order of layers to control their visibility and blending options.
TIP: To create a new folder, tap on the “Layer” icon, then drag and drop a layer onto another layer. This action creates a folder that you can name to keep your layers organized.
Step 4: Hide the Original Background Layer
To avoid accidentally making changes to the original background layer, it’s best to hide it temporarily. By hiding the layer, you can focus solely on editing the duplicate layer while ensuring the original remains intact.
To hide the original background layer, go back to the layer menu by tapping on the “Layer” icon. Look for the eye icon next to the Background layer, and tap on it to make the layer invisible.
Once hidden, the Background layer will no longer be visible on the canvas, allowing you to focus on the duplicate layer and the editing process. However, don’t worry – the original layer is still present and easily accessible whenever you need it.
Step 5: Select the Magic Wand Tool
The Magic Wand tool in Procreate is a powerful selection tool that allows you to make precise selections based on color and tone. It’s the key tool for removing the background and creating transparent areas in your artwork.
To access the Magic Wand tool, tap on the “Wrench” icon located at the top left corner of the screen. This will open the Actions menu, where you can find various editing tools and options for your artwork.
In the Actions menu, select the “Add” option under “Selections.” This will enable you to make precise selections using the Magic Wand tool and refine them as needed.
Step 6: Make a Selection
Now that the Magic Wand tool is active, you can start making selections to remove the background. The Magic Wand tool analyzes the colors and tones of your artwork and selects areas that closely match the color you tap on.
To make a selection, simply tap on an area of the background that you want to remove. Procreate will automatically select similar areas based on color and tone, creating a selection area that can be edited further.
By default, the Magic Wand tool’s tolerance level is set to a value suitable for most situations. However, you may need to adjust it to fine-tune the selection. The tolerance level determines how many pixels are selected based on their similarity to the original color you tapped on.
To adjust the tolerance level, look for the slider located at the bottom of the screen when the Magic Wand tool is active. By sliding it left or right, you can increase or decrease the tolerance value, respectively.
TIP: Higher tolerance values select more pixels, while lower values restrict the selection to fewer pixels. Experiment with different tolerance levels to achieve the desired results for your artwork.
Refining Selections with QuickShape
In addition to the Magic Wand tool, Procreate offers the QuickShape feature, which allows you to create precise selections using geometric shapes. By combining the Magic Wand tool and QuickShape, you can quickly select intricate areas with clean, straight lines.
To activate QuickShape, tap on the selection icon located at the top of the screen while the Magic Wand tool is active. This will bring up options for QuickShape, including shapes like rectangles, ellipses, and polygons.
Select the desired shape and draw it around the areas you want to select. Procreate automatically adjusts the shape to fit your artwork, making it easier to select complex areas accurately.
Step 7: Delete the Background
Now that you have made the desired selection, it’s time to remove the background pixels and create the transparent area in your artwork. To do this, you will work with the duplicate background layer you created earlier.
Go back to the layer menu by tapping on the “Layer” icon and select the duplicate background layer. This ensures that any changes you make will only affect the duplicate layer, leaving the original artwork untouched.
Once you have the duplicate background layer selected, tap on the “Actions” menu represented by a wrench icon at the top right corner of the screen. This will bring up various editing options for the layer.
In the Actions menu, choose the “Clear” option to delete the selected background pixels. Procreate will instantly remove the pixels within the selection area, leaving only your main artwork visible on a transparent background.
Undoing and Redoing Changes
Mistakes happen, even when removing backgrounds in Procreate. Fortunately, Procreate provides an extensive Undo/Redo history, allowing you to revert any changes you make during the editing process.
To undo a change, simply swipe three fingers to the left on the canvas. This action takes you back one step in the editing history, helping you recover from any unintended deletions or alterations.
If you want to redo a change, swipe three fingers to the right on the canvas. This action moves you forward in the editing history, reinstating any previously undone modifications.
Step-by-Step Tutorial Summary
To recap the steps involved in creating a transparent background in Procreate:
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| Step 1 | Create a new canvas |
| Step 2 | Choose a temporary background color |
| Step 3 | Duplicate the background layer |
| Step 4 | Hide the original background layer |
| Step 5 | Select the Magic Wand tool |
| Step 6 | Make a selection |
| Step 7 | Delete the background |
How to Make Transparent Background in Procreate – FAQ
Q: Can I change the background color after making it transparent?
A: Absolutely! Once you have a transparent background, you can add a new layer underneath your artwork and fill it with any color or even a gradient. This allows you to experiment with different background effects and adapt your artwork to various contexts.
Q: Is it possible to create partially transparent backgrounds in Procreate?
A: Yes! Procreate supports transparency levels, allowing you to adjust the opacity of individual layers or elements within your artwork. By lowering the opacity, you can create subtle transparency effects, such as watermarks or ghostly overlays.
Q: Can I export my artwork with a transparent background?
A: Yes, you can! When saving or exporting your artwork, make sure to choose a file format that supports transparency, such as PNG or PSD. These formats preserve the transparency information, allowing you to seamlessly integrate your artwork into other designs or platforms.
Q: Will removing the background affect the quality of my artwork?
A: No, removing the background does not degrade the quality of your artwork. Procreate uses non-destructive editing, preserving the original image quality. It only removes the selected pixels while keeping the rest of your artwork intact.
Q: Can I undo a background deletion if I make a mistake?
A: Of course! Procreate provides an extensive Undo/Redo history, allowing you to revert any changes you make during the editing process. Simply swipe three fingers to the left on the canvas to undo a change or three fingers to the right to redo it.
Q: Are there any alternative selection tools for removing backgrounds?
A: Yes, Procreate offers additional selection tools that you can use to remove backgrounds or make precise selections. The Freehand, Rectangle, and Lasso tools allow you to manually select areas by drawing or tracing around them, providing more control over the selection process.
Q: Can I make transparent backgrounds in Procreate on the iPhone?
A: Absolutely! While the interface may differ slightly between the iPad and iPhone versions of Procreate, the process of creating transparent backgrounds is the same. You can apply the same steps and tools on the iPhone to achieve seamless results and take advantage of transparent backgrounds in your artwork.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You have now learned how to create transparent backgrounds in Procreate. By following the step-by-step tutorial and utilizing the Magic Wand tool, you can remove backgrounds with precision and unlock the full potential of your artwork.
Transparent backgrounds offer versatility, enhanced composition, and branding consistency, allowing you to seamlessly integrate your artwork into a variety of projects. Whether you’re a professional artist, graphic designer, or hobbyist, transparent backgrounds in Procreate provide endless creative possibilities.
So why wait? Grab your iPad or iPhone, launch Procreate, and start experimenting with transparent backgrounds today! Let your creativity shine without boundaries.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only. The steps and features mentioned may vary depending on the version of Procreate and the device used. Please refer to the official Procreate documentation and user guides for the most accurate and up-to-date instructions.