Procreate Canvas Size, DPI, Export and Backup Guides

Start with where the artwork will go

There is no single best canvas size for every Procreate project. A square social image and a portrait print have different shapes and delivery requirements. I would settle those requirements before choosing a large canvas simply because the iPad permits it.

Work for a screen: Use the destination's requested pixel dimensions and aspect ratio. Record the intended size before drawing details that may be cropped away.
Work for print: Get the finished physical size and requested pixel density from the print provider. Confirm its color and file requirements as part of the same brief.
Work that is already drawn: Inspect its existing pixel dimensions first. Decide whether you need to change the canvas boundary or scale the image; those operations solve different problems.

The color-space decision belongs here too. A suitable canvas size does not compensate for choosing an output color space the recipient cannot use.

Distinguish pixels from the print-size setting

Pixel dimensions describe the image's width and height in pixels. The DPI setting relates those pixels to a physical size. Procreate's Canvas handbook states that changing DPI alone does not change the pixel dimensions. Raising that number does not add detail to the drawing.

For a calculated example, suppose a provider requests an 8 × 10 inch image at 300 pixels per inch. Multiply each physical dimension by 300: the image needs 2400 × 3000 pixels. The 300 value belongs to this example; it is not a universal print-quality threshold.

Work from the actual output specification rather than a generic square preset. If the job's requirements are uncertain, resolve them before treating a calculator result as the final canvas choice.

Leave room for the layer stack

Procreate's maximum canvas size has both a total-pixel limit and a longest-edge limit, with the limits depending on the iPad model. The largest permitted document is not automatically the most useful size for a project.

Canvas size also affects the available layers. Check the allowance for the actual iPad and dimensions before committing to a piece that needs many independently editable elements. The layers hub explains grouping and merging so you can plan the stack without flattening your only editable copy.

Decide what should change when resizing

Use Actions, Canvas, Crop and Resize to work on the canvas dimensions. Before saving a consequential change, distinguish a different frame from a scaled version of the existing artwork.

Resample scales the image and creates new data from existing pixels when enlarging. That interpolation cannot recover original detail that was never present. Keep a copy before a major resize so you can return to the starting artwork if the new size does not serve the job.

Keep the master as well as the delivery image

The Share Image documentation distinguishes the native Procreate file from flattened image exports. Choose the format for the next task.

Editable Procreate master: Export a .procreate file to retain layers, masks and effects. Keep it separately from the finished image.
PNG delivery image: A normal Share Image PNG export is flattened and lossless, with transparency support. The actual background and artwork state determine whether the result is transparent.
JPEG delivery image: A normal Share Image JPEG export is flattened and uses lossy compression. It does not preserve a layer stack for later editing.

Procreate stores artwork locally on the iPad and recommends manual exports for backup. Save a native copy to an independent storage destination and confirm that the file has finished saving there. A copy held only on the same iPad does not protect against losing that device.

If artwork is already missing, preserve what remains and use the troubleshooting hub to identify a next step. A backup plan is useful before a loss; it is not a promise that a deleted canvas can be recovered.

Choose the guide for the stage you are at

Plan a new canvas first, inspect an export when finishing, or protect the editable artwork before maintenance. The next guide depends on which of those jobs you need to complete.

Before the first stroke

Choose dimensions before drawing a new piece. Use the resize route for existing work, where changing the frame and scaling the image have different consequences.

Canvas Size for Print: Pixels, Inches and PPI
Calculate canvas pixels from the printer's trim size, bleed and requested PPI, then check the aspect ratio, layer capacity and delivery profile.

Prepare an export

Choose the output by what the recipient needs: a transparent image, a print file or an editable handoff. Start with the blur guide when the exported result is the problem.