# Procreate (software)

Procreate is a raster graphics editor app for digital painting developed and published by the Australian company Savage Interactive for iOS and iPadOS. It was launched on the App Store in 2011.

## Creators
### James Cuda

James Cuda grew up in Sydney, Australia, using traditional mediums of art. James did not finish his schooling and felt that he was not focused in life so he traveled to Tasmania where he met his wife and permanently moved to in the year 2000. James took on local jobs before he started his career in Digital Art. His access to digital art happened when he connected internet to his home video hardware. He took out a loan and bought a computer to teach himself digital art. He then freelanced in web design and graphic design. He also completed a TAFE diploma.He started up his company Savage Media Interactive.

### Alanna Cuda

The Co-founder of Savage Interactive. Alanna met James in Hobart Tasmania Australia. Alanna is focused on the commercial and financial aspects of the company.

### Lloyd Bottomley

Lead Engineer and software designer for Procreate. Lloyd worked with James previously when both were freelancing.

## Versions
### Procreate

Procreate for iPad was first released in 2011 by the Tasmanian software company Savage Interactive. After winning an Apple Design Award in June 2013, Savage launched Procreate 2 in conjunction with iOS 7, adding new features such as higher resolution capabilities and more brush options.
In 2016, Procreate became one of the top ten best-selling iPad apps on the App Store. It rose into the top two in 2017. In 2018, Procreate became the overall best selling iPad app.
As of April 2023, the most recent version of Procreate for the iPad is 5.3.4.

### Procreate Pocket

Procreate Pocket was released to the App Store in December 2014. Pocket originally included most tools found in Procreate; however, it doesn’t include any features that released on the original Procreate app since its release.
In 2018, Savage launched Procreate Pocket 2.0 to the App Store.
In December 2018, Procreate Pocket received Apple's "App of the Year" award.
As of April 2023, the most recent version of Procreate Pocket (for the iPhone) is 4.0.8.

## Notable Features
### Valkyrie graphics engine

In 2019, Savage switched Procreate to a proprietary graphics engine, Valkyrie, following a period of beta testing on TestFlight. The engine is said to provide “customizable brush options and let [artists] import Adobe Photoshop brushes for the first time.” Alongside the new engine, Procreate 5 featured Brush Studio, a tool for creating new and modifying existing brushes with support for fine-tuning Apple Pencil settings.

### Animation Tools

Within the Procreate application, animation capabilities are present. The process involves sketching individual frames or layers, selectively concealing all but the desired initial frame. To control the duration of each displayed frame, establish distinct layers. For instance, to achieve a 0.5-second duration, incorporate approximately 10 marks on the animation layer. Subsequently, hide the frame intended for playback. Position a marker to indicate the endpoint of the subsequent frame. Upon completion of the time-lapse playback, the frames seamlessly animate. For additional editing options, such as removing the sketch recording or incorporating music, export the animation to iMovie.
Animation Assist provides animators with an interface that facilitates creating animated artwork. The tool includes fundamental features such as onion-skinning, immediate playback, and a visual timeline. The software enables users to efficiently edit and oversee both individual frames and the entire animation process.
Savage expanded upon Procreate's Animation features with the companion app dedicated to 2D animation called Procreate Dreams, released in November 2023. While the application is commended for its intuitive interface and accessibility, some reviewers have noted that it may lack some key animations features, such as reference layers.

### Generative AI

On Aug 18, 2024, Procreate announced that it would not be incorporating generative artificial intelligence into its software.

### Advanced Features

Procreate offers the ability to create custom texture maps, allow lighting adjustments, and Augmented Reality (AR) previews.
Procreate introduces further enhancements to Freehand Selection. Hover with Apple Pencil includes a preview feature, providing users with a full-color preview of their next stroke.

## Advanced Stroke Stabilization

Users are able to control and the stabilization of a brush in its settings or though preference settings under pressure and smoothing for global affects.

### Export

Works can be exported to the following format: Procreate, PSD, PDF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, (following for exporting layers) PDF, PNG, GIF (animation), PNG (animation), MP4 (animation), and HEVC (animation). Procreate provides ingrained screen recording for a time-lapse feature, and the recorded video can also be exported.

## Notable users

Kyle Lambert made his Stranger Things poster and a viral photorealistic "finger-painting" of Morgan Freeman in Procreate.
Concept artist Doug Chiang creates robot, vehicle, and creature designs for Star Wars in Procreate.
John Dyer, the English landscape painter, was sponsored by Savage Interactive and used Procreate as part of the "Last Chance to Paint" project, a partnership with the Eden Project that sent Dyer to stay with the Yaminawá in the Amazon rainforest, where he painted the experience.
Professional artists have also used Procreate to create the posters for Stranger Things, Logan, and Blade Runner 2049, as well as several covers for The New Yorker. It has also been professionally adopted at Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Disney Animation, and Pixar. For the 2018 detective game Return of the Obra Dinn developer Lucas Pope used Procreate to draw a series of in-game portraits, mimicking the look of 19th-Century pen and ink sketches.