Export Procreate layers separately, no iPad needed

How to export Procreate layers separately

On the iPad, Procreate exports layers separately from Actions > Share: PNG Files saves each visible layer as its own PNG, PDF puts each layer on a page, and PSD keeps them all in one layered file. Hidden layers are skipped, the usual reason layers seem lost. Without the iPad, toPSD reads the .procreate file in your browser and saves every layer as a PNG or a layered PSD.

Last updated October 12, 2026

Step by step

On the iPad: make the layers visible

Procreate only exports visible layers. Turn on every layer you want before sharing; Solo mode doesn't change what exports.

Choose the layer export

Tap Actions, then Share. Under Share Layers choose PNG Files for one PNG per layer, PDF for one page per layer, or PSD under Share Image to keep layers in one file.

Without the iPad: drop the file on toPSD

Open the toPSD converter in your browser and drop the .procreate file on it. The layer list shows every layer, hidden ones included.

Download Layers as PNG or the layered PSD

Layers as PNG saves each layer as a full-canvas PNG in a ZIP. The layered PSD keeps them all with groups, masks and blend modes.

The layer exports Procreate has

Procreate’s Share menu, documented in the Procreate Handbook, offers these layer exports:

Export	Where	What you get
PSD	Actions > Share > PSD	One layered file with layer names, opacity, visibility and blend modes
PNG Files	Actions > Share > PNG Files	One PNG per visible layer, bottom layer first, named “Artwork-1”, “Artwork-2” and so on
PDF	Actions > Share > PDF	One PDF with each visible layer on its own page
Drag a layer	Layers panel	Drag one layer or a selected stack to another app or a Files folder

The handbook notes that only visible layers export, in every format, and that Solo Visibility does not change which layers export.

“My layers were lost”

Nearly every “lost layers” report has one of three causes:

Hidden layers. They were unchecked at export time and so they were left out. Turn them on and export again.
The wrong format. JPEG, PNG (under Share Image) and TIFF flatten the artwork into one picture. Use PSD or .procreate to keep the stack.
A PSD that opens flat in Photoshop. Procreate’s PSD export keeps layers, so a flat result usually means the file isn’t the PSD you think it is. The PSD problems page has the checks.

Getting the layers out without the iPad

When the iPad is gone, or someone sent you a .procreate file and can’t re-export it, the file itself still contains every layer. The toPSD converter reads it in your browser:

The layer list shows every layer with its name, blend mode, opacity and group, so you can see what is there before downloading.
Layers as PNG saves each layer as its own full-canvas PNG in a ZIP, numbered from the bottom layer up and named after the layer, with transparency where the layer is empty.
Download layered PSD writes one PSD with every layer, group, clipping mask, layer mask, opacity and blend mode, plus the color profile.

Nothing is uploaded; the conversion runs on your computer. The preview and the flat PNG are free with no account. Layers as PNG and the layered PSD need a free account, and the first PSD is free.

Which one to use

You want to	Use
Keep editing the layers in Photoshop, GIMP, Krita, Affinity or Clip Studio Paint	The layered PSD
Animate or composite the layers in a video editor	Layers as PNG
A file a client can flip through	Procreate’s PDF export, or a PDF built from the layer PNGs; see Procreate to PDF
Just the finished picture	The free flat PNG; see Procreate to PNG

Text layers are exported as pixels by both Procreate and toPSD. Everything else, including groups, masks and clipping, is in the PSD; the Procreate to Photoshop guide shows what to check after opening it.

Questions

Why are some layers missing from my Procreate export?

Because they were hidden. Procreate's handbook says only visible layers export in any layer format, and Solo Visibility doesn't change that. Turn every layer you need back on before sharing. A PSD export keeps hidden layers as hidden layers, which is one reason to prefer it over PNG Files.

Can Procreate export all layers as separate PNGs?

Yes. Actions > Share > PNG Files saves each visible layer as its own PNG, bottom layer first, named after the artwork with a number added. Actions > Share > PDF does the same with one page per layer. Both are flat images per layer; the PSD export is the one that keeps the layer stack editable.

How do I get the layers out without the iPad?

Drop the .procreate file on toPSD. It reads the layer tiles in your browser and shows every layer. Layers as PNG saves each one as a full-canvas PNG in a ZIP, and Download layered PSD writes one file with every layer, group, mask and blend mode. Both need a free account; the first PSD is free.

Do the separate PNGs keep transparency?

Yes. Each layer PNG from toPSD is the full canvas with transparent pixels wherever the layer is empty, so the PNGs stack back together exactly in any editor or video tool. Procreate's own PNG Files export is also one PNG per layer with transparency kept.

Why did my PSD open with the layers flattened?

A PSD from Procreate normally keeps layers. If one opens flat, the file is probably a PNG or JPEG with the wrong name, or the transfer went wrong. Export again and save to Files before opening it elsewhere. If you have the .procreate file, toPSD writes a fresh layered PSD from it.