What is inside
Rename a .procreate file to .zip and open it, and this is what you find:
| Path inside the ZIP | What it is |
|---|---|
Document.archive |
The settings file: canvas size, DPI, orientation, background color, color profile, and the full layer tree with each layer’s name, opacity, blend mode, visibility, clipping and mask. It is an Apple binary property list |
| One folder per layer, named by a long ID | The layer’s pixels, cut into small square tiles. Each tile is a separately compressed file, which is how Procreate saves only the parts you changed |
QuickLook/Thumbnail.png |
A small preview of the whole artwork for the gallery and for file browsers. This is the image most upload-based converters hand you |
video/segments/segment-1.mp4 and so on |
The time-lapse recording, when Time-lapse Recording was on. Often the largest part of the file |
Procreate compresses each tile with LZO in older files and LZ4 in newer ones, and a file edited across versions can contain both. A tile is not a PNG, so an unzipped layer folder is a pile of files no image viewer opens.
Why nothing on your computer opens it
Photoshop, GIMP, Krita, Affinity and Clip Studio Paint all read PSD, but none has a reader for Procreate’s tile layout. Procreate has never published the format or shipped a desktop version, so support comes only from Procreate itself and a few independent readers.
toPSD is one of those readers. Drop the file on the converter and your browser reads Document.archive, decompresses the tiles layer by layer, composites them with the right blend modes and masks, and shows you the artwork and the layer list. Nothing is uploaded. From there you can save a full-size PNG for free, or a layered PSD.
.procreate compared with PSD
| .procreate | PSD | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Procreate | Adobe, read by most editors |
| Layers, groups, masks, clipping | Yes | Yes |
| Blend modes | 26 Procreate modes | Photoshop modes; toPSD maps all 26 |
| Color profile | Yes, often Display P3 | Yes; toPSD embeds the original |
| Text layers | Editable text | Pixels after conversion |
| Time-lapse | Embedded | Not part of the format |
| Procreate-only settings (brushes used, reference layer, drawing assist) | Yes | No |
| Opens in | Procreate only | Photoshop, Photopea, GIMP, Krita, Affinity, Clip Studio Paint and others |
| Size limits | Set by the iPad model | 30,000 px per side and 2 GB; PSB beyond that |
Keep the .procreate file as the master if you might open it in Procreate again. Use the PSD to work in other apps or to hand the layers to someone else. Keep both as backups; the backup guide explains why.
Other Procreate file types
| Extension | Contents |
|---|---|
.procreate |
A painting with its layers, settings and time-lapse |
.brush |
One brush |
.brushset |
A set of brushes |
.swatches |
A color palette |
.drm |
A Procreate Dreams animation, a different format |
toPSD reads only .procreate painting files, from Procreate 5 onward. Procreate Dreams files are not supported, and Procreate Pocket files have not been tested yet.
When a file won’t open
A .procreate file that no program will open is usually an unfinished download, a renamed file of another type, or a version mismatch, rather than real damage. Because the container is a ZIP, a transfer that stops early leaves a file that unzips partway and then fails. The won’t open guide walks through the checks.
Opening it in another app
Once toPSD has written the PSD, the layers open in any editor that reads PSD files. The Procreate to Photoshop guide shows what to expect; the guides index has one page per app.