PDF from the iPad
Procreate has two PDF exports, described in the Procreate Handbook:
- Actions > Share > PDF saves the whole artwork as a single-page PDF. You pick Good, Better or Best quality. The handbook pitches it for sending to print houses and publishers.
- Actions > Share Layers > PDF saves a multi-page PDF with each layer on its own page, bottom layer first. Only visible layers are included.
If you or the artist can reach the iPad, that is the simplest route.
PDF without the iPad
When all you have is the .procreate file, nothing on a PC or Mac opens it. The toPSD converter reads it in your browser, draws the full artwork from the layers, and gives you a PNG at the canvas’s full size, free and with no account. Then:
| On | Make the PDF with |
|---|---|
| Windows 10 or 11 | Open the PNG in Photos, choose Print, pick Microsoft Print to PDF as the printer. Set the paper size and turn off “fit to frame” margins if you want the exact artwork |
| Mac | Open the PNG in Preview, File > Export as PDF. Or File > Print and choose Save as PDF |
| Chromebook or any browser | Open the PNG in Chrome and print it; choose Save as PDF as the destination |
| Photopea, Photoshop, GIMP, Affinity | Open the PNG, or the layered PSD, and save or export as PDF |
The DPI in the PNG matches the Procreate canvas, so an editor that honors it will size the page correctly. Print dialogs often default to a sheet size like Letter or A4; change it to the artwork’s size if the PDF should be the artwork and nothing else.
Multi-page PDF, one layer per page
Procreate’s Share Layers > PDF puts each layer on its own page. Without the iPad, the equivalent is toPSD’s Layers as PNG export, which saves every layer as its own full-canvas PNG in a ZIP (free with a free account). Most PDF tools, including Preview on a Mac and many online and desktop PDF makers, can combine a folder of PNGs into one PDF, one image per page. The export layers guide covers the options.
For a print shop
Print shops usually want one of three things:
- A flat, high-resolution file: the PNG from toPSD, saved as PDF or TIFF, with the color profile kept.
- A layered file they can adjust: the layered PSD from toPSD. It keeps every layer, group and mask, and Photoshop opens it as a normal document.
- CMYK: Procreate paints in RGB, and so are the PNG and PSD. Converting to CMYK is a job for Photoshop or a similar editor, done once, before the final PDF.
Ask the shop which they prefer before you spend time on it. Many accept a PNG or a PDF made from one.
TIFF
TIFF requests come from the same print and archive workflows. Procreate exports a flattened TIFF from the iPad. From the PNG, every image editor saves a TIFF with no quality loss, because both formats are lossless. For a layered TIFF, open the PSD in Photoshop and save as TIFF with the Layers option on.
A PDF built from a full-size PNG can be large, which is fine for print. For a file to email, make a JPG first and build the PDF from that.