Troubleshooting

Problem: My art looks blurry or fuzzy

Solution:

• Turn OFF anti-aliasing: Actions → Canvas → Painting → Anti-aliased (toggle OFF)
• Make sure you're using a hard-edged brush (Monoline or Pencil)
• Check that brush size is exactly 1px or 2px
• Zoom in to 100%+ when drawing to see individual pixels

Problem: Colors are bleeding or mixing

Solution:

• Use only hard-edged brushes (no soft brushes or blending)
• Turn off any brush opacity settings (should be 100%)
• Check that you're not on a blending mode layer
• Make sure you're drawing on the correct layer

Problem: My animations are jumpy or don't flow smoothly

Solution:

• Turn ON Onion Skin (Animation Assist settings)
• Keep the character's head at the same height across all frames
• Use a reference point (like center of body) to align frames
• Try reducing FPS to 8-10 for slower, smoother animation
• Add more in-between frames if movement is too fast

Problem: File won't export or export fails

Solution:

• Check canvas size isn't too large (keep under 512×512 for pixel art)
• Try flattening layers: merge all visible layers before export
• Make sure you have enough iPad storage space
• Restart Procreate and try exporting again

Problem: Exported PNG has a white background instead of transparency

Solution:

• Make sure there's no background layer filled with white
• Delete or hide any background layers before exporting
• When exporting, ensure "Transparent Background" checkbox is ON
• You should see a checkered pattern behind your art (indicates transparency)

Problem: Grid isn't showing up

Solution:

• Actions → Canvas → Drawing Guide (toggle ON)
• Tap "Edit Drawing Guide"
• Select "Grid" type at the bottom
• Set Grid Size to 1 (or match your pixel size)
• Make sure grid color is visible (adjust opacity if needed)

Problem: Can't see individual pixels when zoomed in

Solution:

• Zoom in more (use two fingers to pinch and zoom)
• Enable the Drawing Guide grid to see pixel boundaries
• Use the "Reference" window to see the full image while zoomed

Problem: Brush strokes look uneven or jagged

Solution:

• This is normal for pixel art! Pixels are squares, so lines will look jagged
• Use the grid to place pixels deliberately, not freehand drawing
• Tap to place individual pixels rather than dragging
• For straight lines, use two-finger tap to access QuickShape

Still Having Issues?

If these solutions don't help:

• Try restarting Procreate
• Create a new canvas with fresh settings
• Check for Procreate updates in the App Store
• Reach out with specific questions!