How to Prevent and Fix Blurriness in Procreate

Do you often find that your Procreate drawings come out blurry or pixelated? In this tutorial, we will go over reasons why drawings may come out blurry/pixelated and how to fix them. We will also quickly go over the differences between raster images and vector images.

This tutorial uses the Mermaid brush from The Ultimate Lettering Pack, stamp brushes from the Procreate Stamps Boho vibes set, and the default Monoline brush that comes with Procreate. We have a tutorial on how to install Procreate brushes if needed.

Prevent Blurry Lines in Procreate

There are several reasons why drawings may become blurry/pixelated. Following the tips below can help your Procreate drawings remain crisp and clear.

Canvas Size and Resolution

When starting a new drawing, make the canvas as large as needed. You want it to be the actual dimensions of the finished drawing or larger, but you may have to balance that with the DPI and the maximum number of layers. The larger the canvas size, the less layers you will be able to have. The following image shows how canvas size can affect the maximum number of layers.

Resolution is the amount of detail in an image. It’s the number of pixels an image has. Copying a drawing from a lower resolution canvas to a higher resolution canvas will not change the resolution of the drawing.

If the final drawing is to be printed, make sure the DPI (dots per inch) is set to at least 300. DPI can also affect the maximum number of layers.

Transforming Procreate Drawings

Each time a drawing is transformed (scaled, rotated, etc.), it loses a little bit of quality. Scaling down a drawing is usually not a problem, but scaling it up can result in blurry/pixelated edges. See the following two images for a better understanding.

In the following image, the drawing on the right is the same size as the original drawing. After having been transformed many times, the drawing on the right is now blurry. Try to limit the number of times an object is transformed.

Interpolation Method

The interpolation method also affects drawings when they are transformed. Interpolation is how Procreate arranges, adjusts, adds, or removes pixels on the edges of drawings or between two different colors. By default, the interpolation method is set to Nearest Neighbor. This method is the quickest to process, but it can sometimes result in pixelated edges. Bilinear will give better results than Nearest Neighbor but will take more time to process. Bicubic will give the sharpest results, taking the most time to process.

Step 1 - Activate Transform

Tap the transform icon in the top menu.

Step 2 - Open Interpolation Menu

Next, tap the second from the right (interpolation) icon near the bottom.

Step 3 - Change Interpolation

Select either bilinear or bicubic.

Brush Options

Brushes can also affect the edges of Procreate drawings. To find the best brush option, compare brush edges by making brush strokes and zooming in. In the following images, the brushstroke on the left is the Mermaid brush. The brushstroke on the right is the Monoline brush. You can see as we zoom in that the Mermaid brushstroke’s edges have more pixels making it more blurry.

Fix Blurry Lines in Procreate

If you end up with blurry/pixelated edges, there are a few different ways you can fix those drawings.

Redraw Blurry Edges

Using a good brush, trace and redraw the edges. See the following image. Your new drawing may be a tad larger than the original.

Erase Blurry Edges

Using a good brush, erase the blurry/pixelated edges. This can result in a slightly smaller drawing.

Use the Blurry Drawing as a Template

Another option is to use the original (blurry/pixelated) drawing as a template. Follow the steps in the following image.

Raster Images vs. Vector Images

The underlying reason why Procreate drawings end up blurry or pixelated is because Procreate is a raster-based program. In other words, Procreate uses pixels or tiny little squares to create lines and designs. Images will lose quality when scaled, and you will always see pixels at some point when zooming in.

In vector-based programs like Adobe Illustrator and Affinity Designer, designs are created using points and paths. You won’t see any pixels when zooming in, and objects can be scaled to any size without losing quality.

Make sure you don't miss our next tutorials onhow to draw ribbon banners and how to create neon text in Procreate.