How to Use Procreate Stamps: A Practical Guide

Procreate stamps let you drop pre‑made shapes or letters onto a canvas with a single tap. They work like brushes but keep the original vector detail, so you can resize or rotate without losing crispness. Below is a straightforward workflow that gets you from a fresh brush file to a polished illustration.

Importing stamp brushes

1. Download a stamp set – Most creators sell Procreate stamp packs as .brush files. Save the file to your iPad’s Files app.
2. Open Procreate – Tap the brush icon, then the “+” button in the top‑right corner.
3. Import – Choose Import → Files → locate the .brush file. Procreate adds it to the Imported section.

Tip: Keep the original file in a cloud folder; you can re‑import if you ever reset the app.

Organizing your stamp library

A cluttered brush panel slows you down. Create a dedicated Stamps folder:

1. In the brush library, tap Select → choose all your stamp brushes.
2. Tap Move → New Folder and name it “Stamps”.
3. Drag frequently used stamps to the top of the folder for quick access.

You can also add a color label (tap the three‑dot menu → Label) to separate decorative stamps from typographic ones.

Applying stamps to your canvas

1. Select a stamp brush – Tap the stamp icon in the brush panel.
2. Tap the canvas – Each tap places one instance of the stamp at the current brush size.
3. Undo – A quick two‑finger tap restores the previous state if a stamp lands in the wrong spot.

Stamps respect the current layer’s blending mode, so you can experiment with Multiply or Overlay for texture effects.

Customizing size, rotation, and color

Size & Rotation

• Pinch the stamp after placing it to scale up or down.
• Two‑finger rotate the stamp to change its angle.
• For uniform scaling, hold a finger on the canvas while pinching; the stamp will resize without moving.

Color

• Stamps inherit the active color from the Color Picker.
• To apply a gradient, select Gradient in the color menu before tapping.
• For multicolored stamps (e.g., a set of rainbow letters), turn off Color Dynamics in the brush settings.

Combining stamps with typography

Procreate stamps are perfect for adding decorative lettering to hand‑drawn type:

1. Create a text layer – Use the Aa tool to write your base copy.
2. Rasterize – Tap the layer, select Merge Down to turn the text into pixels.
3. Stamp over – Choose a stamp brush that matches the font’s style (e.g., a brush with serifs for a slab‑serif headline).
4. Mask – Add a mask to the text layer and paint with the stamp brush to reveal the stamp only inside the letters.

This technique lets you keep the crispness of the original type while adding texture or embellishment.

Exporting and sharing your work

When you’re satisfied:

1. Trim the canvas (Actions → Canvas → Crop & Resize) to remove excess space.
2. Export – Choose Share → PNG for loss‑less quality, or JPEG for smaller files.
3. Save to Files, AirDrop to a computer, or post directly to social media.

If you plan to reuse the same stamp layout, save the entire file as a Procreate document and duplicate it for future projects.

Frequently asked questions

How do I change the stamp’s opacity?
Tap the brush settings, scroll to Opacity, and adjust the slider. The change affects every stamp placed until you modify it again.

Can I use Procreate stamps on a non‑iPad device?
Stamps are native to Procreate on iPad. You can export the brush file and import it into other iPad‑based apps that support Procreate brushes, but they won’t work on desktop software.

Do stamps retain vector quality when I export as JPEG?
The stamp itself is rasterized at the moment you place it. Exporting as JPEG preserves the visual look, but you lose the ability to resize without quality loss. Keep a Procreate source file if you need future edits.

Is it possible to animate stamps?
Procreate’s animation assist lets you place stamps frame‑by‑frame. Each frame captures the stamp as a raster layer, so the animation will look crisp as long as you work at the final resolution.

What’s the best way to organize many stamp sets?
Create subfolders inside your main Stamps folder (e.g., Floral, Lettering, Icons). Use consistent naming conventions like “Stamp‑Floral‑Rose” to make searching faster.

If you found these steps useful, try a new stamp pack on your next illustration and see how much time you save. Happy stamping!