How I Keep My Procreate Files Organized and Backed Up

In this video, I'll show you how I keep my Procreate files organized and back up so I can always access them. I know many of you are visual learners (like me) and even learning new ways to organize your Procreate app files can be helpful to you. For more Procreate tutorials be sure to head over to hollypixels.com where I help you be more productive on your iPad.

How I Keep My Procreate Files Organized and Backed Up

In this video, I’ll show you how I keep my Procreate files organized and back up so I can always access them. I know many of you are visual learners (like me) and even learning new ways to organize your Procreate app files can be helpful to you.

What I Currently Use for Digital Art and Lettering

I currently use the iPad Pro 12.9″ Gen 3

Apple Pencil 2

And we’ll be using Procreate 5.2 at the time of filming this.

I also use Dropbox for storage. Get 500 MB of free storage when you sign up through me. This is an affiliate link.

Watch How to Keep Your Files Organized and Backed Up on Procreate

Step 1 – Backup Systems for Procreate

I currently use Dropbox for all of my backups. I’ve been using it for years. So I’ll be working on my method for using it. That being said you can use any cloud storage for backups.

Procreate does not have an automatic cloud backup system. You have to do it manually. Yes, in Settings for Procreate you can choose document and storage, but it will not sync automatically. At least not at the time of filming this video. It just gives you an option to upload here when sharing. I’ll show you that in a minute.

Step 2 – Creating Stacks in Procreate

In the Gallery of Procreate, you can create stacks. I like to do this and then create a title cover.

To create a stack, simply drag one piece of artwork onto another. This will start your new stack.

Tap the name of your stack and you can then rename it.

To make covers, just create your art and then make sure it’s the first one inside your new stack.

As you can see I have a stack of stickers I draw, Tutorials, Coloring Pages, and Line Art.

Step 3- Manually Saving Files to a Cloud Service

As I said before I use Dropbox for my backups. I have created a folder on Dropbox called Procreate backups.

Then, inside there I will make folders to match my stacks.  I have been known to get behind on this process! Do it every day and you’ll be much happier.

You also want to make sure that each of your pieces of art has a name. Untitled only makes it more difficult to locate items.

  1. So, with my artwork open, I tap on the Actions Tool and then Share.
  2. From here I export a Procreate file and a JPG file. The JPG is so I can be sure I can see the preview. Sometimes, the Procreate preview will not appear and only be an app icon.
  3. After tapping Export, navigate down to Save to Files
  4. Here I choose the Cloud service I’ll use. In this case, Dropbox.
  5. Now, navigate to your backup folder. For me, this is the My Procreate Art Backups/Clipart.
  6. Tap Save.

I will say only do a few at a time. Syncing can be slow. Once you’re sure it’s on your cloud backup, you can delete it from Procreate.

I will remove items from time to time to help free up space. And, if I choose to upgrade my iPad I don’t have a ton of files on my iPad making that transfer that much slower.

And that’s it! How do you do your backups? What type of system do you follow? We can all learn something new from each other.

Don’t forget to subscribe to our channel and hit the notification bell. Head over to hollypixels.com to sign up for freebies in the Vault and to see my shop.

Until next time!

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About Holly McCaig

Holly McCaig is a 20 year veteran of the design world. With her mark being made in scrapbooking and photography, Holly now educates eager artists how to do lettering in procreate on the iPad Pro. She resides in Denver, Colorado with her two dogs, Lola and Daisy. Visit Holly: Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook | Shoppe

7 Comments

  1. Stacey Lokey on November 6, 2021 at 8:17 pm

    Hi! Thank you so much for showing how to save files from Procreate. I have a quick questions. When you save these files and if you have to go back and change the artwork in these files… Can you open up the file back in Procreate and go into the layers and fix any changes?

    Just curious on how that works.

    Thank you!

    Stacey

    • Holly McCaig on November 18, 2021 at 11:14 am

      Hi. Yes, Procreate opens back up normal.

  2. […] to camera roll I will have it saved as it also transfer me to my phone when I save to camera roll. https://hollypixels.com/how-i-keep-my-procreate-files-organized-and-backed-up/ . Another helpful link. I also checked my iPad and I do have back up turned on for Procreate on my […]

  3. Shona on May 27, 2022 at 6:26 am

    Greta tips from backing up my Procreate files.
    I use DropBox too. I like to save a swatch file with my colour palette for each project/stack too.

  4. Corbin Supak on July 10, 2022 at 8:16 am

    Have you found anyway to track last modified date of your files? I only get the date of export.

    • Holly McCaig on July 14, 2022 at 3:32 pm

      I don’t think you can. I mean, you can back up a file, then another and another in say different folders and just open the last one you did.

  5. Tracy on July 17, 2022 at 4:49 am

    Hi Holly, I followed your process & have used DB to save to. When I am opening up a Pro Create file from DB back into Procreate, as soon as I try to edit the screen is freezing & if I exit & open Pro Create then I am faced with the frozen image… Any thoughts? I remeber going back a couple of years I tried this & it was the same issue…

    Thanks

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