How to Install Anime Brushes in Procreate
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
Installing anime brushes in Procreate takes about 60 seconds. Tap a .brush or .brushset file in your Files app and Procreate opens it automatically! Your new brushes land straight in your library, ready to use. Or, from inside Procreate, navigate to your Brush Library, tap the + at the top of a brush category, tap Import, select the .brushset file from your Files or downloads folder.
That's the short answer. Below is the full guide: the best anime brushes available for Procreate right now, three installation methods for every situation, how to organize a large brush library, and fixes for every common problem.
What You Need Before You Start
An iPad running iPadOS 13 or newer
Procreate (any recent version)
An anime brush pack in .brush or .brushset format
If your download is a .zip file, tap it in the Files app to unzip it first
Step 1: Get the Best Anime Brushes for Procreate
The brush pack you start with matters more than the install method. Generic free packs are fine for experimenting, but if you're serious about anime and manga art, you need brushes built by someone who actually knows the craft.
The Manga Brush Megapack is the most complete anime brush collection available for Procreate. It was created by a professional animation artist with credits at Pixar, Disney, and Blue Sky Studios — the same studios behind Frozen, Toy Story 3, and Rio. Every brush in the pack has been hand-crafted to replicate the tools and techniques of professional Japanese manga artists.
What's inside: inking pens, manga screentones, halftones, anime hair brushes, speedlines, shōjo sparkles, Studio Ghibli-style cloud brushes, eye highlights, paper textures, and dozens more. It's natively compatible with Procreate, Photoshop, and Clip Studio Paint — so your brush library works across every app you draw in.
If you want to start with a specific pack rather than the full collection, Manga Brush also sells individual sets:
Comic Screentone Brush Pack — dot screens, halftones, crosshatch, and paper grain for authentic manga shading
Anime Cloud Brush Pack — Studio Ghibli-inspired skies, cinematic storm clouds, and dreamy soft backgrounds
All packs are instant download — purchase, download, and you're installing within minutes.
Step 2: Install the Anime Brushes in Procreate
There are three ways to install brushes in Procreate. Pick the one that fits your workflow.
Method 1: Tap to Open in Files App (Easiest)
This is the fastest method and works for any .brush or .brushset file downloaded directly to your iPad.
Download your brush pack in Safari. When the download finishes, tap the blue download arrow in the top-right corner of Safari.
Tap Downloads to see your file.
If it's a .zip file, tap it once to unzip. Then tap the resulting folder to open it.
Tap the .brush or .brushset file.
Procreate opens automatically and imports the brushes.
Your new anime brushes will appear in a new folder at the top of your Brush Library under Imported.
Method 2: Drag and Drop from Files App (Best for Large Packs)
This method is ideal when you're installing a large brush set like the Manga Brush Megapack, because you can see both apps at once and import multiple files quickly.
Open the Files app and navigate to your .brush or .brushset file.
Open Procreate and use Split View — swipe up from the bottom edge and drag Procreate to one side of the screen.
In the Files app, tap and hold your brush file until it lifts.
Drag it across to the Procreate side and drop it onto the canvas.
Procreate will flash "Importing…" and add the brushes to your library instantly.
Method 3: Import via Brush Library (Manual Method)
Use this if you prefer to control exactly where in your library the brushes land.
Open Procreate and tap the brush icon (top-right of the toolbar) to open the Brush Library.
Tap the + button in the top-right corner of the Brush Library.
Tap Import.
Navigate to your .brush or .brushset file in the Files app and tap it.
The brushes import and appear as a new set in your library.
Step 3: Find Your New Anime Brushes
After importing, your brushes live in the Brush Library. Here's how to find them fast:
Newly imported brushes appear at the top of your library under a folder called Imported, or in a named folder matching the brush pack (Manga Brush packs come pre-labeled).
Swipe down on the Brush Library panel to reveal the search bar — type any brush name to find it instantly.
Tap a folder on the left to see all brushes in that set on the right.
To use a brush, just tap it to select it, then start drawing.
Step 4: Test Your Brushes on an Anime Canvas
Set up your canvas properly before testing. Anime and manga art at the wrong resolution leads to pixelated lines or blurry screentones.
Recommended canvas sizes:
Manga page (print): 3508 × 4961 px at 350 DPI
Webtoon panel: 800 × 1280 px at 72 DPI (screen only)
Illustration / character art: 4000 × 4000 px at 300 DPI
What to check on your test strokes:
Line variation — light Apple Pencil pressure gives thin lines, heavy pressure gives thick bold strokes. If all lines look identical, pressure sensitivity may be off (see Troubleshooting below).
Screentone tiling — screentone brushes should repeat seamlessly. If you see a seam, scale the brush up using the size slider.
Ink brushes — should be fully opaque by default. If strokes look faint, check that brush opacity is at 100% in the sidebar.
Step 5: Organize Your Anime Brush Library
A large collection like the Manga Brush Megapack is easy to navigate once it's organized. Here's a simple system:
Create custom folders by workflow stage: In the Brush Library, tap the + at the top of the folder list to create a new group. Try naming folders like: Inking, Screentones, Hair & Eyes, FX & Effects, Backgrounds, and Sketching.
Rename individual brushes: Tap a brush to select it, then tap it again to open its settings. Tap the brush name at the top to rename it something descriptive — like "G-Pen Fine" or "Dot Tone 30%."
Back up your library: Swipe left on any brush folder → tap Share → save to iCloud Drive or AirDrop to your Mac. If you ever lose your iPad or reinstall Procreate, your entire library restores in seconds.
Pin your most-used brushes: In Procreate 5.3+, your recently used brushes appear at the top of the library automatically. For even faster access, move your go-to inking and screentone brushes into a single "My Favorites" folder at the top of your list.
Troubleshooting: Common Anime Brush Problems in Procreate
Brushes aren't showing up after import Scroll to the very top of the Brush Library — imported brushes appear in a folder labeled Imported which sits at the top, not the bottom. If they're still missing, close and restart Procreate, then re-import.
The file won't open or shows an error Make sure the file ends in .brush or .brushset. If it's still zipped, tap the .zip file in the Files app to unzip it first — you can't import a zip directly into Procreate.
Pressure sensitivity isn't working
Make sure you're using an Apple Pencil (finger touch doesn't activate pressure sensitivity).
Open the brush settings (tap the brush twice) and check that Opacity and Size under Apple Pencil are set to respond to pressure.
Go to Procreate Settings → Pressure & Smoothing and adjust the pressure curve if lines feel too stiff or too sensitive.
Brush strokes look pixelated Your canvas resolution is too low. Increase the DPI when creating a new canvas — use 300 DPI minimum for manga art, 350 DPI for print.
Screentone brushes show a visible seam Increase the brush size. Screentone patterns are designed to tile seamlessly at certain scales — if they're too small, the tiling becomes visible. Try setting the brush size to 30–60% and test again.
My downloaded brushes are in ABR format (Photoshop format) Procreate has limited .abr support and many Photoshop brushes don't convert cleanly. The Manga Brush Megapack comes in native .brushset format built specifically for Procreate — no conversion needed, everything works as intended out of the box.
Frequently Asked Questions
What file format are Procreate anime brushes? Procreate uses .brush for single brushes and .brushset for grouped collections. If your download is a .zip, unzip it first to find the brush files inside.
Are anime brushes for Procreate free? Some free options exist on DeviantArt and Brusheezy, but professional-quality anime brushes designed for real production workflows are worth paying for. The Manga Brush Megapack is the industry standard for Procreate anime art — 12,000+ verified five-star reviews from artists worldwide.
Can I use the same brushes in Procreate and Photoshop? Not with the same file — Procreate uses .brushset and Photoshop uses .abr. However, the Manga Brush Megapack comes with versions for both apps, so one purchase covers your full toolkit.
Do anime brushes work on Procreate Pocket (iPhone)? Yes — .brush and .brushset files work on Procreate Pocket. Install using the same tap-to-open method in Safari. Note that canvas sizes will be limited by iPhone screen size.
How many brushes can Procreate handle? Procreate doesn't have a hard brush limit, but very large libraries can slow down the Brush Library panel. Keep things fast by organizing into folders and archiving brush sets you don't use regularly.
Why do my anime brushes look different from the preview? Check your canvas DPI and the brush size. Most professional brush packs are previewed at 300+ DPI — at lower resolutions, fine detail brushes like screentones and ink textures will look coarser.
Why Manga Brush Is the Best Choice for Anime Art in Procreate
There are hundreds of anime brush packs out there. Most are made by hobbyists copying each other's presets. The Manga Brush Megapack is different.
It was built by a working professional — someone who has spent years in animation studios studying how line weight, screentones, and shading effects actually work in production manga and anime. Every brush is tuned for real workflow speed, not just looking good in a preview. The screentones tile properly. The inking brushes respond to pressure the way a real G-pen does. The hair brushes flow the way anime hair actually flows.
With over 12,000 five-star reviews and free updates for a year after purchase, it's the brush pack that working manga and anime artists actually use.
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