Roger Fingas
Savage on Monday released a major update to Procreate — its professional-level illustration app for the iPad — building in several new options for handling layers, the ability to import PSD files from Adobe Photoshop, and other upgrades.
Artists can now select multiple layers, group layers together, and lock both groups and individual layers to prevent changes. As an extension of the new technology, transformations can be applied to multiple layers simultaneously.
PSD files can be imported directly, containing all of their original layer structure. Previously Procreate only supported export to Photoshop.
Tool changes include brushes up to 1,600 percent in size, more emphasis on yellow and orange in the color wheel, and the ability to Undo or Redo faster by holding down fingers on the canvas.
People wanting to share their artistic process can now stream live to their service of choice. Feeds can incorporate audio input and/or camera video.
Procreate for the iPad costs $5.99, and requires a device running iOS 10.
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5 Comments
I love the PSD import feature. At least, I hope I will. I'll have to give this a try. I'v wanted to bring completed, detailed photoshop compositions into an iPad art app where I can draw on my layered artwork with some of the amazing tools available in apps like ProCreate for a while, but none of them seem to work well with PSDs.
I'll give this a try and post something in a bit…
Keep in mind any effects (FX) layers would no longer be there, so render a copy of those layers before importing to Procreate.
My quick test shows that there isn't an equivalent to photoshop's Clipping Group feature. Maybe if I draw a mask on a blank layer & import that psd, I can use masking in ProCreate?
while layers are better, still nowhere near as advanced as photoshop's capabilities.
I certainly know how old PS is. I started using it at version 2.5. Not CS2. 1992's version 2.5. Just before layers were added in version 3.
Forgive me for being a bit anxious to reach reasonable feature parity a little quicker than 24 years.
I am heartened to see Adobe all-in on mobile versions of their Apps. I suspect that 1st party Adobe Apps will get the rich layers support first and best. Which is kind of too bad, because the main reason I am interested in iOS editing of PSD files is the painting tools available in 3rd party apps. If the 3rd parties could support a round-trip workflow, keeping more advanced layer techniques intact, I'd be super happy.
I'm not that old yet. Hopefully it will happen while I still care.
;)