Procreate is a popular digital illustration app for iPad that is known for its intuitive interface and powerful drawing and painting tools. One handy feature in Procreate is the ability to quickly find and replace colors in your artwork, which can save time when modifying or experimenting with different color schemes.
What is find and replace colors in Procreate?
The find and replace colors feature allows you to select a color in your Procreate document and instantly replace it with a different color. This can be done across an entire layer or limited to a selection.
To use find and replace colors in Procreate:
- Select the layer containing the color you want to replace.
- Choose the color picker tool.
- Tap on the color in your document you want to replace. This selects the target color.
- Open the actions menu and choose “Select Color Range.” This will automatically select all areas in the layer containing that color.
- Tap the color picker icon again and select a new replacement color.
- Tap “Fill Selection” in the actions menu and all selected areas will be filled with the new color.
That’s all there is to it! The color has been instantly replaced across the entire selection on that layer.
Why is finding and replacing colors useful?
Here are some of the benefits of using find and replace colors in Procreate:
- Quickly modify colors without tediously repainting areas.
- Experiment with different color schemes to see what works best.
- Change colors to match a new theme or aesthetic.
- Fix mistakes or errors in coloring quickly.
- Adjust brightness/saturation of a color across the entire image.
- Match colors between layers or documents for consistency.
Whether you want to tweak the colors of an illustration, try out some color variations, or make global changes across your artwork, find and replace is a handy tool to use.
Tips for effective use of find and replace colors
To take full advantage of the find and replace colors feature, keep these tips in mind:
- Work on a separate layer – Make your color changes on a new layer above your base artwork. This leaves the original intact.
- Use selections – Limit your replacements to a selected area for more control over what gets updated.
- Watch for unintended changes – Review your work after replacing to ensure everything looks as intended.
- Work globally or locally – You can replace across an entire document or limit it to just a layer.
- Try Hue, Saturation, Brightness – Adjusting these rather than the actual color can produce interesting effects.
- Save Swatches – Save your color swatches before making replacements to allow undoing if needed.
Are there any limitations?
Find and replace colors is very versatile, but there are a few limitations to be aware of:
- It only works within a single layer – Color cannot be replaced across multiple layers at once.
- The entire selection gets replaced – You cannot selectively replace specific objects or areas.
- Gradients may be simplified – Complex gradients can become more solid and uniform.
- Does not work across groups – Grouped elements are not affected.
- Not adjustable after the fact – You must undo/redo to adjust a find & replace operation.
The limitations mostly relate to the fact that it is designed to replace contiguous areas of exactly matching color, rather than more advanced selective color editing.
Conclusion
Find and replace colors is an extremely handy Procreate feature for quickly modifying colors on the fly. It excels at global color changes but lacks selectivity. Use it judiciously, on separate layers, and with good undo habits for the best results.
Remember to work in selections for more control. Try small test runs first to ensure the replacements have the desired effect. With practice, you’ll be able to easily change color schemes and fix mistakes in no time.
So if you ever need to quickly find and replace colors in your Procreate artworks, use this guide to utilize the feature effectively.
| Color | Hex Code |
|---|---|
| Red | #ff0000 |
| Green | #00ff00 |
| Blue | #0000ff |
Here is an example color table showing some common colors and their hex codes. This helps visualize the colors for the reader.
In summary, Procreate’s find and replace colors feature allows fast, global color changes to streamline your workflow. Use it strategically on separate layers and selections for seamless color experimentation and modifications.
