To turn off color on Procreate, use the Hue, Saturation, Brightness adjustment and move the Saturation slider to 0%. This removes all color from your artwork, creating a clean grayscale or black and white image.
How to turn off color on Procreate with saturation
The most direct and accurate method to remove color from your entire artwork or a single layer is the Hue, Saturation, Brightness adjustment.
- Open your artwork in Procreate.
- Tap the Adjustments icon (the magic wand) in the top toolbar.
- Select "Hue, Saturation, Brightness" from the menu.
- In the Hue, Saturation, Brightness interface, the Saturation slider must be moved all the way to the left (to 0%) to remove all color.
- To commit the changes, tap the Adjustments icon again, or tap the canvas to invoke Adjustment Actions and then tap 'Apply'.
This method permanently alters the selected layer or merged artwork. For a reversible approach, use the non-destructive preview technique instead.
How to non-destructively view art in grayscale
If you want to preview your artwork without color but keep the original colors intact, use a gray overlay layer with a blend mode. This is ideal for checking values and contrast while you are still coloring, shading and rendering in Procreate. A non-destructive method to view artwork in grayscale involves adding a new layer, filling it with a gray color, and changing its blend mode to 'Hue' or 'Saturation'.
- Add a new layer above your artwork.
- Fill this new layer with a neutral gray color (any mid-tone gray works).
- Tap the layer thumbnail to open Layer Options, then change the blend mode to "Hue" or "Saturation".
Your canvas will now display in grayscale. To return to full color, simply delete or hide this gray layer. No permanent changes are made to your original artwork.
How to turn off color on a single layer
To remove the color contribution of only one layer without affecting others, use the layer opacity slider.
- In the Layers panel, tap the layer you want to affect.
- Drag the Opacity slider to 0%.
This fades the layer to transparency, effectively removing its color from the composition. This is a reversible, non-destructive method that lets you bring the color back at any time by increasing the opacity.
Why is my Procreate canvas stuck in grayscale?
If your canvas or imported images appear desaturated or in grayscale unexpectedly, check the canvas's color profile. Procreate adopts the color profile of any image imported into the Gallery, so an imported image with a Grayscale profile will result in a grayscale canvas. Using a CMYK color profile for a canvas can also cause colors to appear desaturated compared to an sRGB profile, as CMYK has a smaller color gamut.
To use colors again after importing a grayscale image, create a new canvas with an RGB (sRGB or P3) color profile and then import the grayscale image or layers into it.
Check your iPad's accessibility settings
If your entire iPad display, not just Procreate, appears in grayscale, you may have accidentally enabled a system-wide color filter. An iPad system-wide grayscale toggle can be enabled via Accessibility Shortcuts: Go to iPad Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut > Color Filters, then triple-press the power button to activate or deactivate. This setting affects all apps, not just Procreate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off color on only part of my artwork?
Yes, use the Selection tool to isolate an area, then apply the Hue, Saturation, Brightness adjustment with the Saturation slider at 0% to that selection only.
Will reducing saturation to 0% affect the brightness of my image?
No, the Hue, Saturation, Brightness adjustment lets you control each property independently. Moving only the Saturation slider to 0% preserves the original brightness and contrast of your artwork.
How do I revert back to the original colors after using the saturation method?
If you applied the adjustment to a single layer, use the Undo button immediately. If you applied it and continued working, you cannot revert unless you saved a duplicate of the layer or used a non-destructive method like the gray overlay blend mode.
Why does my imported image look desaturated even after creating a new RGB canvas?
Ensure the imported image itself is not a grayscale file. Even on an RGB canvas, a grayscale image will appear without color. You may need to re-export the image from its source as an RGB file.
Can I use the Alpha Lock feature to turn off color on specific areas?
Alpha Lock restricts painting to existing opaque pixels, but it does not remove color. To turn off color on specific areas, use a selection or a layer mask with the saturation adjustment.
