To turn on grayscale in Procreate, you must use your iPad or iPhone's system-wide accessibility setting, as the app itself does not have a documented built-in grayscale toggle. If your canvas appears stuck in grayscale, the issue is likely a grayscale color profile from an imported image, which requires creating a new canvas with an RGB or CMYK profile to restore color.
Does Procreate have a grayscale mode?
The official Procreate help pages confirm no such feature exists for turning the entire canvas grayscale. Users searching for a direct toggle will not find one within the app's menus, adjustments, or canvas settings.
How to make Procreate look grayscale on iPad or iPhone
Procreate is a digital painting app designed for iPads. To make Procreate display in grayscale, you apply a system-wide setting on your iPad or iPhone. This changes the entire device's display, not just the Procreate app.
- Open the Settings app on your iPad or iPhone.
- Go to Accessibility.
- Tap Display & Text Size.
- Tap Color Filters.
- Turn on the Color Filters toggle.
- Select Grayscale from the list of filter options.
Your Procreate canvas will now appear in grayscale. To return to color, repeat these steps and turn off Color Filters. Remember, this filter affects all apps and system elements.
Why your Procreate canvas is stuck in grayscale
If your Procreate canvas is stuck in grayscale and you cannot paint with colors, the canvas likely has a grayscale color profile. This often happens when you import an image that carries a grayscale profile into Procreate. The official fix, per Procreate support, is to create a new canvas with an RGB or CMYK color profile. You cannot change the color profile of an existing canvas; you must start fresh. Once you create a new canvas with the correct profile, colors will work normally.
Working in grayscale for artistic effect
Artists intentionally use grayscale for value studies, shading, and focusing on light and shadow without color distraction. The system-wide grayscale filter from iPadOS or iOS is one way to view your work in monochrome. Alternatively, you can manually desaturate colors on a proper RGB canvas by adjusting saturation sliders or using layer adjustments. This approach supports workflows for coloring, shading and rendering in Procreate, allowing you to perfect tonal values before adding color. Procreate also documents grayscale layer-mask painting, but that technique applies only to masks, not a full-canvas grayscale mode.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Procreate have a grayscale toggle?
No official Procreate help page documents a grayscale toggle for the app. The feature does not exist in Procreate's settings, canvas options, or adjustment tools.
How do I make Procreate look grayscale on iPhone or iPad?
Use the device's accessibility setting: Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Color Filters, then turn on Color Filters and select Grayscale. This is a system-wide change, not limited to Procreate.
Why is my Procreate canvas stuck in grayscale?
Your canvas likely has a grayscale color profile, often from an imported image. Procreate recommends creating a new canvas with an RGB or CMYK color profile to restore full color functionality.
Can I switch back to color mode after turning on grayscale in Procreate?
Yes, you can revert by toggling off the Grayscale option in Canvas settings.
Will turning on grayscale affect the layers in my artwork?
No, it only changes the color mode of the canvas. Layers and their properties remain intact.
Can I export my grayscale artwork in Procreate?
Yes, you can export while preserving the grayscale appearance in formats like JPEG or PNG.
