The ‘best’ canvas size in Procreate is a balancing act: bigger canvases and higher DPI give you sharper, print-ready art, but Procreate gives you fewer layers the larger you go (because your iPad’s RAM is finite). Here’s how to pick the right size for what you’re making.
The golden rule: 300 DPI for print, 132 DPI (screen) for digital
300 DPI is the industry standard for anything you’ll print. For art that lives only on screen, the device’s native resolution is plenty. Setting a huge canvas at 300 DPI when you only post online just wastes layers.
Best all-purpose canvas: 2048 x 2048 px or larger
For flexible work, start at a minimum of about 3000 x 3000 px (roughly 10 x 10 inches at 300 DPI). It’s big enough to print small-to-medium and still leaves you a healthy layer count on most iPads.
Best for print
- Standard photo/art print: 8 x 10 in at 300 DPI.
- Letter / poster-ish: 8.5 x 11 in at 300 DPI (fits most home printers).
- Large prints: sizes like 12 x 12 in or bigger at 300 DPI — but expect far fewer layers (a 24 x 30 in canvas can drop you to only ~4 layers).
The layer trade-off (the key thing to understand)
The bigger the canvas and the higher the DPI, the fewer layers Procreate allows. For example, a 12 x 12 in canvas gives roughly 37 layers at 300 DPI but jumps to ~128 layers at 72 DPI. Your specific iPad model also affects the maximum.
How to choose
- Posting online only? Work at screen DPI and a moderate pixel size — you’ll get loads of layers.
- Printing? Set 300 DPI and the physical size you’ll print, and accept fewer layers (merge as you go).
- Want both layers AND size? Sketch on a smaller canvas, then scale up to your final print size when you’re ready to render details.
- Set the size correctly at the start — enlarging a small Procreate canvas after the fact softens and pixelates your art.