Procreate is an amazing digital art program that so many professional artists use in their careers. It really seems like Procreate can do anything. But, can it? Is Procreate good for logos?
Procreate is not good for logos because it is a raster-based program that cannot create scalable vectors. This makes it challenging to create logos in Procreate that can be changed to different sizes. Also, it can be harder to get crisp lines with Procreate than other graphic design programs.
If you’re comfortable with Procreate, I understand the reluctance to learn a new program just so you can design a logo or two. I get it. That said, there are really important reasons why you would want to use something other than Procreate for your logo needs. Let’s dive in.
Procreate is a Raster-Based Program
Procreate is a raster-based program, which is different from programs like Photoshop and Illustrator that can create vectors. Vector-based images can be scaled infinitely without becoming pixelated, while raster-based images can’t.
Most logos need to be used in different sizes. Websites, business cards, posters, t-shirts. Even with that small sampling of examples, that’s 4 different sizes you would need for your logo. If you can’t scale your logo to these 4 different sizes, you’ll be limited in what you can do with it.
Here’s what a raster-based vs. vector-based image could look like when you scale it up from its original size.
Designing a raster-based logo will lock you into using your logo within a small window of sizes. A vector-based logo will give you the ability to scale it to any size, allowing you to use your logo in all of the ways you might need to for your business.
If you want to design a vector-based logo, check out the following programs:
-Photoshop
-Illustrator
-Affinity Designer
-Inkscape (this one is free!)
Procreate is Built for Hand Drawn Work
Procreate is geared more towards digital drawing and illustration than graphic design. It can be more challenging to achieve crisp logos when you’re hand drawing in Procreate than when you’re using pre-made elements in other graphic design programs.
To be fair, I’ve seen advanced Procreate users do an amazing job of making their Procreate work look anything other than hand drawn. They look like they’ve been created by professional animation software or, heck, even magic.
I mean, look at this art!
Fantastic adventures await with this #Procreate5X commission from the amazing @AFinnstark! 🤩 #Procreate pic.twitter.com/u0gBr0B8oc
— Procreate (@Procreate) October 1, 2020
This type of skill takes a lot of time and practice. At the end of the day, it’s really not the most efficient way to create a logo.
Manipulating pre-made elements within a graphic design program eliminates the need to fuss around with making your hand drawn work look non-hand drawn.
But, what if you want your logo to look hand drawn or have some hand drawn elements? Well, Procreate CAN play a role in developing your logo, even if it doesn’t create the final product.
In this case, I would suggest drawing these elements in Procreate and then exporting them to Photoshop. From there, vectorize them in Photoshop so that you can have a scalable logo that still reflects that hand drawn effect.
The reason I would choose Photoshop for this reason is because Procreate can seamless export your files in a PSD format. When you open them in Photoshop, all of your individual layers will be maintained, which will make it much easier to work with.
Even then, if you’re looking for a hand drawn style, I would suggest using Illustrator. Illustrator caters to digital drawing, but can also create vectors. That way, you can create your whole logo in Illustrator without worrying about transferring elements to different programs.
But, if you don’t want to learn or pay for Illustrator, this Procreate workaround will suffice.
Procreate Doesn’t Have a Computer Version
Procreate only exists as an iPad app for the iOS system and does not have a compatible computer program. This can be challenging for logos that may need to be transferred back and forth between coworkers and/or clients.
If you’re creating a logo for yourself, it may not be important that you can access your files from either your iPad or computer. If you work in a team, or design logos for other people, this might be a factor.
Think about how you work and whether you can manage having your files accessible on your iPad alone. If not, Procreate may not be the right choice for you.
Programs like Photoshop have both apps and computer programs, which makes it easier to share files and be flexible with your working style.
I LOVE Procreate. I use it every day for digital drawing and would be very sad if it went away. That said, it’s important to use programs for what they were built to do. Procreate was built as a digital drawing and art software. It wasn’t built for vectors, which is a fundamental necessity for logos.
It simply wasn’t built for logos.
If you need to design a logo, I would suggest using a program that is more geared towards graphic design and can create vectors that can be scaled to any size that you need. Whichever path you choose, have fun and create great art!
Diana has been an artist for over 27 years and has training in drawing, painting, digital drawing and graphic design. Diana’s latest obsession is digitally drawing with Procreate and Procreate Dreams. Diana has experience selling her art across a number of platforms and loves helping other artists learn how to make money from their art as well.