You tweaked a Procreate brush, liked it for an afternoon and now it behaves nothing like the original. The fix is quick, but the exact steps depend on whether the brush is one of Procreate’s built-in brushes, a duplicate you made or a brush you imported. This guide explains how to reset brushes in Procreate in each situation, how to protect your custom brushes before resetting anything and what to do when the reset option does not appear.
Quick answer: To reset a modified default brush in Procreate, open the Brush Library, swipe left on the brush and tap Reset, or tap the brush to open Brush Studio, go to About this brush and tap Reset brush. The brush returns to its original settings. Reset only works on Procreate’s built-in brushes; duplicated, custom and imported brushes have no original state to return to, so back them up before editing.
Which Brushes Can Be Reset?
Procreate tracks the original settings of the brushes that ship with the app. When you change one of those, Procreate remembers the factory version and offers to restore it. Other brushes work differently.
| Brush type | Can you reset it? | What to do instead |
|---|---|---|
| Default Procreate brush you modified | Yes | Use Reset in the Brush Library or Brush Studio |
| Duplicate of a default brush | No | Delete it and duplicate the original again |
| Custom brush you created | No | Restore from a backup .brush file |
| Imported brush (from a .brush or .brushset file) | No | Delete it and re-import the original file |
| Brush with unmodified settings | No reset needed | The Reset option will not appear |
If you are building a library of brushes from third-party sets, our roundup of the best Procreate brush sets for painting is a useful starting point, and keeping the original download files means you can always restore those brushes.
How to Reset Brushes in Procreate: Method 1, Swipe in the Brush Library
- Open a canvas and tap the brush icon to open the Brush Library.
- Find the default brush you modified. Procreate may mark modified brushes so you can spot them.
- Swipe left on the brush name.
- Tap Reset among the options that appear (alongside Share, Duplicate and, for some brushes, Delete).
- Confirm if prompted. The brush returns to its original settings immediately.
If you only see Share and Duplicate, the brush has not been modified or it is not a built-in brush.
Method 2: Reset From Brush Studio
- Tap the brush in the Brush Library to open Brush Studio.
- Scroll to the bottom of the attribute list and tap About this brush.
- Tap Reset brush (or similar wording, depending on your Procreate version).
- Confirm. All settings return to default.
- Tap Done to return to the canvas.
Brush Studio is also where you can preview changes before resetting, which helps if you are not sure whether the brush was modified.
Resetting Several Brushes or All Brushes
Procreate does not offer a single button to reset every brush at once within the Brush Library. You reset each modified default brush individually. For large numbers of changes, work through each brush set systematically.
Some users consider reinstalling Procreate to restore all brushes. This is risky: deleting the app can delete artwork and custom brushes stored inside it unless they are backed up. Never reinstall without first exporting your artworks and brush sets, and check Procreate’s official guidance before relying on this approach.
Before You Reset: Back Up Custom Brushes
Resetting a default brush removes your modifications permanently. If you liked some of your changes, save them first.
- Duplicate the modified brush. Swipe left and tap Duplicate. The copy keeps your changes.
- Rename the duplicate. Open it in Brush Studio, go to About this brush and tap the name to rename it.
- Reset the original. Now the default returns to factory settings while your custom version remains.
- Export important brushes. Swipe left on a brush and tap Share to save it as a .brush file, or share an entire brush set as a .brushset file to Files, iCloud Drive or another storage location.
This approach gives you both versions and a backup you can restore anytime.
How to Restore a Brush You Accidentally Changed Without Reset
If the brush is a duplicate, custom or imported brush, there is no Reset button. Options:
- Undo in Brush Studio: While still in Brush Studio, some changes can be reversed. Once you leave, they are saved.
- Re-import the original file: If you downloaded the brush, import the original .brush or .brushset file again.
- Duplicate the default again: If your brush started as a duplicate of a built-in brush, duplicate the original default brush and make a fresh copy.
- Restore from backup: If you exported brushes earlier, import the backup.
Why Doesn’t the Reset Option Appear?
The brush is not modified
Reset only appears after a default brush’s settings have changed.
The brush is a duplicate or custom brush
Duplicates and custom brushes have no factory state to return to.
The brush is imported
Imported brushes do not store an original version in Procreate.
Your Procreate version differs
Menus and wording change between versions. Update Procreate and check the official Procreate Handbook for your version’s exact steps.
Related Brush Tasks in Procreate
How to make a brush in Procreate
Tap the plus icon at the top of the Brush Library to create a new brush. Brush Studio opens, where you choose a shape source and grain source and adjust attributes such as stroke path, taper, rendering and dynamics. Tap Done to save the brush in the current set.
How to make custom brushes in Procreate from an existing brush
The safest method is to duplicate an existing brush and modify the copy. This keeps the original untouched and gives you a starting point with settings you already like.
How to install brushes in Procreate
Download a .brush or .brushset file, then tap it in the Files app or open it with Procreate. Procreate imports it into the Brush Library automatically. You can also drag files into Procreate using split view or import via the plus icon in the Brush Library.
How to download Procreate brushes and get free ones
Many artists share free brushes through official forums, art communities and creator websites. Download only from trusted sources, and save the original files in a dedicated folder so you can re-import or reset them later.
How to use Procreate brushes in Photoshop
Procreate’s .brush format does not import directly into Photoshop. Some brush creators sell both versions; otherwise, you would need to recreate the brush in Photoshop. Procreate can import Photoshop ABR brushes, but the reverse is not supported natively.
A Simple Experiment Workflow That Never Needs a Reset
Most brush resets happen because someone experiments on the only copy of a brush they rely on. A short routine prevents that:
- Pick the base brush. Choose the default brush closest to the effect you want, for example a soft airbrush for blending or a dry ink brush for texture.
- Duplicate it into a test set. Create a brush set called “Testing” and keep experimental copies there.
- Change one group at a time. Adjust only the taper, or only the grain, then test on the Drawing Pad.
- Save versions. When a variation works, duplicate it again and name it with a version number, such as “Blender v2.”
- Promote the winner. Move the final brush to your personal set and delete the experiments.
- Export the result. Share the finished brush to cloud storage as a backup.
This routine keeps every built-in brush clean and gives you a history of variations, which is often more useful than a single reset button because you can return to any earlier version, not just the factory one.
Resetting Brushes in Procreate Pocket
Procreate Pocket, the iPhone version, uses a similar Brush Library and Brush Studio, but the interface is arranged for a smaller screen. The same rule applies: only modified built-in brushes can be reset, and the option sits within the brush’s settings or swipe menu. Menus differ slightly, so check the Procreate Pocket Handbook if you cannot find the option.
Brushes you export from Procreate on iPad can be imported into Procreate Pocket and vice versa, so a backup made on one device also protects your brushes on the other. Keeping one shared cloud folder for brush files makes this effortless.
Organizing Your Brush Library to Avoid Resets
- Create a personal brush set. Tap the plus at the top of the brush set list, name it, and keep duplicates and custom brushes there.
- Never edit defaults directly. Duplicate first. This avoids the need to reset at all.
- Name brushes clearly. Include the purpose, such as “Soft Airbrush – Skin Blend.”
- Export regularly. Share your personal set as a .brushset to cloud storage every few weeks.
- Remove unused brushes. A smaller library makes finding brushes faster.
Understanding Brush Studio Settings Before You Edit
Knowing what settings do helps you avoid changes you later want to reset:
| Setting group | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Stroke path | Spacing, jitter and how stamps line up along the stroke |
| Stabilization | Smoothing of the stroke path |
| Taper | How strokes thin at the start and end |
| Shape | The brush tip image and its behavior |
| Grain | The texture inside the stroke |
| Rendering | How paint builds and blends |
| Wet mix | Paint dilution, charge and pull for painterly effects |
| Color dynamics | Color variation per stamp or stroke |
| Dynamics | Speed and jitter effects on size and opacity |
| Apple Pencil | How pressure and tilt affect size, opacity and flow |
| Properties | Size limits, preview and orientation |
Change one setting at a time and test it on the Drawing Pad inside Brush Studio. That makes it easy to see what each change does and revert if needed.
Common Mistakes
- Editing default brushes directly. Duplicate first to keep defaults intact.
- Resetting without saving changes you liked. Duplicate or export before resetting.
- Deleting downloaded brush files. Without the originals, imported brushes cannot be restored.
- Reinstalling Procreate without backups. You could lose artwork and custom brushes.
- Confusing pressure settings with brush settings. If every brush feels wrong, check the global pressure curve in Procreate’s Preferences, under Pressure and Smoothing, rather than resetting individual brushes.
When Every Brush Feels Wrong: Check Global Settings
If all brushes suddenly feel off, the problem may not be the brushes. Open Actions, Prefs and check Pressure and Smoothing. The pressure curve, stabilization and motion filtering settings affect every brush. Recent versions of Procreate may include an option in that panel to return these global settings to their defaults; if yours does not, set the pressure curve back to a straight diagonal line and the smoothing sliders to zero. Also check the Apple Pencil tip for wear, as a worn nib can change how strokes feel.
FAQs
How do I reset a brush to default in Procreate?
Swipe left on the modified default brush in the Brush Library and tap Reset, or open Brush Studio, go to About this brush and tap Reset brush.
Why can’t I reset my brush in Procreate?
Only modified built-in brushes can be reset. Duplicated, custom and imported brushes have no original version to restore.
Can I reset all Procreate brushes at once?
There is no single reset-all button for brushes. Reset each modified default brush individually.
Will resetting a brush delete my artwork?
No. Resetting a brush only changes that brush’s settings. Artwork is unaffected.
How do I back up Procreate brushes?
Swipe left on a brush and tap Share to export a .brush file, or share an entire set as a .brushset to Files or cloud storage.
Can I recover a deleted Procreate brush?
Only if you have a backup file or the original download. Built-in brushes cannot be deleted, so defaults always remain available.
Next Step
Duplicate before editing, export your favorite brushes regularly and reset built-in brushes whenever you want a clean starting point. If you are ready to expand beyond the default library, our guide to the top Procreate brush sets for painters highlights painterly, texture and sketching collections worth adding to your toolkit.
