procreate · HeyBraza shows you
procreate alpha lock not working
HeyBraza watches your layers panel, spots whether alpha lock is actually on, and points at the right layer and gesture to turn it on.
alpha lock lets you repaint only the pixels already on a layer - great for recoloring without going outside the lines. but people mix it up with clipping masks and can't tell if it's even on. here's how to check and use it on your ipad.
short answer
two-finger swipe right on the layer's thumbnail - the background turns to a checkerboard when it's on. if nothing locks, you're on the wrong layer: alpha lock applies to a single layer, never to a group.
or do it yourself
- 1open the layers panel and find the layer with the artwork you want to recolor.
- 2two-finger swipe right on that layer's thumbnail to toggle alpha lock - the thumbnail background turns into a checkerboard when it's on.
- 3if nothing's locking, you're on the wrong layer - alpha lock only affects the single layer it's enabled on, not a group.
- 4now paint or colordrop - color stays inside the existing pixels of that layer only.
- 5two-finger swipe right again to turn alpha lock off when you're done.
steps last checked
let HeyBraza do this with you
HeyBraza teaches you software while you're using it. hold a key and ask out loud - an ai tutor that sees your screen walks you through every step in real time, pointing and highlighting on your real work, talking you through it as it goes - not someone else's tutorial.
downloadcommon questions
how do i know if alpha lock is on in procreate?
the layer's thumbnail shows a checkerboard pattern behind the art, and 'alpha lock' is ticked in that layer's options menu.
should i use alpha lock or a clipping mask?
use alpha lock to recolor a single layer in place; use a clipping mask when you want the color on a separate layer you can tweak or delete later.
what does alpha lock do in procreate?
it locks the transparent parts of a layer so paint only lands on pixels that are already there. it's how you recolour line art or shade a shape without going outside it - the layer thumbnail shows a checkerboard when it's on.
alpha lock or clipping mask - which should i use?
alpha lock paints onto the same layer, so it's destructive but simple. a clipping mask does the same visual job on a separate layer above, which you can delete or adjust later. use alpha lock for a quick recolour, a clipping mask when you might change your mind.