Old Procreate Brushes: A Detailed Journey Through Versions, Sets, and Storage Shifts

Old Procreate brushes carry a nostalgic footprint of how digital painting evolved across versions, brush sets, and storage paradigms. This article compiles insights from a comprehensive update that covers brushes from the original Procreate up to version 5, highlighting significant brush changes, set separations, previews, and the evolving storage architecture that shifted from inside the app to iPadOS Files with iCloudSync.

Overview of brush evolution by version and set

Here is an updated list with previews that includes brushes from original Procreate up until version 5, wherever significant brush changes were made. The brushes are separated by version and Brush Set. Most previews show a diagonal line starting from the top right, moving from low to high pressure.

Unfortunately we aren't able to offer the All-Star Brush Set anymore, but we have our Sweet Treats Brush Set down the bottom of the article, and a Set of hard-to-find legacy brushes (looking at you, Bonobo Chalk!), too. (for purchasable brushes).

Notable brush sets and their legacy significance

The article also mentions a whole set of videos dedicated to the Brush Studio in Procreate, which helps users understand brush behaviors and customization across versions. In Procreate version 5.4, your Procreate brushes are stored in the iPadOS Files app, and can be synced using iCloud. Previously your brushes were stored in the Procreate app itself, and now they will be stored as individual .brush files in the Files app (the iPadOS file system).

When you update to Procreate 5.4 from a previous version, your brushes will begin to copy, moving from the old brush system to the new brush system. If you are installing a completely fresh version of Procreate, your brushes will be stored on iCloud Drive by default, or On My iPad if you don’t have iCloud enabled. Setting iCloud requires you to have sufficient storage space in your iCloud account in order to sync the brushes across devices.

Migration and naming considerations

When your brushes moved into Files (the iPadOS file system), any duplicate brushes in the same set will have had a number appended to their name. Certain special characters (<, >, :, “, /, \, *, %, \, |, ?, and periods (.) at the start of brush/set names) will also have been removed from the brush name as it became an object in the file system.

Tap once on Paint, Smudge or Erase to select the tool. Pinch in on the Brushes panel or tap on the title of your library and select ‘Back to libraries’ to return to your other brush libraries. If you have updated from a previous version of Procreate, all of your custom brushes will be available in the Classic Library. When in the relevant view, tap a brush, brush set or brush library to set it as your current one.

Managing brush sets and icons

Specifically with brush sets, tap hold and choose ‘Select icon’ to give it a special icon from our list. You can now delete custom and default brushes, brush sets and brush libraries. If you have accidentally deleted a default or custom brush, head to the recovery section of this article to attempt to recover it.

Synchronization and storage tips

When you change brushes in the Files app, the changes will be reflected in Procreate after a moment, and vice versa. This is true if your brushes are set to 'On My iPad' or 'iCloud (Drive)'. If you choose to move your entire collection, this process will take some time, especially if you have quite a few brushes, brush sets, and brush libraries. Please be patient while you wait for the storage changeover to complete.

While syncing brushes is now available, we still recommend manually backing up your most important brushes, sets and libraries into an alternative storage location such as an external hard drive, to ensure extra data security. You can at any point switch to local storage for your brushes. Selecting this option will trigger a download of all your iCloud Drive brushes to your iPad’s storage.

1. Confirm it as in the below image, and Procreate will remove the backup of your brushes.
2. of the same article for help with fixing the issue.

Practical takeaways for users with legacy brushes

For users migrating from older iterations, the Classic Library remains a reliable access point for previous custom brushes. The shift to Files means better portability and cross-device syncing, provided there is adequate iCloud storage. When installing fresh, expect brushes to reside in iCloud Drive by default, with local storage as an option if iCloud is unavailable. The transition also emphasizes the importance of backing up key brushes externally to prevent loss during distribution or library edits.

Sample data and potential enhancements

Because the update timeline spans multiple brush sets and versions, a future enhancement could include a tabulated synthesis of brush sets by version, notable changes, and recommended storage workflows-especially for artists who rely on large libraries and cross-device workflows.

tags: #old #procreate #brushes