Procreate Pocket offers various ways to modify certain areas of content without affecting others. While they are not Masks in the digital sense, Locks offer an important related function.
Locking for protection and control
Layer Locks protect some or all layer from edits. To prevent any accidental changes and edits made to a layer you can lock it. Locking a Group will lock all layers in that Group. When locked a layer or Group will display a small padlock symbol next to the name. You cannot edit, move, cut, paste, transform, or delete a locked layer.
Alpha Lock: precise painting within a defined area
Alpha Lock lets you lay down a shape or area of artwork, then lock this 'alpha' shape. Using this, you can block out a character, then freely add color and detail to that character. Alpha Lock lets you work without worrying about painting outside the lines. Need to touch up an edge, or add to your existing Alpha shape? You can modify a Layer Mask to hide or show any part of its parent layer without erasing any content.
Layer Masks: non-destructive edits with grayscale
Layer to invoke the Layer Options menu, then tap Mask. Layer Masks are edited using grayscale. Erasing or painting in black hides parts of the parent layer, and painting in white reveals parts. When a Layer Mask is selected as your Primary layer, your Color Panel selections will ignore hue. When you select a Layer Mask as your Primary layer, you can use Erase or Paint to edit the mask. This allows you to transform both at once.
Working with Layer Masks and transformations
Tap and hold on the Layer Mask or its parent layer to pick up both, and drag them elsewhere in your Layers menu. Layer Mask doesn’t have its own Duplicate button. This enables collaborative workflows where adjustments are made without duplicating or altering the original content.
Clipping Masks: independent yet connected clipping relationships
When you activate a Clipping Mask, it clips your active layer to the layer underneath it. Tap your Primary layer to invoke the Layer Options menu, then tap Clipping Mask. Use the Transform tool to move, scale, or distort the content on your parent layer. Reimagine the appearance of the content on your clipped layer. Clipping Masks differ from Layer Masks in that they are independent of the layer they affect. When you move a Clipping Mask's layer order, it will clip to the layer below it. Move a clipped layer to the bottom of your Layers Panel, the Clipping Mask function will deactivate.
Procreate - Alpha Lock, Clipping Mask and Layer Mask Explained
In summary, alpha lock provides a practical way to color within a defined shape, while Layer Locks, Layer Masks, and Clipping Masks offer complementary methods to protect, reveal, and constrain edits non-destructively. This suite of tools enables precise workflows: you can lock layers to prevent changes, use alpha locks to isolate painting regions, apply layer masks to hide or reveal content, and employ clipping masks to constrain edits to specific content without altering the rest of the image.
Example workflow table
| Tool | Function | Typical Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Layer Lock | Prevents edits, moves, deletes | Protect important layers from accidental changes |
| Alpha Lock | Locks the alpha (transparent) area for painting | Color inside a shape without touching edges |
| Layer Mask | Grayscale-based visibility control | Hide/reveal parts of a layer non-destructively |
| Clipping Mask | Clips content to the layer beneath | Limit edits to a specific region tied to another layer |