My lines are pixelated and blurry after I export
Why this happens
Procreate is pixel-based. If the canvas was set up too small, there aren't enough pixels to produce sharp lines — and this cannot be fixed after the fact. Upscaling a small canvas makes the file larger but the image more blurry, not sharper.
FIX FOR FUTURE PIECES
- Minimum canvas size: 3000 × 3000 px at 300 DPI for anything you'll share online or print at small sizes (up to about 10 × 10 inches / 25 × 25 cm). For Instagram only: 2160 × 2700 px is enough. For larger prints (A3 / poster size), scale proportionally — for example, 4500 × 6000 px for A3 at 300 DPI
- Procreate shows the maximum layer count when you create the canvas — larger canvas means fewer layers. Make this decision before you start drawing
IF YOUR CURRENT PIECE IS ALREADY BLURRY
The pixel information is gone and can't be recovered. You have two honest options:
1. Export as PNG (not JPEG — JPEG compresses edges and makes it worse) and use it at a small size where the blur isn't visible.
2. Upscale via Actions → Canvas → Crop & Resize → turn on Resample → increase dimensions. This won't recover sharpness — it will look softer in a larger file. After upscaling, go back into the piece and redraw the main edges and lineart on a new layer on top. Even 10 minutes of retracing the key contours over the blurry version brings the important details back to sharp.
Check quality in the right place: the iPhone Photos app can display a softened preview at certain zoom levels — it looks blurry even when the file is fine. Always evaluate your export in the Files app — that shows the actual pixel quality.