An installed brush is not a backup
A brush can sit in an app for months while its original package and creator’s notes disappear into a crowded folder. When you change devices or reinstall the app, a tidy archive helps you find the same tool and settings again. Start with the original package, then keep your test sheets and notes beside it.
Create one folder per resource. Store the untouched download with its source URL and the date you obtained it. If the package includes several versions, keep their original filenames in separate subfolders. Names such as “watercolor final” lose useful details. A plain text note may be more useful than a database you never update.
Keep your archive and working sets separate
Your archive holds the original files, versions, and notes. The working set holds the few brushes you need this week. Give separate jobs to sketching lines, broad color, and finishing marks so you can keep the app manageable without deleting the rest of your collection. Name working sets for their tasks, such as “travel sketch” or “portrait edges”; vague names such as “favorites 2” are harder to find later.
Keep the archive separate from the folders your app uses for its live brush library, and make a backup before reorganizing. Moving and copying have different effects. In Procreate 5.4 and later, moving a brush or brush set moves its files, while changes in Files and the in-app library reflect each other. In these versions, deleting a brush or brush set removes it from both Procreate and Files. Duplicate it before moving if you want a copy in each location. Before reorganizing a large collection, check the official documentation for your app and version.
Record the version you tested
A note such as “Tested on my iPad in Procreate version X, good for small leaves” tells you something useful. “Universal brush” tells you almost nothing. Keep the app version, device, canvas size, and a brief observation near the original file. If a new version changes the mark, keep the old one until the replacement has passed the same small-canvas test.
For client work, keep the brush versions, app settings, and usage notes with the project. These records help you find and reinstall the original tool and recreate the marks you used. A filename alone rarely captures those details.
Make a backup you can check
Keep a second copy of the archive in a separate location you control. After changing devices, check that the expected folders, original files, and version notes are present. Open several files and test-import a set, while remembering that one intact folder does not prove the whole backup is complete. A brief check when you add a pack or replace a device is often easier to maintain than a large monthly reorganization.
For a resource you obtain from Brushory, save its resource URL beside the files and keep a local copy of the brush files. You can request another delivery link from your account’s “My brushes” section without another credit charge while your unlock remains valid and has not been revoked, the resource and delivery channel still allow access, and your account is active with no access or billing restrictions. You can use this folder system now for brushes you already own.
Find a brush months later
Search your archive by the task a brush solved, as well as its pack title. A note such as “dry edge for winter branches” can still help after you forget the product name. Read the tested app version in the folder before importing the file into your current project. A short check can save a long search through installed brush thumbnails.
Keep an older version if it still does the job. Before replacing it with an update, repeat the same small test and note what changed. The purpose of an archive is to help you choose a tool you can use now, rather than simply record everything you have downloaded.
What to keep in each brush folder
Keep the original files so the folder helps you reinstall the brush and find its version, source, and acquisition date. A visible brush in the app is not an independent backup. In Procreate 5.4 and later, changes in Files and the live library reflect each other; moving or deleting there affects the actual library files. Back up outside the live-library folders before moving or deleting.
- The untouched original package, resource name, URL, and acquisition date.
- The file version, the date you actually downloaded the file, and the software settings you tested.
- A test sheet, app and device notes, and a second copy stored separately from the working library.
