KRAFTTONE FOR PROCREATE TUTORIAL


 

PART 01

GETTING STARTED: PAPER TEXTURES & INKING.



Your KraftTone paper texture templates are pre-loaded with easy-to-use paper texture effects and all the layers you'll need to get started creating and coloring your artwork.

KraftTone includes 5 high-resolution templates in classic comic book format 3969 x 6073px @300ppi in RGB color mode.

 

Paper Textures Tips:

Converting RGB to CMYK.

Your paper textures use effects that work in RGB mode only. Unfortunately it's not possible to convert RGB to CMYK in Procreate. You can only create a new CMYK canvas.

If you need to supply a CMYK file (to a publication or printer for example) we recommend exporting your finished RGB artwork as a JPG then importing it into a new CMYK canvas. Note that you must export your artwork as a JPG first as live layers cannot be imported into a CMYK canvas.

Customizing Paper Texture Effects.

You can easily control the intensity of the paper textures by adjusting the layer opacity of the Texture and Highlight layers as shown below.





 

 

PART 02

COLORING BASICS.



Your KraftTone brushes are designed to faithfully replicate the manual processes used by pre-digital comic colorists from the early 1900's to the 1990's. 

Get to know your brushes in the video below. 

 

The most important thing to remember is that you must use the corresponding brush, swatch and layer at all times. For example, the Cyan Brush must only be used with the Cyan swatch and applied only on the Cyan layer.


Changing the texture scale.

The brushes are preset with a texture scale of 60% but you can easily adjust the scale in the Brush Studio. Simply double-tap any brush, go to the Grain tab then tap the Scale % field to enter the new size numerically.

IMPORTANT: Do not use the scale slider as this will produce slight scale variations between brushes.




The new texture scale will be retained by the brush until reset. To reset the brush, go to the About this Brush tab and tap Reset Brush as shown below. 


CAUTION! Texture scale must match on all brushes used in a formula.

Mismatching brush scales will cause undesirable results so always double check that your texture scale is identical on all brushes used to create a color formula.





PART 03

HOW TO USE THE KraftTone FORMULA GUIDES.



The KraftTone Color System can create up to 374 colors in both dot and line screen tints.

That's a lot of colors so before you dive in, be sure to watch the video below to familiarize yourself with translating the formulas into brush combinations when coloring your work.

Click here for common skin tones

 





PART 04

ADVANCED COLORING, LINE BRUSHES & PRESSURE TINTS.



Now that we know how to use our Formula Guide, let's start adding more color with our dot, line and pressure tint brushes.

 

OPTIONAL:
Pre-visualize colors with the KraftTone Solid Swatches Palette.

The KraftTone Solid Swatches Palette includes a solid version of every KraftTone formula so you can quickly mockup and experiment before rendering your final artwork with your dot and line brushes.

Installing large color palettes in Procreate. 

The Solids palette is supplied as an Adobe .ase file so that it can be installed from a single file. Procreate displays a maximum of 30 colors per palette so once installed, the entire solids library is split accross multiple palettes. Unfortunately Procreate does not support the naming of individual swatches but the palettes and swatches are displayed in the same order they appear in the KraftTone Formula Guide. 

How to install your KraftTone Solid Palette. 


 


Looking for a little color inspiration?
Check out our Comic Closeups pinboard.



PART 05

ADDING TEXTURE & STAIN EFFECTS.



As if coloring alone wasn't enough, now we get to the really fun stuff... creating custom textures and effects so good, you'll swear you're looking at a scan. 

Working with layer masks, we'll create Non-Destructive Destruction™ (you read that right) that leaves your original color layers in tact. Plus you'll learn to add stains, create registration errors and ink absorbtion effects for that little somethin' extra.


 

Layer mask tips.

If you're new to using layer masks, there's a couple of handy rules to remember.

  1. Black Conceals and White Reveals. This means that when you paint black on a layer mask, it hides (or erases) the masked image layer. Painting white reveals the image.

  2. Painting shades of gray on a layer mask will reduce the amount of concealment the mask creates. This means that if you want to dial your texture effects down a little, try setting your brush to a shade of 50% gray instead of 100% black.

Future proofing registration-errors.

Once you move the Cyan, Magenta, Yellow or Black color layers to simulate a registration error, your brush textures will no longer align with the color you've already laid down. If there's a chance you may want to make changes or add colors later, consider duplicating your Color layer group before creating registration errors. Future you will be grateful!


 

PART 06

EXPORTING SEPARATIONS FOR SCREENPRINTING.



Don't you just love the tactile immediacy of real ink printed on paper IRL? You're in luck because KraftTone was designed with screenprinting in mind making it super easy to export your separations ready to burn your screens and bring your work into the physical realm. 

Watch the video below to see how. 




KraftTone Screenprint Tips: 

For simplicity's sake we've output our separations without the distressing textures from Part 5 to avoid getting bogged down in complex pre-press techniques.

There's a couple of key points to consider when screenprinting artwork created with the KraftTone Color System. 

Choosing the right ink.

CMYK prints work best when using translucent ink. This usually involves adding an extender base to your standard Plastisol inks but as always, consult your friendly local print-shop for their advice and expertise.

Choosing the right paper stock.

If you're looking to replicate the vintage aesthetic created by your KraftTone paper textures, be sure to spend the time to source a good off-white paper stock with visible fibres for maximum effect.

Our recommendation? You really can't beat Dur-O-Tone Newsprint White from French Paper Co.








GOT A QUESTION OR NEED SOME HELP?

Visit our Support Center for fast answers to common questions or to get in touch. We’re here to help!

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Tutorial artwork by Johnny Dombrowski
Music: Psychopath by Blood Red Sun