How to Search Inside Procreate Files on Mac
You remember drawing a fox sleeping under a tree. It would be perfect for a new project, but your archive contains dozens of files called Untitled_Artwork.procreate, Untitled_Artwork_2.procreate, and variations you never renamed.
With Fenn, you can search your Procreate files on your Mac by describing the artwork. Type fox under a tree, review the matching previews, and find the original project.
That means less time browsing old folders and more time working with the illustrations you already created.
Find artwork by what you remember
Artists often remember an image long after they forget its filename. You might remember a character’s red coat, a mountain landscape, or a pattern of pink flowers.
Fenn indexes the saved artwork preview inside each .procreate file. You can then search for visible subjects, colors, and scenes to find matching artwork.
For example, try searching for:
A fox sleeping under a tree.
A character wearing a red coat.
A mountain landscape at sunset.
A pink floral pattern.
Bring your Procreate files from iPad to Mac
Start by saving copies of your artwork to your Mac.
In Procreate, open an artwork and choose Actions → Share → Procreate. Then use AirDrop to send the file to your Mac. You can also save it through Files and transfer it to a local folder. The .procreate format preserves your project’s layers and other editing data. Procreate’s sharing guide
If you already keep Procreate backups on your Mac, you can add that folder directly to Fenn.
Make your Procreate archive searchable
Open Settings → Sources → Folders in Fenn and add your artwork folder.
Under Sources → File Types, enable Procreate and select .procreate.
Choose Balanced or Best Quality indexing to enable visual search.
Click Run Index, or Index new files if you already have an index.
Once indexing finishes, describe an illustration you remember and inspect the matching results. Fenn’s file type and indexing guide
Fenn reads the preview already saved inside the file, so you can search your original .procreate projects without creating separate PNG or JPEG exports.
Spend less time renaming old artwork
A descriptive filename is helpful, but a drawing can contain far more than you would put in its name.
You might save an illustration as Forest Study.procreate, then remember it months later as “the fox under the tree.” Searching by appearance gives you another way to retrieve it.
This is especially helpful when revisiting client commissions, unfinished sketches, character studies, and older portfolio work.
Keep your artwork private
Fenn indexes your files on your Mac and uses local AI by default. Your unpublished illustrations and client work can become searchable without being uploaded to an AI provider.
Once the required models and files are available locally, search works offline. How Fenn handles privacy
Start with one folder of old artwork and search for an illustration you can still picture. Try Fenn for Mac
Read also
Local processing • No files upload • Works offline