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Procreate’s lasso-like tool is called Freehand. Tap the ribbon-shaped Selection button in the top menu, choose Freehand, and outline the area you want to edit. Once the selection is committed, edits such as painting, erasing, filling, and transforming are isolated to that area.
You can draw with a finger or Apple Pencil, lift and resume the outline, and mix curved strokes with tapped points for straight edges. The steps below explain where to find Freehand, how to close and refine a selection, and what to do with it afterward.
Where is the lasso tool in Procreate?
Tap the ribbon-shaped Selection button in the top menu. In the Selection toolbar, choose Freehand. Freehand is Procreate’s lasso-like mode for outlining irregular areas of artwork.
For the available selection modes and controls, see Procreate’s Selections interface handbook.
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How to lasso something in Procreate
- Open the artwork and choose the layer you want to edit.
- Tap Selection, then choose Freehand.
- Draw around the area with a finger or Pencil. Lift and place your input down again to continue the outline if needed.
- For straight edges, tap successive points; Procreate connects them with dashed segments. You can mix tapped points and drawn curves.
- Tap the gray circle at the starting point to close the outline. You can also apply the selection with Add or Remove, or tap another tool to commit it.
- Check the selection, then paint, smudge, erase, fill, or transform the selected area.
While in Selection mode, you can use Procreate’s navigation gestures to zoom, pan, and rotate. The selection limits edits; it does not automatically create a separate layer or identify an object as an independent item. Your active layer still matters.
How to close a Freehand selection
Tap the gray circle marking the starting point to close the outline. Alternatively, tap Add or Remove to apply the selection while keeping Selection mode active, or tap another tool to commit it and begin editing.
A committed selection is indicated by moving diagonal lines outside the selected area. If the selection does not look right, use Add or Remove to refine it before editing.
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Refine a lasso selection
Add to a selection
Tap Add, then outline another region to include it. This is useful for disconnected parts or when building a complex selection from smaller areas.
Remove part of a selection
Tap Remove, then outline the area to subtract. This can correct an accidental inclusion without starting over.
Invert the selection
Tap Invert to switch the selected and unselected areas. For example, select a subject and invert if you want to edit the area around it.
Feather the edge
Tap Feather to soften the selection boundary. At 0%, the edge remains crisp. A softer edge can help with compositing, but too much feathering can blur details.
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Undo a bad stroke
A two-finger tap undoes the last action, and a three-finger tap redoes it. These gestures can help correct a selection stroke without canceling the entire selection.
What to do after lassoing
Paint or recolor the selected area
Keep the selection active, choose a brush, and paint inside it. The selection restricts the edit to the selected area. Check that the intended layer is active before painting.
Erase or clear the selected area
Choose the Eraser and erase within the selection, or use an available clear or cut operation. To edit the area around a subject, select the subject and tap Invert first.
Move the original pixels
- Make and check the Freehand selection.
- Tap the Transform arrow.
- Drag inside the bounding box to move the selected content.
- Pinch to scale or rotate as needed.
A selection alone does not move anything; use Transform to reposition selected content. If the whole layer moves instead, undo and check that the selection is committed and active.
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- Make the Freehand selection.
- Choose Copy & Paste.
- Procreate places the selected content on a new layer labelled From selection.
- Use Transform to reposition or adjust the duplicate.
Copy & Paste preserves the original pixels. Choose a cut operation instead when you want to remove the selected content from its original location.
Freehand, Automatic, Rectangle, or Ellipse?
| Mode | Best for | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Freehand | Irregular boundaries and shapes needing a mix of curves and straight edges. | Draw curves and tap points for polygonal segments. |
| Automatic | Areas separated by color boundaries. | Tap an area and drag to adjust the threshold. |
| Rectangle | Rectangular areas. | Creates a geometric selection. |
| Ellipse | Round or oval areas. | Creates an elliptical selection. |
Rectangle and Ellipse can be combined with Freehand or with each other. See Procreate’s guides to Automatic selections and Rectangle and Ellipse selections for more detail.
Select all content on a layer
If artwork is already isolated on a layer, selecting the layer’s content may be easier than tracing it. This is different from Freehand Selection: it selects layer content rather than an area you draw around.
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Selections do not automatically combine artwork across every layer. Choose the method that matches what you need: select or lasso content on the active layer, use a combined copy when you need visible artwork from multiple layers, or Copy & Paste after a selection to make a duplicate.
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Why is the lasso not working?
You cannot find a button labeled Lasso
Tap Selection, then choose Freehand. Procreate uses Freehand as the label for its lasso-like selection mode.
The outline does not create the expected selection
Close the outline by tapping its gray starting point, or apply it with Add or Remove. You can also tap another tool to commit the selection.
The wrong part is selected
Use Add to include a missed area, Remove to subtract an area, or Invert to switch the selected and unselected regions.
The edit affects the wrong artwork
Check the Layers panel and make sure the intended layer is active. A selection does not automatically target matching pixels on other layers.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallThe selection mask obscures the artwork
After a selection is committed, moving diagonal lines appear outside the selected area. Procreate’s Selection mask visibility setting can adjust how the mask is shown.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to cancel or clear a selection
Tap the Selection button again to cancel the selection and return to the artwork. Be careful not to confuse canceling a selection with clearing or deleting artwork.
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Useful Procreate selection shortcuts
- Two-finger tap: undo the last action.
- Three-finger tap: redo the last action.
- Navigation gestures: zoom, pan, and rotate while selecting.
See Procreate’s Selections interface handbook for the documented controls.
A reliable lasso workflow
- Choose the layer you want to edit.
- Tap Selection > Freehand.
- Draw with a finger or Pencil, lifting and resuming as needed.
- Use tapped points for straight edges and drawn strokes for curves.
- Close the outline at its gray starting point, or apply it with Add or Remove.
- Inspect the committed selection and refine with Add, Remove, Invert, or Feather.
- Paint, erase, smudge, fill, transform, or Copy & Paste as needed.
- Tap Selection again when you want to cancel the selection.
FAQ
Can I use my finger to make a Procreate lasso selection?
Yes. Procreate’s Freehand selection instructions support drawing with a finger or Pencil.
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Can I pause while drawing a Freehand selection?
Yes. Lift your finger or Pencil and place it down again to continue the outline.
How do I make a straight edge with Freehand?
Tap successive points to create straight polygonal segments. You can combine them with drawn curves in the same outline.
How do I finish the selection?
Tap the gray circle at the starting point to close the outline. You can also apply it with Add or Remove, or tap another tool to commit it for editing.
How do I duplicate a lassoed object onto a new layer?
Use Copy & Paste after making the selection. Procreate places the selected content on a new layer labelled From selection.
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