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To make a comic in ibisPaint X, plan the reading direction and final format first, build panels with Frame Divider, keep roughs, inks, backgrounds, tones and lettering on separate layers, then add speech bubbles and export in the color space and file format your destination requires. The workflow works on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android phones or tablets.
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1. Decide what you are making before opening the canvas
Your canvas and panel design depend on how readers will read the comic and where it will appear.
Choose the reading direction
Decide whether the page reads left to right, right to left, or top to bottom. This choice controls panel order, balloon placement and the size of the gutters that separate panels.
Choose the delivery format
| Destination | Canvas approach | Finish and export considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Single-page print | Use a page shape appropriate to the printer or publisher. | Confirm whether the workflow requires grayscale, binary, CMYK or another specified color space; export a format accepted by the printer. |
| Standard digital page | Use a page proportion that displays comfortably on the intended screen. | PNG or JPEG is typical for publishing; inspect the image at its final display size. |
| Vertical-scroll comic | Use a tall canvas or a sequence of canvases designed to be read from top to bottom. | Follow the platform’s panel-width, file-size and slicing rules, then check the complete sequence after upload. |
ibisPaint’s tutorial index includes lessons on manga manuscripts, canvas size, layer folders, transparent PNG, CMYK export and posting multiple comic pages to its online gallery. Create a manuscript or thumbnail plan before detailed drawing so page turns, reveals and reading order are settled early.
2. Create panels with Frame Divider
Frame Divider is the dedicated panel-making tool. It lets you establish an outer frame and divide it into individual panels while controlling the spaces between them.
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- Open Frame Divider and add the outer frame around the page or the portion of the canvas that will contain panels.
- Set the page margins and frame thickness before making internal divisions.
- Use the thumbnail or storyboard plan to decide where horizontal and vertical divisions belong.
- Adjust the horizontal and vertical intervals. ibisPaint advises narrower horizontal gaps and wider vertical gaps when that makes the reading order easier to follow.
- Commit the divisions only after checking that each panel has enough room for its figures, backgrounds and dialogue.
Regular grid or varied layout?
- Regular grid: Fast to read and easy to reproduce across pages; useful for conversation or explanatory sequences.
- Varied panel sizes: A large panel can emphasize an action or reveal, while smaller panels can slow a beat-by-beat moment. Keep the sequence unambiguous through panel position and gutter spacing.
3. Set up an editable layer structure
Do not draw every element on one layer. Separate layers let you correct overlaps, move lettering and revise tones without damaging the line art.
Useful page organization
- Rough sketches and thumbnails
- Ink or final line art
- Characters
- Backgrounds and environmental lines
- Screen tones or color
- Speech balloons
- Text and lettering
Use layer folders to group the contents of a page or panel. When foreground and background lines intersect, ibisPaint specifically recommends placing them on separate layers so an unwanted line can be erased later without redrawing the other element.
4. Sketch and ink
Rough first
Block in characters, camera angles, action and balloon locations on a rough layer. Check that faces and important actions remain readable inside the panel boundaries and that no balloon will cover essential artwork.
Ink on a new layer
Choose a stabilised brush that suits your line style and ink above the rough. A pressure-sensitive stylus or pen tablet can vary line thickness or opacity, which helps with controlled inking. Finger drawing remains possible, but the best input method depends on your device, hand control and preferred brush.
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Check compatibility before buying hardware
ibisPaint’s compatibility information names Apple Pencil, Wacom Intuos, XP-PEN and HUION devices, but support is model- and platform-specific. Apple Pencil support and palm-rejection behavior vary by iPad model; Android pen tablets may require Android 6.0 or later and USB OTG; Windows tablets depend on listed models or Windows Ink compatibility. Verify the exact device in ibisPaint’s current compatibility list before purchasing.
5. Add screentones and other materials
For a monochrome manga treatment, apply tones on a layer beneath the line art so the ink stays clean and editable.
- Create a new layer below the ink layer.
- Choose a Screen Tone blending mode.
- Select a tone such as Dot L16.
- Use the color controls to set the tone density.
- Paint the shaded areas, keeping highlights and texture consistent from panel to panel.
For a printed draft, ibisPaint’s official tutorial recommends Dot L12 or Dot L16 because finer dots may smudge. View the page at its intended print size before committing to a pattern. The app also provides manga materials and speech-balloon materials that can speed up repeated effects.
Color, grayscale or monochrome?
| Finish | Typical layer treatment | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Paint on organized color layers above the flats and below or alongside line art as needed. | Confirm the destination’s RGB or other color-space requirement. |
| Grayscale | Use gray values and keep tones readable at the final size. | Subtle values can disappear when reduced or compressed. |
| Monochrome screentone | Use Screen Tone layers and paint controlled dot densities. | Very fine dots can smudge in print; inspect the exported file. |
6. Add dialogue, text and speech bubbles
Place lettering with the Text tool
Select the Text tool, choose a font and place the dialogue in the panel. Leave safe space around the words so the text remains legible after export or platform resizing. Keep balloon and text order consistent with the chosen reading direction.
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Build the balloon
- Open Shape Tool → Speech Bubble.
- Drag to create the balloon around the dialogue.
- Adjust its size, angle, position and tail so it clearly points to the speaker.
- Check the sequence of balloons against the panel’s intended reading path.
Speech bubbles were added to the Shape Tool. If the bubble is on a vector layer, vector tools can provide further adjustment after it has been drawn. Keep balloons on their own layer or folder when you expect revisions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.7. Review the page before export
- Read the page in the intended direction without looking at the artwork details; the panel and balloon order should still be obvious.
- Hide the rough layer and check for unfinished construction lines.
- Inspect overlaps where foreground and background lines meet.
- Verify that tones sit beneath line art and do not cover text.
- Zoom out to the final display or print size to test lettering and contrast.
- Check every panel edge, gutter and balloon tail for accidental clipping.
8. Export for publishing or editing
Match the export to the next step rather than choosing one format for every use.
| Use | Format or setting | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Online publishing | PNG or JPEG, using the destination’s required RGB or other color space. | These formats are commonly accepted for web delivery; inspect compression and final-size readability. |
| Editable handoff | PSD when the recipient needs layers. | Preserves an editable workflow instead of flattening the page. |
| Print workflow | Use the printer’s requested grayscale, binary or CMYK setting and accepted file format. | Color-space requirements differ by printer and publication. |
ibisPaint documentation lists RGB, grayscale, binary and CMYK choices across supported formats. Select the setting required by your destination, export, and open the result to check that transparency, tones, colors and text survived correctly. Keep the layered working file even after delivering a flattened PNG or JPEG.
Common problems and fixes
Panels read in the wrong order
Revisit the thumbnail, then change panel positions or increase the vertical gutter relative to the horizontal gaps. Move balloons so the first line of dialogue is unmistakable.
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Lines are difficult to correct
Separate roughs, inks, characters and backgrounds into their own layers or folders. Rebuild intersecting foreground and background lines on separate layers before erasing.
Tones look muddy or disappear
Check the Screen Tone density and view the page at final size. For print drafts, avoid dots finer than the tutorial’s Dot L12 or Dot L16 recommendation when smudging is a concern.
Text or balloons cover the drawing
Move lettering and balloons after the art is complete, resize the bubble, or revise the panel composition. Keep dialogue on editable layers rather than painting it into the background.
The stylus does not behave as expected
Confirm the exact model, operating system and connection requirements in ibisPaint’s compatibility information. On supported devices, configure palm rejection as needed; behavior is not identical across iPad, Android and Windows hardware.
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