What it does
Artstudio Pro combines painting and photo editing on iPhone, iPad and Mac. It supports layered artwork, editable brushes and Photoshop resource imports. The free iOS download has three layers and JPEG-only export, with saving locked; paid access removes those restrictions. The separate Mac app offers a seven-day trial.
Bring your brushes and layered files
Artstudio Pro imports PSD images, ABR and TPL brushes, PAT patterns and ASE or ACO colour swatches. Brush stamps and many settings are converted for its own painting engine. Layer groups, clipping masks and adjustment layers help separate the drawing from colour and tonal changes.
Documents can be stored locally or in iCloud Drive. Paid image exports include PNG, JPEG, PSD and TIFF, so a layered drawing can continue in another compatible editor.
The free iOS limits
The iOS listing restricts the free canvas to screen size and three layers. Saving is locked, and JPEG is the only available export. Animation export is also locked. This makes the free download a way to explore the tools before committing to a larger project.
The Mac edition has a separate purchase and seven-day trial. Current iOS and Mac pages list different canvas limits, so choose the edition for your device rather than assuming identical capacity.
Strengths
- Imports established Photoshop brush and colour-resource formats
- Masks and adjustment layers keep colour changes separate
- Local storage and iCloud Drive are both supported
Watch out for
- The free iOS edition locks saving and limits export to JPEG
- Mac and iOS access are offered separately
Best for
- Painters reusing ABR brushes on an iPad
- Artists combining layered illustration with photo adjustments
Sources
- Artstudio Pro for iOS: painting tools and file formats (Oct 27, 2026)
- Artstudio Pro for macOS: features and trial (Oct 27, 2026)
- Artstudio Pro: developer App Store listing (Oct 27, 2026)