Saving files

Jump to Mobile

We can't over-emphasize how important it is to actively save your work. We sometimes hear from users who have lost work due to an app or system crash, and had been working for hours without saving. The best method of preserving your hard work is to save it.

Sketchbook has an Autorecovery function in case of an app or system crash. These are temporary data caches, not conventional files that can be accessed and opened. If an Autorecovery is available, the app will ask you if you want to recover it when you relaunch.

Do not rely on Autorecovery as a method of saving your work. If your device encounters a memory (RAM) issue, the autorecovery cache may be cleared. You should always actively save your work.

Sketchbook TIFF files

Sketchbook's native file format is TIFF. A TIFF created in Sketchbook or Sketchbook Pro can be opened with layers intact in Sketchbook apps on other platforms.

Saving in Sketchbook Pro for desktop

When saving your work, you can save out an alpha channel and choose the file format. Sketchbook Pro supports saving TIFF, BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, and PSD.

Also see Exporting images.

The format you select determines whether the image is saved with all its layers or if it is flattened. Only TIFF and PSD will preserve layers. Note that there are some limitations of saving a file to PSD.

You can customize the following file save behaviors in Preferences:

1. Set the default save format to either TIFF or PSD
2. Turn on the creation of backup (.bak) files
3. Set the default new file name to be incremental, or "untitled"
4. Turn on additional file verification during save, to avoid bad/interrupted saves
5. Customize how often Autosave updates
6. Customize Page Up behavior for file browsing

Saving in Sketchbook for mobile devices

Tap  , then   Save.

If a sketch has been previously saved to the Gallery and additional edits have been made, the prompt will also include the option to Save the current sketch as a copy. This is useful when you want to have checkpoints of progress on a piece or when you want to take a piece in a different direction without overwriting the current version.

You can access your saved files in the Gallery.

You can also save your file by exiting to the Gallery

1. Tap  , then   Gallery.
2. A dialog appears. Select an option.
   • Save current sketch – updates the saved file.
   • Save current sketch as a copy – creates a new file and saves the sketch with the changes to that file, while preserving the original.
   • Discard changes – deletes any modifications to the original file.
3. The Gallery opens. Swipe to the left to ensure your sketch has been saved to the Gallery.
4. For information on exporting or sharing your layered image files, see the article Exporting images.

Additional information for Android devices

Auto Save Timer
You can set a timer to automatically save your open canvas while you work. This can protect you from losing unsaved work due to low available RAM or from your device shutting down due to low battery.

To enable the timer:

1. Tap  , then  Preferences
2. Navigate to the Sketchbook Data section
3. At "Automatically Save to Gallery" tap the button to switch the setting from 'Never' to 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 60 minutes.

Where are your files saved

Android devices save your work into internal storage, so they will appear in your Files app. If you are on Android 11 or higher, your files are in the folder Internal Storage > Pictures > Sketchbook Gallery.
If you are on Android 10 or below, your files are in Internal Storage > Autodesk > SketchBook3. 

The TIFF files in this folder are your Sketchbook art.

Additional information for iOS devices