Frequently Asked Questions

Is Leonardo the best drawing app for Windows?

That's our aspiration. Leonardo is probably the best drawing app for the Microsoft Surface and all other PC-tablets and we hope that within two years we can be the best Windows drawing app, period.

What are Leonardo's biggest strengths?

The speed, the user interface, the line tools and the infinite canvas.

What are Leonardo's most requested features?

Custom brushes, custom shortcuts, distort tool and layer folders. The first three we can hopefully get done during 2021.

What is the difference between the desktop version (from this website) and the Windows Store version?

None. It's the exact same version of Leonardo.

Competitor related

Is Leonardo a good alternative to Photoshop?

Both yes and no. Drawing on a Windows tablet is definitely nicer with Leonardo than Photoshop. Leonardo is also much faster and easier to learn. However, Photoshop is a beast when it comes to features. A lot of our users start their illustrations in Leonardo and then do the final touches in Photoshop. Leonardo can export to the Photoshop file format (PSD) which makes the transition easy.

Is Leonardo a good alternative to Sketchable?

Yes. Sketchable is also built for Windows tablets like Leonardo. But Leonardo is much faster, more stable, easier to learn and have more features then Sketchable.

Is Leonardo a good alternative to Sketchbook Pro?

Yes. Sketchbook was never designed for touch interfaces.

Is Leonardo a good alternative to Paint Tool SAI?

Yes. However, we think SAI is a really cool drawing app! Unfortunately the user interface is very old, it can be a bit confusing for beginners and they seem to have stopped developing it.

Is Leonardo a good alternative to Mischief?

Yes. Mischief is one of the few other drawing apps that also have an infinite canvas. However, Leonardo and Mischief work completely differently: Leonardo is raster based and Mischief is vector based. We believe that for a drawing/painting app the raster approach is the right technology since important tools like Smudge and Lasso only work for raster apps. It also seems that they have stopped developing Mischief.

Is Leonardo the Windows equivalent of ProCreate?

If the question is meant like "is Leonardo the best drawing app for the Windows tablets" (since ProCreate is usually considered the best app for iPad) then the answer is probable yes! But Leonardo and ProCreate are very different. Some of Leonardo's biggest strengths like the infinite canvas and the line tools are unique for Leonardo.

Product related

Does Leonardo work on my computer?

Leonardo works on almost all Windows computers. However, we strongly recommend that you have some kind of pen to get the best drawing experience. Please download the trial version of Leonardo from the download page to check if your computer can run it.

Does Leonardo work with Microsoft Surface tablets?


Does Leonardo work with Wacom tablets?


How long will Leonardo be in Beta?

Probably until late 2021. The number one feature we want to get done before we drop the beta label is custom brushes. But you don't have to wait with your purchase: If you buy Leonardo during beta you get a 50% discount with a free upgrade to the 1.x version as soon as it is ready.

What is the roadmap for Leonardo?

We will focus on our most requested features which are: custom brushes, custom shortcuts, distort tool and layer folders. But there will also be a lot of other improvements along the way.

How do I update Leonardo to the latest version?

If you have the desktop version of Leonardo (downloaded from this website), please go to Help > Software Update inside the app. If you have the Windows Store version please go to the Leonardo listing.

How often will I receive updates for Leonardo?

We usually publish a major update every six months. Sometimes we also release smaller updates to fix bugs. The reason we don't update Leonardo more often is that each major release have to go through a lot of testing which is time consuming.

Will future updates be free if I have already purchased Leonardo?

Yes. All beta and 1.x releases will be a free upgrade if you have already purchased Leonardo.

Is there any forum for Leonardo users?

No. This is something we really should fix...

Feature related

Does Leonardo have custom (saveable) brushes?

No. However, this is our most common feature request so hopefully we can get it done during 2021.

Does Leonardo have a text tool?

No. However, this is a common request. Hopefully we can add it in the future.

Can Leonardo import PDF files?


Does Leonardo handle Photoshop (PSD) files?

Leonardo can export PSD files but not import or save.

Does Leonardo have screen recording?

No. Please use an external tool like Camtasia.

How do I save to JPEG or PNG?

Please go to File > Export.

When I zoom-in my canvas gets pixelated!

Leonardo is a raster based app so if you zoom-in more than 100% you will start to see pixels. When we say Leonardo have an infinite canvas we mean infinite as in "scroll in either direction as much as you want" not "zoom in as much as you want". If you need higher resolution please start you drawing in 50% or 25% zoom and use that as you baseline.

I can't zoom out more than 50%!

Please open the zoom panel (the magnifer icon) and choose Options. Under options you can then set the max and min zoom levels.

Account and purchase related

How do I give Leonardo as a gift?

Please visit the Leonardo listing on the Windows Store and click the three small dots next to the Buy button. There you can purchase it as a gift.

Can I pay for Leonardo with PayPal?

Yes. There is a small link to do so beneath the Buy button on the Buy page. If you prefer to buy the Windows Store version of Leonardo they also support PayPal.

Do I need an account to try Leonardo?

Yes. Either a Leonardo account that you create inside the app after you have installed it or a Microsoft account for the Store version.

Does Leonardo require a Internet connection to run?

No. You only need an Internet connection the first time you run Leonardo and to validate purchase.

How do I transfer my Leonardo license from one computer to another?

If you bought Leonardo from our website please download Leonardo to the new computer and log in with the same email you used to purchase Leonardo and the license will be transfer automatically.

If you bought Leonardo from the Microsoft Store please download it again from there and make sure you use the same account to log in to Windows as you used to purchase Leonardo.

Can I use one license of Leonardo on multiple devices?

Yes as long as you don't run them simultaneously.

How do I delete my Leonardo account?

Please visit this page.

Platform related

What platforms does Leonardo exist on?

Only Windows. You can get it either from this website or from the the Windows Store. It doesn't matter which one you choose since it's the same version of Leonardo.

Will there be a Mac version of Leonardo?

Hopefully yes. However, we have had so much traction on the Microsoft Surface that we have decided to focus on Windows for now.

Will there be an iPad version of Leonardo?

Maybe. But it is at least two years away.

Will there be an Android version of Leonardo?


Contact related

How do I contact the Leonardo team?

Please send us an email at