Clip Studio Paint is a drawing app I commonly use for creating comics and fan art.
Before I bought my new MacBook Air, I was drawing on a Windows laptop
Sometimes, Clip Studio Paint feels slow on my laptop, taking around 1-2 seconds for a brushstroke to render
You came to the right place if you’re also experiencing lag when drawing and painting in Clip Studio Paint.
We will provide a step-by-step guide on how to improve Clip Studio Paint performance and eliminate lag. Our solution works well on the Windows and MacOS versions of Clip Studio Paint.
Table of Contents
Why is Clip Studio Paint Lagging?
Lagging happens when there’s a delay as the app gathers resources from the memory, storage, and CPU.
Clip Studio Paint has minimal system requirements. Using a budget computer makes you more likely to experience lags during your projects.
This happens because the memory, CPU, and storage work hard to process your artwork in CSP.
For more details, refer to this article about CSP’s system requirements.
Besides overload of resources, lag can happen because:
- A new bug appeared in the application
- Malware infections in your computer
- Corrupted app files
- Corrupted drivers for your drawing table
How to Fix Clip Studio Paint Lags
Method 1: Update Clip Studio Paint
First, we need to make sure your app is updated to the latest version
A new version of Clip Studio Paint could fix bugs that cause your app to lag.
There’s no auto-update feature if you’re using the Windows or MacOS version of Clip Studio Paint. You need to manually install the new version by downloading the files from their website
Follow these steps:
Step 1: Open your web browser
Step 2: Click this link to open the download page: https://www.clipstudio.net/en/dl/
Step 3: Choose which version of Clip Studio Paint you have. If you don’t know which version of the app is on your computer, select the Check My Current Plan option
Step 4: After determining the CSP version you need, choose between the Windows & Mac versions of Clip Studio Paint to download
Step 5: Wait for the download process to finish
Step 6: Open the downloaded installation file
Step 7: Follow the installation process until they are completed
Step 8: Restart your computer or laptop
Step 9: Open the app to test the new version of CSP
Method 2: Increase Memory Allocation in Clip Studio Paint
Memory is essential in Clip Studio Paint. Everything you draw on your canvas is stored in your computer memory.
This includes parts of your artwork, such as layers, undo history, applied effects, and so on
If you don’t have enough memory, CSP will lag. This is why you need to increase the amount of memory allocated to Clip Studio Paint
By default, CSP will only use 50-70% of memory, depending on how much RAM you have. If it’s not enough, follow these steps to increase memory allocation:
Step 1: Click the “Settings” menu and select Preferences.
Step 2: Select the Performance tab.
Step 3: In the virtual memory path section, choose the boot disk option,
Step 4: In the Allocate to Application section, increase the percentage to at least 75%
Step 5: Decrease the undo levels value from 200 to 100
Step 6: Close Clip Studio Paint and restart your computer
Leave at least 2GB of available memory for your operating system and other applications.
If you only have 8GB of RAM, the maximum memory allocated percentage is 75%. A higher percentage could result in your app or operating system crashing during drawing.
Method 3: Close Unused Applications
When many apps open, they compete for memory and CPU resources with Clip Studio Paint. CSP requires extra time to process strokes during drawing if these apps aren’t closed.
To prevent lag in your app, close any unused applications. Be aware that some apps, even if closed, can still run in the background. You must manually close the background apps to free up your system resources.
Follow these steps
Windows 10 & 11
Step 1: Press Ctrl + Shift+Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager
Step 2: Click the Memory tab
Step 3: Find the app you want to close, right-click on it, and select the End Task option.
Note: Close the XBoxStat.exe process, as it can conflict with Clip Studio Paint.
MacOS
Step 1: Open Launchpad and search for Activity Monitor.
Step 2: Select the Memory tab
Step 3: Choose which app you want to close. Double-click the app
Step 4: Select the Quit button to end the app
Method 4: Reduce Resolution, Canvas size, and DPI value
Usually, for my art in CSP, I draw on a canvas size 3000×2000 px or 2560×1440 px.
I rarely draw on canvas size above 4000×4000 px in Clip Studio Paint because it’s too big. It doesn’t lag me since I’m on a MacBook Air M2 with 16 GB of RAM.
However, if you’re using an older computer with less than 8 GB of RAM, a large canvas and high resolution might cause lag.
Follow these steps when creating a new canvas to edit the canvas, resolution and DPI values:
- Select File and choose New
- Set the Width and Height values for the canvas.
- Under Resolution, pick 72, 144, or 300 DPI.
- Select OK to create a new canvas.
Staying under 4000px (or 4K) is recommended for Width and Height. If average image quality suffices, set the DPI to 72. For premium quality, opt for 300 DPI.
For a more detailed comparison, you can check out this guide: 72 vs. 300 DPI
To adjust the size of an existing canvas:
Go to Edit > Change Canvas Size.
To modify the Resolution of an existing canvas:
Go to Edit > Change Image Resolution.
Method 5: Reduce the Number of Layers Used
Layers are an important feature for artists. Without them, colorizing your digital art in Clip Studio Paint is easier. I usually draw with up to 15 layers.
The more layers you use, the more memory is consumed. If you don’t have enough memory on your system, you should try to reduce the number of layers by merging two layers or deleting one of them.
To delete a layer, in the Layer panel, right-click a layer and select the Delete Layer option.
To merge two layers, right-click a layer and choose the Merge with Layer Below option.
You can also choose “Merge Selected Layers” by selecting multiple layers in CSP.
Method 6: Reduce stabilization
Stabilization is a feature that helps artists produce smoother lines. Sometimes, artists set the stabilization too high, making the app overcompensate.
I’ve observed that higher stabilization values can delay brush strokes’ appearance on the canvas after pressing down on the drawing tablet.
This delay can be mistaken for brush lag, especially when the stabilization process has not finished by the time the stylus movement ends.
Follow these steps:
- Select the brush you want to edit with
- On Tool property, scroll down and search for Stabilization
- Reduce the stabilization value to at least half its current setting.
- Try drawing on the canvas. Are you satisfied with the stabilization after reducing it?
Method 7: Disable Cursor stabilization
Cursor stabilization is a feature that stabilizes cursor placement. This feature is rarely helpful for artists and should be disabled.
Step 1: Select File > Preference (Ctrl + K or Cmd ⌘ + K)
Step 2: On the left menu, select Cursor settings
Step 3: Choose the No Delay option
Method 8: Modify the Input Precision Settings
Clip Studio Paint processes input from your drawing tablet, which can introduce a delay during drawing.
Modifying the input precision settings can help reduce this delay.
Follow these steps:
Step 1: Select File > Preference (Ctrl + K or Cmd ⌘ + K)
Step 2: On the left menu, select Tablet settings
Step 3: On Tablet Settings, beside the Precision option, choose the Prefer Quality option
Step 4: For priority for the tablet process, set the value to 1.
If increasing input precision doesn’t address the issue, consider reducing it by selecting Prefer Speed
Method 9: Reinstall Your Drawing Tablet Driver
Sometimes, if the driver for your drawing tablet is corrupted, it can cause random issues whenever you use it.
It’s best to re-download the driver directly from the drawing tablet brand’s official website.
Use the following links to access your drawing tablet’s driver page:
Wacom Driver Page: https://www.wacom.com/en-us/support/product-support/drivers
Huion Driver Page: https://www.huion.com/download/
XP-Pen Driver Page: https://www.xp-pen.com/download
Method 10: Reset Clip Studio Paint Settings
If you’ve tried many fixes and nothing works, you can try resetting Clip Studio Paint settings.
Resetting Clip Studio Paint will delete some of your custom configurations. Your personalized settings, brushes, or workspace layouts will be lost.
Step 1: Close Clip Studio Paint. Open the Clip Studio app (The app you used to log in and register CSP).
Step 2: Press the Paint icon while holding Shift on your keyboard
Step 3: Uptick all options
Step 4: Click OK to reset CSP settings
If resetting CSP settings doesn’t fix your issue, we recommend reinstalling Clip Studio Paint.
