If you get the error message "Failed to save file." and you are unable to save your file, go to the File menu and select [Save As] to save the file in a different location.
If you are still unable to save the file, please check your security software settings.
Specifying the save location on your device
We have received reports that a file cannot be saved correctly when saved in the following locations.
- External HDD or USB flash memory
- Folders that are synced to online storage such as Dropbox and Onedrive
When saving from Clip Studio Paint, specify a destination folder on the computer's internal hard drive that is not synced with online storage.
Windows: Changing Microsoft Defender Settings
Microsoft Defender may be causing the file to not save.
Please refer to the following page to turn off controlled folder access in Microsoft Defender settings.
Update security software and set exclusions
Security software may be interfering with Clip Studio Paint.
After updating your security software to the latest version, please refer to the following page to exclude folders and files related to Clip Studio Paint from being monitored.
Hint: Backing up your work
If you cannot save the work you are working on and cannot close the application, save it by the following method as an emergency measure.
Copy the layer to another canvas and save
1. Create a new canvas of the same size and resolution as the one you are working on from the File menu > New.
2. Select all layers except for the paper layer on the canvas you are working on.
3. Select Edit menu > Copy.
4. Select the canvas you created in step 1, and choose Edit menu > Paste to make sure all the layers of your work are pasted.
5. Select File menu > Save and check if the file can be saved.
Registering an entire layer to the Material palette
If you are unable to save your work after copying the layers to another canvas, please follow the instructions to register all the layers of your work to the Material palette.
The next time you start Clip Studio Paint, you can paste the layer you registered to the Material palette onto a blank canvas to restore your work.
1. Go to Window menu > Material, and click [Color pattern] or any other item to display the Material palette.
2. Right-click [All Materials] in the Material Palette, create a new folder from [New], and give it any name.
3. With the canvas you want to save open, select Edit menu > Register Material > Template.
Note: If you have a lot of layers, it may take some time for the dialog box to appear.
4. When the material properties dialog appears, set the material name, select the folder you created in step 2, and click OK.
5. It will then be registered in the Material palette.
6. Create a new canvas and test that you can restore your work by pasting the layers you registered in the Material palette.
Once you have saved the layer as a material, you can paste the image from the material palette the next time you start Clip Studio Paint, even if you close it without saving your work.
