Importing Clip Studio Paint `.sut` files¶

Clip Studio Paint (CSP) brushes export as .sut. The Designer imports them through the same File > Import > Brush File… flow as .abr. CSP's brush model is more sophisticated than Photoshop's, so the mapping is closer to one-to-one.

Import¶

File > Import > Brush File… and pick a .sut. Drag-drop also works. Imported presets appear under Imported (.sut) in the Brush Library.

How CSP brushes map¶

CSP concept	Maps to
Tip shape	Round Stamp (geometric) or Pattern (image)
Sub tool detail > Brush tip > Hardness	Round Stamp `hardness`
Stroke > Spacing	`spacing` parameter
Anti-aliasing	Internal `aa` setting; off → Round Stamp pixel mode
Stabilization	`smoothing` parameter
Pressure curve	Direct port to the `pressure → size` curve
Tilt influence	Bound to `tilt → angle` (Bristle / Pattern engines)
Texture	Texture engine + captured texture
Watercolor edge	Wet Mix engine with edge bleed parameter
Mixing brush	Wet Mix engine `wet_paint`-on
Continuous spray	Repeated stamping with random scatter

CSP versions¶

Tested with CSP 1.10 - 4.x. CSP's .sut format has been stable across major versions; older files import without warnings.

Per-bristle data¶

CSP exports per-bristle brush data for some advanced presets. The Designer's Bristle engine accepts these for fidelity:

Bristle count (1 - 64).
Bristle gap (0 - 1, fraction of brush radius).
Bristle randomness (0 - 1).

When the source .sut carries these, they import directly into the Bristle engine. When it does not (which is most "Pen" presets), the brush imports as Round Stamp.

Vector vs raster brushes¶

CSP has two brush categories. Both import:

Raster brushes (the majority): import to one of the six engines by the mapping table above.
Vector brushes: import as Round Stamp with the path stored as a stylistic vector hint. The Designer paints rasterized output by default; turning on Vector mode in the resulting preset's Properties pane re-enables vector-style stroke output.

What does not import¶

CSP's pressure curves with non-monotonic shapes: the Designer requires monotonic pressure → size curves. Imports clamp any non-monotonic curve to its monotonic envelope.
Sub-tool groups: CSP groups several brushes under one tool for easy switching. Each sub-tool becomes a separate .elybrush preset; the group structure is lost.
Touch-only gestures: CSP can bind two-finger gestures to a specific sub-tool. The Designer's gesture system is configured in Touch and dynamics, so these bindings are ignored during import.

Per-locale brush names¶

CSP supports brush names in multiple languages. The Designer picks the name in the order of: your system locale → English → first- defined locale. To switch later, right-click the preset in the Library > Localize Name and pick from the available languages.

Bulk import¶

Drop a folder of .sut files onto the canvas to import the whole set in one go. The importer presents a confirmation dialog listing what it found.

For very large sets (>200 brushes), the Library auto-creates a tag matching the original folder name, so the imported set stays together visually.

Like .abr imports, every CSP brush becomes a regular .elybrush file in your user brushes folder. Share the .elybrush files directly: recipients do not need Clip Studio Paint.

Reverse-engineering note¶

CSP's .sut format is undocumented but stable. The Designer's importer matches the reverse-engineered structure published by the open-source community (the same approach used by Krita, Aseprite, and others). When CSP ships a new version we verify the format within ~2 weeks and ship a Designer update if anything moved.

Importing Clip Studio Paint .sut files¶