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Illustration

EZ Character + Clip Studio Paint: Manga & Comic Reference Pipeline

Generate locked manga and comic character references in EZ Character. Pin in Clip Studio Paint's Sub View. Every panel, every page, every volume — same character, same ink line.

Last updated · By the EZ Character team

Why this combination

Clip Studio Paint is the industry-standard tool for manga, comic, and webtoon artists. Its Sub View palette is built for pinned reference images — the exact workflow that EZ Character references slot into. Generate the character's multi-angle set plus expression sheet in EZ Character, pin them in Sub View, and draw every panel against the canonical reference. The manga production workflow that traditionally required a week of pre-production model-sheet drawing now takes minutes.

Step-by-step workflow

  1. 1

    Generate the multi-angle character reference

    Upload your character to EZ Character. Generate the full turntable + expression sheet. Use the manga or comic-book style preset.

  2. 2

    Export and transfer references

    Download the PNG set. Transfer to the device running Clip Studio Paint.

  3. 3

    Pin in Clip Studio Paint Sub View

    In CSP, go to Window > Sub View. Click "Import" and load your EZ Character references. Pin the Sub View palette so it stays visible while you work.

  4. 4

    Reference per panel

    For each panel, switch the Sub View to the EZ Character angle closest to the panel's camera position. ¾ front for dialogue, profile for action, back for reveals.

  5. 5

    Ink, tone, and finalise

    Draw your panel with the reference visible. Ink, apply screentones, add speed lines. The reference keeps proportions and facial features on-model.

Pro tips

  • CSP Sub View supports multiple images — load the full EZ Character set and click between them per panel
  • Use CSP's Light Table feature to overlay the reference at low opacity directly on your canvas for tracing or eyeballing
  • Generate EZ Character references in the manga or comic-book style to match your CSP ink and tone workflow
  • Create a CSP template file with the Sub View already populated for each recurring character

Frequently asked questions

Does EZ Character output match Clip Studio Paint's vector layer workflow?
EZ Character generates raster PNG references. Use them as visual reference, not as vector assets. Your inking in CSP's vector layers is original work — the reference keeps it on-model.

Can I use the reference for screentone placement?
Absolutely. The multi-angle reference shows where shadows and highlights fall from each angle. Use it to guide screentone layer placement. The same character from the same light source — consistent across every panel.

What resolution should I generate for manga production?
Manga pages in CSP are typically 600 DPI at B4 or A4 size (4000–6000px). Generate EZ Character references at maximum resolution. Higher-resolution references show more ink-line detail to match in your inking.

Start your Clip Studio Paint character pipeline

Generate the multi-angle character reference in EZ Character. Import into Clip Studio Paint. Ship faster.

Try EZ Character free

Free tier: 40 credits every month. No credit card required.