Prepare a PNG for the full game
Export your drawing as a PNG and use the full game's image-import feature to bring it into your aquarium; the reduced demo is not the build to rely on for importing. The full Steam game is scheduled for November 13, 2026, so check which build you have before treating a missing import option as an unlock to pursue.
Check your build and prepare the artwork
- Check that you are using the full-game route for PNG import. The team identifies importing external artwork as a full-game feature, even though the demo's store description also mentions image import.
- Export the finished drawing as a PNG. This is the format supported by the official image-import description and FAQ, whether the picture is your own artwork or a child's drawing.
- For a big fish, prepare a texture at 850 x 850 px, following the official FAQ's recommendation. That advice concerns a big fish rather than a universal maximum file size.
- Keep a backup copy of the image before bringing it into the game. The official FAQ recommends retaining image backups, including when moving from the demo to the full game.
Bring your drawing into the aquarium
- Finish the drawing in your preferred art program so the picture is ready to use. The team specifically supports making artwork with external tools and importing the result. Keep your editable original if you expect to revise it.
- Export a PNG copy for Drawquarium. This gives you the supported image format while leaving your original artwork available for further work. For a big fish texture, use the FAQ's recommended 850 x 850 px dimensions.
- Open the full game when you have access to it. This puts you in the build intended for importing external artwork. A missing option in the reduced demo should send you back to checking the build.
- Use the full game's PNG import feature to bring in the exported picture. The feature is intended to make outside artwork part of your aquarium. Use the controls presented by your build to complete the creation.
Choose the intended fish name before the creation becomes alive. A living fish cannot be renamed directly, according to the official FAQ. If you need a different name afterward, clone the fish or import its texture again and name the new creation; leave the game files' names alone.
Use external tools for the artwork you want
PNG import is the team's suggested route for players who prefer working in their usual art software. The in-game editor has no layers, and the official FAQ suggests trying the masked brush instead. If your drawing depends on layered editing, finish that work externally before exporting the picture.
When the import option is missing
Check whether Steam has launched Drawquarium Demo or the full game. Extra demo features were temporarily available during Steam Next Fest and were scheduled to be removed afterward. That explains why an older demonstration can show an option absent from the reduced demo.
If you are in the reduced demo, use its drawing tools, available templates, or ready-made fish. Golden Scales are described as unlocking brushes, templates, and customization options. Start with the build check instead of spending time earning scales in the hope that the demo's missing import option will appear.
When importing causes a crash
Players have reported both crashes and an unresponsive Import button in the demo. Those are reports about demo behavior, while the team identifies PNG import as a full-game feature. If importing fails in your build, record the action and error before following the team's general crash checks.
- Try Steam's launch choice named "Launch this on older systems (DirectX 11)" if it is available. This is part of the official general crash troubleshooting.
- Try restarting the game after a launch crash. The team says the initial launch compiles shaders and that some players stopped crashing after a few restarts.
- Update the graphics driver using the appropriate NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel driver source, as recommended in the official crash topic.
- Verify the installation through Steam Library, then Drawquarium's Properties, Installed Files, and Verify integrity of game files.
If the import action still crashes, send a bug report stating whether you used the demo or full game. Include what happened, what you expected, the steps that trigger it, and a screenshot or the exact error. The team also requests a DxDiag file: press Windows + R, enter dxdiag, and choose Save All Information.
Open the official bug-report instructions to prepare and submit the details of your import failure.