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How to change the composition background color in After Effects

By default, your composition background is black, but you can change it easily for better visibility while you’re working and animating.

Steps to change the background color of a composition

Go to the top menu and click Composition → Composition Settings (or press Ctrl+K / Command+K).

After Effects Composition Settings

In the Basic tab, click the Background Color box and pick any color you want.

After Effects Composition Settings window with background color option highlighted

Hit OK and the background updates instantly. You see the change right away on your canvas.

Changing the composition background color in After Effects to blue

One more thing

If you need a background color that’s guaranteed to stay consistent and easy to adjust later, add a Solid Layer instead of relying only on the comp background.

Related how-tos

How to set comp resolution, fps, and duration in After Effects
How to add a new solid layer in After Effects
How to add a new text layer in After Effects

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