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How to feather a mask in After Effects

Feather softens the edges of a mask, making blends look natural instead of hard-edged and cut out.

Steps to feather a mask

Select your layer and press MM to reveal Mask properties.

Mask Feather property visible in the After Effects timeline

Adjust the Mask Feather value — higher numbers make the edge softer and more transparent.

Increasing the feather value for a soft edge in After Effects

Preview your comp to see how the mask blends into the background and matches what you’re going for.

One more thing

For extra control, expand the parameter into separate X and Y values — this way you can soften more horizontally or vertically depending on your needs.

Related how-tos

How to use mask expansion in After Effects
How to animate a mask path in After Effects
How to invert a mask in After Effects

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