How to fill shapes with color in After Effects

A solid fill turns outlines into bold, clean shapes that stand out on your canvas.

Steps to fill shapes with color

Select your shape layer. In the toolbar, choose Fill: Solid Color and pick the color you want.

Shape layer properties in After Effects showing Fill option selected

If you already have the shape drawn, open Contents and change the color there instead.

Composition viewer in After Effects showing a shape filled with color

One more thing

Switch the type to Gradient for smooth color transitions without adding an effect. It gives you more control and keeps your layer cleaner.

Related how-tos

How to create shape layers in After Effects
How to create a rectangle mask in After Effects
How to add strokes to a shape in After Effects

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