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Guides and grids help you align layers perfectly — they’re invisible helpers that keep everything straight without cluttering your canvas.
Go to View and toggle grid on. You can also use Ctrl+’ (Windows) / Command+’ (Mac) for a quick shortcut. It appears as a pattern of lines across your comp. If you need to adjust grid spacing, go to Preferences → Grids & Guides.
To add custom guides, turn on rulers by going to View → Show Rulers (or press Ctrl+R / Command+R). Then drag your mouse from the rulers on the left and top into your comp to create horizontal or vertical guides. Place them where you need alignment points — like center lines or safe zones for text. Position them exactly where you want by dragging.
Lock your guides so you don’t accidentally move them while working. Go to View → Lock Guides, then they stay put while you animate and adjust layers around them.
Guides and grids don’t export with your video — they’re just for you while working. Use them liberally without worrying about them showing up in the final render.
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Need more help? Explore all our How-tos in one place.
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