How to use the essential graphics panel in After Effects

The Essential Graphics panel lets you create motion graphics templates that other people can edit without opening After Effects — perfect for sharing designs with non-technical users.

Steps to use the essential graphics panel

Open the Essential Graphics panel by going to Window → Essential Graphics. You’ll see options to create a motion graphics template from your current composition.

Select the layers and properties you want to make editable. Mark which text, colors, and effects should be adjustable so other users can customize them without accessing the full project. Organize these editable controls in the panel.

Export your motion graphics template. Save it so other people can open it in Premiere Pro or After Effects and edit only the parts you’ve designated — text, colors, effects — without touching the core design.

One more thing

Motion graphics templates are perfect for creating templates you can reuse across multiple projects or share with team members who need to customize designs quickly.

Related how-tos

How to create precomps in After Effects
How to blur video in After Effects
How to create a lower third animation in After Effects

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