Tips & tricks

General

Auto-save

Alright, let’s talk auto-save. Picture this: you’re deep into an After Effects project, layers stacked high, everything’s looking perfect…and then — crash. Hours of work gone in a flash. Trust me, we’ve all been there (way too many times!).

That’s where auto-save becomes your best friend. Just head to Edit > Preferences > Auto-Save, turn it on, and set it to save every 5-10 minutes.

Alright, let’s talk auto-save. Picture this: you’re deep into an After Effects project, layers stacked high, everything’s looking perfect…and then — crash. Hours of work gone in a flash. Trust me, we’ve all been there (way too many times!).

It’s one of those little settings that’s easy to overlook, but it can save you from a world of frustration. So, do yourself a favor and turn it on — you’ll thank yourself the next time After Effects decides to take a break at the worst possible moment.

Render to image sequences

Here’s a pro tip that can save you from a major headache — render to image sequences instead of video files, especially for long projects. Why? If you’re rendering directly to a video file and your system crashes or the render fails, you have to start all over again.

Here’s a pro tip that can save you from a major headache — render to image sequences instead of video files, especially for long projects. Why? If you’re rendering directly to a video file and your system crashes or the render fails, you have to start all over again.

But with an image sequence, each frame is saved individually. So if there’s a hiccup, you can simply pick up from the last frame instead of re-rendering the whole thing. Plus, it’s super flexible — later, you can easily bring the sequence back into After Effects or another editor to finalize as a video. Trust me, it’s a lifesaver!

Quickly find your files

Ever spend ages searching for an asset in After Effects? Here’s a quick trick: just right-click on the layer in your timeline and choose Reveal in Project — it’ll instantly locate that asset in the project panel.

Ever spend ages searching for an asset in After Effects? Here’s a quick trick: just right-click on the layer in your timeline and choose Reveal in Project—it’ll instantly locate that asset in the project panel.

Need to find the original file on your computer? Choose Reveal in Explorer (or Finder on Mac), and it’ll open up the exact folder it’s stored in. No more endless digging around — just quick, easy access to your files!

Expand your workspace with the ` key

Press the ` key (right above Tab) to instantly expand any After Effects panel to full screen. Whether you’re working in the timeline, composition, or project panel, this key gives you a much bigger view of your workspace.

Press the ` key again, and everything snaps back to your normal layout. It’s a quick trick that makes navigating After Effects so much easier!

Make your life easier with precomps

When your After Effects project starts getting messy with tons of layers, precomps are your new best friend! Think of a precomp as a “mini composition” that holds multiple layers in one neat package. Select the layers you want to group, right-click, and choose Pre-compose. Now, instead of dealing with a million layers, you just have one tidy precomp.

When your After Effects project starts getting messy with tons of layers, precomps are your new best friend! Think of a precomp as a “mini composition” that holds multiple layers in one neat package.

This makes organizing complex projects way easier. Plus, you can add effects to the whole precomp at once, so you don’t have to repeat effects on each layer. And if you ever need to adjust something inside, just double-click to jump back into the precomp and make changes. It’s all about working smarter, not harder!

Effect presets

Got an effect combo you keep using over and over? Here’s a trick that’ll save you tons of time—save it as a preset! Set up your effects just the way you like them, then select them, go to Animation > Save Animation Preset, and give it a name.

Got an effect combo you keep using over and over? Here’s a trick that’ll save you tons of time—save it as a preset! Set up your effects just the way you like them, then select them, go to Animation > Save Animation Preset, and give it a name.

Next time you need it, just go to Effects & Presets and search for your custom preset — it’ll be right there, ready to go! No more digging around or trying to remember settings. This way, you can just drop it in and keep working.

Always make backups of your projects

Here’s a little advice that can save you from major stress — always keep backups of your projects! It’s easy to think everything’s safe, but all it takes is one corrupt file or an accidental delete to lose hours (or days!) of work. Just set up a habit of saving copies to an external drive or cloud storage as you go.

Every time you hit a big milestone, save a backup copy, and label it with the date or version. It’s a quick step that gives you peace of mind and makes it so much easier to roll back if something goes wrong. Trust me, future you will be grateful!

Design

Quick chromatic aberrations

Want that cool chromatic edge look? Here’s a quick way to do it. Start by adding an adjustment layer above your footage, then slap on the 3D Glasses effect. In the settings, set both the Left View and Right View to that same adjustment layer, then change 3D View to Balanced Colored Red Blue.

Now for the fun part — play around with Scene Convergence and Balance until you get just the right amount of color shift. It’s a super simple trick for adding a bit of glitchy, chromatic style! Finally, add a Transform effect and scale everything up a bit to get rid of the black edges.

Here’s a quick trick for adding that cool chromatic aberration effect in After Effects! First, add an Adjustment Layer above your footage. Then, apply the 3D Glasses effect to it. Set both the Left View and Right View to the same adjustment layer, and choose Balanced Colored Red Blue for the 3D View. Now, just tweak the Scene Convergence and Balance settings to get the perfect color separation effect.

Duotone for better text readability

When your text isn’t standing out over footage, a quick duotone tint can make all the difference. Just go to Effect > Color Correction, search for Tint, and drag it onto your footage. Choose two colors that fit your style — this will help your text pop without competing with the background.

When your text isn’t standing out over footage, a quick duotone tint can make all the difference. Just go to Effects & Presets, search for Tint, and drag it onto your footage. Choose two colors that fit your style—this will help your text pop without competing with the background.

A duotone effect adds a nice, stylized touch and makes everything easier to read. It’s a simple way to boost clarity while keeping things looking polished!

Rainbow gradient

Here’s a quick way to get that rainbow gradient effect in After Effects! First, add a Gradient Ramp effect to your layer. Then go to Effect > Color Correction and add Colorama — this will instantly turn your gradient into a full rainbow spectrum.

Here’s a quick way to get that rainbow gradient effect in After Effects! First, add a Gradient Ramp effect to your layer. Then go to Effect > Color Correction and add Colorama — this will instantly turn your gradient into a full rainbow spectrum.

For a final touch, push the End of Ramp point of the Gradient Ramp a little, so your gradient finishes with a nice violet tone. 

Subtle noise for a cinematic feel

Adding a subtle layer of noise can give your footage a cinematic, less “digital” feel. Apply the Noise effect to an adjustment layer above your composition, and set the intensity low, around 3-5%, to add just a hint of texture. This keeps it subtle without distracting from the main visuals.

For a more natural look, preview your noise effect in full resolution and, if needed, try setting the adjustment layer’s blending mode to Overlay or Soft Light. This trick helps your animations feel more grounded, giving them a polished, film-like quality.

Gradient for text boxes

Using a gradient in your text boxes can add a touch of depth and make your design feel more refined. Gradients bring a gentle shift in color that looks more natural and less flat than a solid fill. To set it up, go to Effect > Generate > Gradient Ramp, and apply it to your text box layer. Choose colors that complement your scene, and adjust the start and end points until you achieve a smooth transition.

Using a gradient in your text boxes can add a touch of depth and make your design feel more refined. Gradients bring a gentle shift in color that looks more natural and less flat than a solid fill. To set it up, go to Effect > Generate > Gradient Ramp, and apply it to your text box layer. Choose colors that complement your scene, and adjust the start and end points until you achieve a smooth transition.

This approach helps text boxes feel integrated and enhances the overall visual flow of your project. A subtle gradient can work wonders in giving your design that extra level of polish!

Expressions

Blinking effect

By using the time variable, you can create an automatic blink that cycles on its own, adding a polished look without needing lots of keyframes.

Try this expression in the opacity property of any layer:

				
					Math.abs(Math.sin(time * 2)) * 100;
				
			

Here’s how it works: Math.sin(time * 2) generates a smooth oscillating curve based on time, moving between -1 and 1. Using Math.abs() converts it to positive values, creating a “blink” effect from 0 to 1. Multiplying by 100 scales it to opacity values, so the layer fades in and out smoothly between 0% and 100%.

To adjust the blinking speed, modify the multiplier on time (for example, time * 3 for a faster blink). This is perfect for adding subtle emphasis on icons, buttons, or any element where you want a repeating fade without fussing with keyframes.

Countdown timer

Easily set up a countdown timer in After Effects without the hassle of keyframes! Start by creating a text layer and adding this expression to the Source Text property:

				
					startTime = 10; // Set your countdown start time
Math.max(0, Math.ceil(startTime - time));
				
			

This expression subtracts the current comp time from your starting time, counting down to zero. Adjust startTime to set your timer’s duration.

For extra customization, you can add a prefix by combining text with the countdown, like this:

				
					"Time Left: " + Math.max(0, Math.ceil(startTime - time));
				
			

Jittering animation

For a quick, random jitter effect, try this expression on your layer’s position property:

				
					seedRandom(Math.floor(time * 10), true); // Sets a new random seed for each 0.1 seconds
distance = 10; // How far the layer bounces
[random(-distance, distance), random(-distance, distance)] + value;
				
			

This expression makes your layer jump to new positions every 0.1 seconds, creating a lively, jittering motion that’s perfect for adding subtle, random movement without keyframes.

Typewriter effect

Want to add a typewriter effect without messing around with keyframes? Here’s an easy trick! Just add this expression to your text layer’s Source Text:

				
					text = "Typewriter!"; // Replace with your text
characters = Math.floor(time * 6); // Adjust speed by changing 6
text.substring(0, characters);
				
			

This typewriter effect expression gradually reveals text by displaying characters one at a time. It works by defining your text in the text variable and using Math.floor(time * 6) to control the speed of the reveal — 6 sets how fast the text appears (adjust this number for faster or slower typing). The substring(0, characters) function then displays a portion of the text, starting from the first letter and increasing with each frame. As the time value grows, more characters are revealed, creating a typewriter effect without any keyframes.

Continuous rotation

If you want to add a seamless, infinite rotation to a layer without using keyframes, try using the time variable in an expression. By applying this simple expression to the rotation property, you can make any layer spin effortlessly:

				
					time * rotationSpeed;
				
			

Replace rotationSpeed with a number that represents how fast you want the layer to spin. For example, time * 30 will create a steady rotation of 30 degrees per second. If you want a slower spin, lower the number; if you want it to spin faster, increase it.

Got a tip or trick to share?

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