Overview of After Effects Shortcuts. Adobe After Effects can be defined as a program application designed for producing special effects and motion graphics utilized in the content which is available online, video and presentations. After Effects shortcut is. Adobe After Effects Keyboards. Our full collection of Adobe After Effects Keyboards. Getting the shortcuts is the best way to speed up your editing and accelerate your workflow. KEYboard provides a series of function for keyframes in After Effects. Those functions are small but can be used frequently, such as setting keyframe Ease, cloning keys, mirroring keys, shifting keys or randomizing keys. The most important is you can do those through keyboard shortcuts. Linear keyframes are almost never helpful in After Effects. Instead as a motion artist you probably use a mixture of EasyEase keyframes and custom eased keyframes using the graph editor. To apply a quick ease to your keyframes in After Effects hit the F9 button. In a complex app like Adobe After Effects, keyboard shortcuts are doubly important. With so many tools and tasks, you have to know the keyboard commands that help you open that buried tool or panel. After Effects keyboard shortcuts help you navigate the complex interface, jumping to the important tools you need without clicking around.
Last Updated on January 22, 2021
Adobe After Effects is one of those scary, complicated pieces of software that every video editor and motion graphic designer needs to learn at some point. Keyboard shortcuts, like in any video editing or motion graphics software, make the user 10x more powerful. They allow you to work faster, get done sooner, deliver your projects on time, and give you the ability to take on more work or give you more free time if that’s what you desire.
Below is a list of our top keyboard shortcuts for After Effects.
Basic After Effects Keyboard Shortcuts
- Create a new composition — Mac: Command+N // PC: Control+N
- Open composition settings — Mac: Command+K // PC: Control+K
- Import — Mac: Command+I // PC: Control+I
- Bonus tip: You can also doubleclick inside an empty space in the Project panel to do this
- Undo — Mac: Command+Z // PC: Control+Z
- Redo — Mac: Command+Shift+Z // PC: Control+Shift+Z
- Open After Effects preferences — Mac: Command+Option+; (semicolon) // PC: Control+Alt+; (semicolon)
Playback After Effects Keyboard Shortcuts
- Start or stop preview/playing — 0 (zero) on number pad
- Play audio only from current time — . (period/decimal point) on number pad
- Play audio only in work area — Mac: Option+. (period/decimal point) on number pad // PC: Alt+. (period/decimal point) on number pad
Creation After Effects Keyboard Shortcuts
- Create new Solid Layer — Mac: Command+Y // PC: Control+Y
- Create new Adjustment Layer — Mac: Command+Option+Y // PC: Control+Alt+Y
- Create new Text Layer — Mac: Command+Option+Shift+T // PC: Control+Alt+Shift+T
- Create new Light — Mac: Command+Option+Shift+L // PC: Control+Alt+Shift+L
- Create new Camera — Mac: Command+Option+Shift+C // PC: Control+Alt+Shift C
Layer and Layer Properties After Effects Keyboard Shortcuts
- Select layer above selected layer — Mac: Command+Up Arrow // PC: Control+Up Arrow
- Select layer below selected layer — Mac: Command+Down Arrow // PC: Control+Down Arrow
- Move selected layer up a layer — Mac: Command+Option+Up Arrow // PC: Control+Alt+Up Arrow
- Move selected layer down a layer — Mac: Command+Option+Down Arrow // PC: Control+Alt+Down Arrow
- Reveal or hide all properties with keyframes on a layer(s) — U
- Reveal all modified properties on a layer(s) — UU (hit the “U” key twice rapidly)
- Reveal or hide Position property of a layer(s) — P
- Reveal or hide Anchor Point property of a layer(s) — A
- Reveal or hide Rotation property of a layer(s) — R
- Reveal or hide Opacity property of a layer(s) — T
- Reveal or hide Scale property of a layer(s) — S
- Bonus tip: Hold Shift and P, A, R, T, and/or S to reveal or hide multiple properties of a layer(s)
Composition, Timeline and Work Area After Effects Keyboard Shortcuts
- Move first frame of layer to current time — [ (left bracket)
- Move last frame of layer to current time — ] (right bracket)
- Trim in point of layer to current time — Mac: Option+[ (left bracket) // PC: Alt+[ (left bracket)
- Trim out point of layer to current time — Mac: Option+] (right bracket) // PC: Alt+] (right bracket)
- Duplicate layer — Mac: Command+D // PC: Control+D
- Split layer at current time into two layers — Mac: Command+Shift+D // PC: Control+Shift+D
- Set beginning of work area to current time — B
- Set end of work area to current time — N
- Go to beginning of composition — Home
- Go to end of composition — End
- Go to specific time — Mac: Opt+Shift+J // PC: Alt+Shift+J
- Move forward 1 frame — Page Down
- Move backward 1 frame — Page Up
- Move forward 10 frames — Shift+Page Down
- Move backward 10 frames — Shift+Page Up
- Pre-compose selected layers — Mac: Command+Shift+C // PC: Control+Shift+C
Tools After Effects Keyboard Shortcuts
- Activate Selection Tool — V
- Activate Hand Tool — H
- Temporarily activate Hand Tool — Hold Spacebar
- Activate Pan Behind Tool — Y
- Activate Camera Tool — C
- Bonus tip: Keep hitting the “C” key to cycle through the different Camera Tools
- Activate Type Tool — Mac: Command+T // PC: Control+T
- Activate Zoom In Tool — Z
- Activate Rotation Tool — W
- Activate Shape Tools — Q
- Bonus tip: Keep hitting the “Q” key to cycle through the different Shape Tools
- Activate Pen Tool — G
- Open or close the Project panel — Mac: Command+0 (zero) // PC: Control+0 (zero)
- Open or close Render Queue panel — Mac: Command+Option+0 (zero) // PC: Control+Alt+0 (zero)
- Open or close the Tools panel — Mac: Command+1 // PC: Control+1
- Open or close Effects & Presets panel — Mac: Command+5 // PC: Control+5
- Open or close Character panel — Mac: Command+6 // PC: Control+6
- Open or close Paragraph panel — Mac: Command+7 // PC: Control+7
- Open or close Effects Controls — F3
- Show panel at full screen — ` (accent) (hit this key again to go back to showing all panels)
Exporting After Effects Keyboard Shortcuts
- Send composition to Render Queue — Mac: Command+Shift+/ (forward slash) // PC: Control+Shift+/ (forward slash)
- Send composition to Adobe Media Encoder — Mac: Command+Option+M // PC: Control+Alt+M
- Save current frame — Mac: Command+Option+S // PC: Control+Alt+S
Wrapping Up
After Effects is one of the most powerful post-production tools out there. Knowing the keyboard shortcuts will make you more efficient and confident user. Work these keyboard shortcuts in a little at a time and before you know it you’ll be flying through your motion graphics.
It’s hard to become an expert at any software program without mastering at least the fundamental keyboard shortcuts.
Adobe After Effects is no different. Every shortcut you learn can save you valuable time and the more you use them, the more efficient your workflow will become.
In this article I want to share with you my top After Effects keyboard shortcuts.
First, I’ll give you a quick list in case that’s all you’re after. Then I’ll explain how you can customise your keyboard shortcuts if the defaults are just not your thing.
Next, I’ll show you a few cool external control surfaces and custom keyboards for Adobe After Effects if you’re after something even more hardcore. Finally, I’ll talk about my personal favourites and when, why and how to use them to maximum effect.
But first, here’s the quick list. Note: all shortcuts listed are for Windows. If you are working on a Mac, use the Command key instead of CTRL and use the Option key instead of ALT.
After Effects Keyboard Shortcuts
How to Customise Keyboard Shortcuts in Adobe After Effects
If you’re just starting out I’d recommend to not customise the keyboard shortcuts in Adobe After Effects. Instead, try to get used to the defaults. Why?
Most tutorials you find online, including mine, use the default keyboard shortcuts. Therefore having your shortcuts set up the same way can make following online tutorials a lot easier. However, if you just can’t stand the defaults or your fingers just don’t bend that way, here’s how you can customise the keyboard shortcuts in Adobe After Effects.
Simply select Edit -> Keyboard Shortcuts from the main menu. Or, keeping with the spirit of this article, simply press CTRL + ALT + ‘
This will open the Keyboard Shortcuts map in Adobe After Effects. Note that this window might look different depending on the version of After Effects you are using. However, it should function mostly the same across all versions.
In here you can add, delete or change any keyboard shortcuts and assign all essential program functions to the keys that you find most comfortable.
And if that’s still not enough, you can take it one step further with custom keyboards, keyboard covers and control surfaces.
Custom After Effects Keyboards and Control Surfaces
Over the years a number of different external control surfaces for video editing professionals have popped up on the market. Some of them are specific to Adobe After Effects. Others are built to be generic and will work with After Effects, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Lightroom, Final Cut and more.
One of the most popular ones I’ve seen around is the Loupedeck+. While it doesn’t allow you to fully customise every rotary knob or slider, it brings the most common controls of all of these programs closer to your fingertips.
Instead of using a separate control surface you can also get keyboards that have the shortcut keys for specific programs printed on the surface. This can help you easily remember, find and use the most common shortcut keys to speed up your workflow.
The Logickeyboard is one of the most popular custom keyboards for video professionals. It comes in lots of different variants depending on your needs.
There are versions for Windows or for Mac. There are variants for After Effects, Premiere Pro, Blender, Maya, Final Cut, DaVinci Resolve, Pro Tools, Cubase, Audition and many, many more.
If you’re not quite ready to purchase a separate keyboard or control surface, you can also get keyboard covers for your Windows or your Mac machine.
These covers simply overlay your existing keyboard and add keyboard shortcut information directly underneath your fingertips. You can easily change them as you swap programs and they’re not too costly in case your favourite program decides to change its keyboard shortcuts with the latest version.
The Best Keyboard Shortcuts for Adobe After Effects
After Effects Keyboard
Everyone has different favourites. That’s alright, everyone also likes different foods and there’s nothing wrong with that. Here are the ones that my fingers reach for the most and the ones that I feel save me the most time for my work with Adobe After Effects.
Quickly switching between Move / Hand / Zoom / Rotate Modes
While working with layers, you will constantly have to move, scale and rotate them to position them exactly where you want them to be. The biggest time saver for me is using the keyboard shortcuts V (Move), Z (Zoom) and W (Rotate) to quickly toggle between the different edit modes.
You can press H to get to the hand tool so you can drag your composition around in the preview window. However, I prefer to simply hold down Space and left-click drag or middle-mouse-click drag in the preview window move around my composition easily without changing the mode I’m currently in.
Show or Hide Layer Properties
When you’re working with layers you will have to constantly access their properties to modify them. You can do that by clicking on the little chevron › next to the layer name. then you have to click the chevron › next to Transform or next to Effects or any other property group that contains your property.
Fortunately, After Effects has some helpful shortcut to quickly reveal (or hide) common properties on your layers. Simply select your layer(s) and press P (Position), S (Scale), R (Rotation), T (Opacity) or M (Masks) to immediately reveal these properties.
By default, this keyboard shortcut will reveal only the selected property and collapse all other currently visible ones. To add a new property to the list of already visible ones, hold down SHIFT when using these shortcuts.
Move to Next / Previous Frame
I often want to preview a specific time in my composition. For that you could click and drag the timeline cursor to the desired position. However, especially when you only want to move a few frames back or forth, that seems like a lot of effort.
I prefer to use the Page Down / Page Up keys to move forward or backward a single frame quickly and precisely. You can also hold down the SHIFT key to jump 10 frames forward or backward. Note that on a Mac, the shortcut key is Command + Left / Right Arrow.
Duplicate Selected Layers
When working with visual effects or motion graphics, I often need to duplicate my layers. Often many times over. While you can go into the menu and select Edit -> Duplicate, a much quicker way is to simply select the layers you want to duplicate and press CTRL + D. Press them again for another copy. Super simple, super useful!
Pre-Compose Selected Layers
If you’re creating anything beyond the most simplistic composition in Adobe After Effects, you will have to pre-compose your layers. You could go into the main menu and select Layer -> Pre-Compose to do this. However, this is such a common task that I much prefer the keyboard shortcut. Simply select the layer(s) you want and use CTRL + SHIFT + C to bring up the Pre-Compose dialog.
Reveal Keyframed Properties
Once you start adding animation and keyframes to your layers, things can get a bit crammed in your timeline view. You may collapse your layers to make some more space, but then you might find yourself searching for the keyframes every time you need to tweak them.
One of the shortcuts I use all the time is U or UU. Pressing U will reveal all properties on the currently selected layers that have keyframes applied to them. Pressing UU (press U twice) will also reveal properties with expressions.
Go to Next / Previous Keyframe
Sometimes it can be a bit tedious to reposition the timeline indicator directly on a keyframe with your mouse. Fortunately you can use the J and K keyboard shortcuts to immediately jump to the next visible keyframe. Note that this command will take all currently visible keyframes into account.
Zoom Preview Window To 100%
Sometimes, after you worked on a small detail all the way zoomed in, you want to return to a 100% view of your composition. While you can use the dropdown box at the bottom of the preview window, a much quicker way is to press ALT + / to reset the preview window to 100% (fit) zoom.
Open Layer Settings
If you’re working with a lot of Solid layers, this one is really handy. You can access the layer settings for the selected layer by going to the main menu and then choosing Layer -> Settings. A much quicker way is to use the CTRL + SHIFT + Y keyboard shortcut.
Add Current Comp To Render Queue
Once you’re done with your composition you want to add it to the render queue to export your finished masterpiece. I always like to use the keyboard shortcut CTRL + M to add the currently open composition to the render queue.
However, After Effects’ export abilities have been cut down severely in version 2018. Therefore I now prefer to use the shortcut CTRL + ALT + M to add the composition to the Adobe Media Encoder queue instead. Adobe Media Encoder comes included with the Adobe Creative Cloud and supports a lot of video codec and formats that have since disappeared from Adobe After Effects.
If you haven’t yet switched to using Adobe Media Encoder, I highly recommend you do. Here’s a quick beginner tutorial if you’re interested:
Learning keyboard shortcuts can be a huge time saver. Everyone will adopt a different set of favourites and customise them to best suit their personal workflow.
What are your favourite keyboard shortcuts for Adobe After Effects, and why?
Leave your comments, feedback or rants down below!