Welcome to the world of cool animations with Adobe After Effects! But hey, did you know there are secret codes (shortcut keys) that can make your animation life way easier?
In this guide, we’re going to spill the beans on the most useful Adobe After Effects shortcuts keys. They’re not just random buttons; they’re like magic tricks that can make your animations smoother and faster. Whether you’re a pro animator or just starting out, these shortcuts are your ticket to becoming an After Effects wizard.
So, buckle up! We’re about to explore the keys that turn your animation dreams into reality. Let’s dive in and make your After Effects journey a whole lot snazzier!
General Adobe After Effects shortcuts keys
| Serial No | Description | Shortcut Keys |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Project | Ctrl + Alt + N |
| 2 | New Composition | Ctrl + N |
| 3 | Open Project | Ctrl + O |
| 4 | Open Most Recent Project | Ctrl + Alt + Shift + P |
| 5 | Open Project Settings Dialog Box | Ctrl + Alt + Shift + K |
| 6 | New Folder in Project Panel | Ctrl + Alt + Shift + N |
| 7 | Find in Project Panel | Ctrl + F |
| 8 | Import File | Ctrl + I |
| 9 | Open After Effects Preferences | Ctrl + Alt + ; |
| 10 | Select All | Ctrl + A |
| 11 | Deselect All | F2 or Ctrl + Shift + A |
| 12 | Undo | Ctrl + Z |
| 13 | Redo | Ctrl + Shift + Z |
| 14 | Preview Your Composition | 0 (Numpad) or Space |
| 15 | Expand Any Panel to Fit Your Entire Screen | Hover your mouse over the panel you want to expand and press ~ |
| 16 | Interrupt Running a Script | Ctrl + Alt + E |
| 17 | Access the Hand Tool | Hold down the Spacebar, then click and drag what you want to move |
| 18 | Duplicate Selected Layers, Effects, Masks | Select what you want to duplicate, then press Ctrl + D |
| 19 | Save Your Project | Ctrl + S |
| 20 | Save As | Ctrl + Shift + S |
| 21 | Increment and Save Your Project | Ctrl + Alt + Shift + S |
Transform Properties After Effects shortcuts keys
| Serial No | Description | Shortcut Keys |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anchor Point | A |
| 2 | Position | P |
| 3 | Scale | S |
| 4 | Rotation and Orientation | R |
| 5 | Opacity | TT |
| 6 | Opacity property (for lights, Intensity) | T |
| 7 | Audio Levels | L |
| 8 | Mask Feather | F |
| 9 | Mask Path | F |
| 10 | Call out multiple transform properties simultaneously | Hold Shift + any of the above hotkeys |
| 11 | View all adjusted properties | U + U (double-press U) |
| 12 | Show only Material Options property group | A + A (double-press A) |
| 13 | Show only expressions | E + E (double-press E) |
| 14 | Show only selected properties and groups | S + S (double-press S) |
| 15 | Show properties with keyframes | U |
Keyframe After Effects shortcuts keys
| Serial No | Description | Shortcut Keys |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Select all property keyframes | Click property name |
| 2 | Select all visible properties and keyframes | Ctrl + Alt + A |
| 3 | Deselect all keyframes, property groups, and properties | Shift + F2 or Ctrl + Alt + Shift + A |
| 4 | Add or remove keyframe at the current time | Alt + Shift + Property Shortcut |
| 5 | Convert linear keyframes to Easy Ease keyframes | Select the keyframes + F9 |
| 6 | Convert linear keyframes to Ease In keyframes | Shift + F9 |
| 7 | Convert linear keyframes to Ease Out keyframes | Ctrl + Shift + F9 |
| 8 | Pull out all your keyframes | U |
| 9 | Move a single frame | J or K |
| 10 | Jump to the beginning of the layer | I |
| 11 | Jump to the end of the layer | O |
Composition Panel After Effects shortcuts keys
| Serial No | Description | Shortcut Keys |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoom in or out | , or . (You can also use the scroll wheel) |
| 2 | Fit the comp window to the entire screen | Shift + / |
| 3 | Toggle between Composition panel and Timeline panel | \ |
| 4 | Full resolution | Ctrl + J |
| 5 | Half resolution | Ctrl + Shift + J |
| 6 | Custom resolution | Ctrl + Alt + J |
Keyframe After Effects shortcuts keys
| Serial No | Description | Shortcut Keys |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Select all property keyframes | Click property name |
| 2 | Select all visible properties and keyframes | Ctrl + Alt + A |
| 3 | Deselect all keyframes, property groups, and properties | Shift + F2 or Ctrl + Alt + Shift + A |
| 4 | Add or remove keyframe at the current time | Alt + Shift + Property Shortcut |
| 5 | Convert linear keyframes to Easy Ease keyframes | Select the keyframes + F9 |
| 6 | Convert linear keyframes to Ease In keyframes | Shift + F9 |
| 7 | Convert linear keyframes to Ease Out keyframes | Ctrl + Shift + F9 |
| 8 | Pull out all your keyframes | U |
| 9 | Jump between keyframes | J or K |
| 10 | Move a single frame | Page Up or Page Down |
| 11 | Jump to the beginning of the layer | I |
| 12 | Jump to the end of the layer | O |
Layer After Effects shortcuts keys
| Serial No | Description | Shortcut Keys |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Solid Layer | Ctrl + Y |
| 2 | New Adjustment Layer | Ctrl + Alt + Y |
| 3 | New Null Layer | Ctrl + Alt + Y |
| 4 | Lock certain layers | Select layers + Ctrl + L |
| 5 | Unlock all layers | Ctrl + Shift + L |
| 6 | Show/hide Modes columns and Layer Switches | F4 |
| 7 | Turn Video switch on/off for selected layer/s | Ctrl + Alt + Shift + V |
| 8 | Turn Video switch off for all video layers excluding selected ones | Ctrl + Shift + V |
| 9 | Paste layers at the current time | Ctrl + Alt + V |
| 10 | Split selected layers (if no layers are selected, all layers are split) | Ctrl + Shift + D |
| 11 | Open Effect Controls for selected layer | Ctrl + Shift + T |
| 12 | Open layer in a Layer panel | Double-click a layer |
| 13 | Add effect/s to selected layers | Double-click effect selection in Effects & Presets panel |
| 14 | Move layers so that their In point is at the beginning of a composition | Select layers + Alt + Home |
| 15 | Move layers so that their Out point is at the end of a composition | Select layers + Alt + End |
Other After Effects shortcuts keys
| Serial No | Description | Shortcut Keys |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open the Pre-compose box | Ctrl + Shift + CV |
| 2 | Activate Rulers | Ctrl + R |
| 3 | Toggle Guides | Ctrl + ; |
| 4 | Turn on Guide Snapping | Ctrl + Shift + ; |
| 5 | Lock Guides | Ctrl + Alt + Shift + ; |
| 6 | Activate Grid | Ctrl + ‘ |
| 7 | Activate Selection Tool | V |
| 8 | Activate Hand Tool | H |
| 9 | Activate Camera Tool | C |
| 10 | Activate Pen Tool | P |
Conclusion: Your Animation Superpower – After Effects Shortcut Keys
And that’s a wrap! Now you’re armed with the coolest tricks – the shortcut keys for Adobe After Effects. They’re not just keys; they’re like magic buttons that can make your animations way cooler and your work way faster.
So, remember these shortcuts. They’re not just shortcuts; they’re your secret weapons for becoming an animation superhero in Adobe After Effects. Whether you’re a pro or just starting, these keys are your ticket to making awesome animations with ease.
Go on, try them out! These shortcut keys are the key to making your After Effects journey a whole lot snazzier. Happy animating!
More shortcut keys