Essential Keyboard Shortcuts for After Effects
Navigating Adobe After Effects efficiently requires mastering its vast array of keyboard shortcuts. Using shortcuts dramatically reduces the time spent looking for menu items and allows you to maintain a fluid creative process for motion graphics, animation, and visual effects.
Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts on Windows or After Effects > Keyboard Shortcuts on Mac.
Layer Properties
Instantly exposing the exact property you want to animate on a layer is the fastest way to work. Pressing the key once reveals the property; pressing it again hides it.
| Action | Shortcut (Windows/Mac) |
|---|---|
| Position | P |
| Scale | S |
| Rotation | R |
| Opacity | T |
| Anchor Point | A |
| Show All Keyframes | U |
| Show Modified Properties | UU |
| Show Expressions | E |
Composition and Project
Setting up your workspace and managing items in your project bin can be accelerated with these structural shortcuts.
| Action | Shortcut (Windows) | Shortcut (Mac) |
|---|---|---|
| New Composition | Ctrl + N | Cmd + N |
| Composition Settings | Ctrl + K | Cmd + K |
| Duplicate Layer/Item | Ctrl + D | Cmd + D |
| New Solid Layer | Ctrl + Y | Cmd + Y |
Playback and Work Area
Previewing your animation is essential. After Effects offers multiple ways to preview depending on if you need audio, video, or both.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Play/Pause | Spacebar |
| RAM Preview | 0 (Numpad) |
| Audio Only Preview | . (Numpad) |
| Set Work Area Start | B |
| Set Work Area End | N |
Keyframes and Timing
Perfecting the timing of your layers and keyframes is where your animation comes to life. Utilize these shortcuts to navigate the timeline precisely.
| Action | Shortcut (Windows) | Shortcut (Mac) |
|---|---|---|
| Trim Layer In Point | Alt + [ | Opt + [ |
| Trim Layer Out Point | Alt + ] | Opt + ] |
| Go to Layer In Point | I | I |
| Go to Layer Out Point | O | O |
| Easy Ease | F9 | F9 |
| Easy Ease In | Shift + F9 | Shift + F9 |
| Easy Ease Out | Ctrl + Shift + F9 | Cmd + Shift + F9 |
Effects and Masking
Applying and managing masks or visual effects directly from the keyboard reduces the amount of clicking around the interface.
| Action | Shortcut (Windows) | Shortcut (Mac) |
|---|---|---|
| Remove All Effects | Ctrl + Shift + E | Cmd + Shift + E |
| New Mask | Ctrl + Shift + M | Cmd + Shift + M |
| Mask Feather | F | F |
View and Panels
| Action | Shortcut (Windows) | Shortcut (Mac) |
|---|---|---|
| Maximize Current Panel | ~ (Tilde) | ~ (Tilde) |
| Show/Hide Rulers | Ctrl + R | Cmd + R |
Pro Tip: Exporting and Importing Custom Shortcuts
If you work across multiple machines or want to backup your perfectly customized layout, you can export your shortcut file. Navigate to your After Effects preferences folder, locate the .txt file containing your keyboard shortcuts, and save it to a cloud drive. You can drop it into the same folder on any other machine to bring your shortcuts with you.