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Adobe After Effects Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows

Keyboard shortcuts for Adobe After Effects on Windows. Covers layers, keyframes, masks, text, and the Timeline panel on Windows.
Key label style

General

Select all
Ctrl+A
Deselect all
F2
or
Ctrl+Shift+A
Rename selected layer, composition, folder, effect, group, or mask
Enter
Open selected layer, composition, or footage item
Num Enter
Move selected layers, masks, effects, or render items down or up in stacking orderDown moves back, up moves forward in stacking order.
Ctrl+Alt+Down
or
Ctrl+Alt+Up
Move selected layers, masks, effects, or render items to bottom or top of stacking orderDown moves to bottom (back), up moves to top (front).
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Down
or
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Up
Extend selection to next item in Project panel, Render Queue panel, or Effect Controls panel
Shift+Down
Extend selection to previous item in Project panel, Render Queue panel, or Effect Controls panel
Shift+Up
Duplicate the selectionWorks on layers, masks, effects, text selectors, animators, puppet meshes, shapes, render items, output modules, or compositions.
Ctrl+D
Quit
Ctrl+Q
Undo
Ctrl+Z
Redo
Ctrl+Shift+Z
Purge All Memory
Ctrl+Alt+Num /
Interrupt running a script
Esc
Display filename corresponding to the frame at the current time in the Info panel
Ctrl+Alt+E

Projects

New project
Ctrl+Alt+N
Open project
Ctrl+O
Open most recent project
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+P
New folder in Project panel
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+N
Open Project Settings dialog box
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+K
Find in Project panel
Ctrl+F
Cycle through color bit depths for project
Alt+Clickthe bit-depth button at the bottom of the Project panel
Open Project Settings dialog box
Clickthe bit-depth button at the bottom of the Project panel

Preferences

Open Preferences dialog box
Ctrl+Alt+;
Restore default preferences settings
Ctrl+Alt+Shift
while starting After Effects

Panels, viewers, workspaces, and windows

Open or close Project panel
Ctrl+0
Open or close Render Queue panel
Ctrl+Alt+0
Open or close Tools panel
Ctrl+1
Open or close Info panel
Ctrl+2
Open or close Preview panel
Ctrl+3
Open or close Audio panel
Ctrl+4
Open or close Effects & Presets panel
Ctrl+5
Open or close Character panel
Ctrl+6
Open or close Paragraph panel
Ctrl+7
Open or close Paint panel
Ctrl+8
Open or close Brushes panel
Ctrl+9
Open or close Effect Controls panel for selected layer
F3
or
Ctrl+Shift+T
Open Flowchart panel for project flowchart
Ctrl+F11
Switch to workspace
Shift+F10
or
Shift+F11
or
Shift+F12
Close active viewer or panelCloses content first.
Ctrl+W
Close all viewers of the active panel's typeCloses content first. For example, closes all Timeline panels if a Timeline panel is active.
Ctrl+Shift+W
Split the frame containing the active viewer and create a viewer with opposite locked/unlocked state
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+N
Maximize or restore panel under pointer
`
Resize application window or floating window to fit screenPress again to resize the window so its contents fill the screen.
Ctrl+\
Move window to main monitor and resize to fit screenPress again to resize the window so its contents fill the screen.
Ctrl+Alt+\
Toggle activation between Composition panel and Timeline panel for current composition
\
Cycle to the previous item in the active viewerFor example, cycle through open compositions.
Shift+,
Cycle to the next item in the active viewerFor example, cycle through open compositions.
Shift+.
Cycle to the previous panel in the active frameFor example, cycle through open Timeline panels.
Alt+Shift+,
Cycle to the next panel in the active frameFor example, cycle through open Timeline panels.
Alt+Shift+.
Activate a view in a multi-view layout in the Composition panel without affecting layer selection
Middle-click

Activate tools

Cycle through tools
Alt+Clickthe tool button in the Tools panel
Activate Selection tool
V
Activate Hand tool
H
Temporarily activate Hand tool
Space
or
Middle-click
Activate Zoom In tool
Z
Activate Zoom Out tool
Alt
with the Zoom In tool active
Activate Rotation tool
W
Activate Roto Brush tool
Alt+W
Activate Refine Edge tool
Alt+W
Activate and cycle through Camera toolsUnified Camera, Orbit Camera, Track XY Camera, and Track Z Camera.
C
Activate Pan Behind tool
Y
Activate and cycle through mask and shape toolsRectangle, Rounded Rectangle, Ellipse, Polygon, Star.
Q
Activate and cycle through Type toolsHorizontal and Vertical.
Ctrl+T
Activate and cycle between the Pen and Mask Feather toolsCan be turned off in the Preferences dialog box.
G
Temporarily activate Selection tool when a pen tool is selected
Ctrl
Temporarily activate the Pen tool when the Selection tool is activeOver a path; becomes Add Vertex over a segment, or Convert Vertex over a vertex.
Ctrl+Alt
pointer over a path
Activate and cycle through Brush, Clone Stamp, and Eraser tools
Ctrl+B
Activate and cycle through Puppet tools
Ctrl+P
Temporarily convert Selection tool to Shape Duplication tool
Alt
in a shape layer
Temporarily convert Selection tool to Direct Selection tool
Ctrl
in a shape layer

Compositions and the work area

New composition
Ctrl+N
Open Composition Settings dialog box for selected composition
Ctrl+K
Set beginning of work area to current time
B
Set end of work area to current time
N
Set work area to duration of selected layersIf no layers are selected, sets the work area to the composition duration.
Ctrl+Alt+B
Open Composition Mini-Flowchart for active composition
Tab
Activate the most recently active composition in the same hierarchyHierarchy meaning the network of nested compositions the current one belongs to.
Shift+Esc
Trim Composition to work area
Ctrl+Shift+X
New Composition from selection
Alt+\

Time navigation

Go to specific time
Alt+Shift+J
Go to the beginning of the work area
Shift+Home
Go to the end of the work area
Shift+End
Go to the previous visible item in the time rulerKeyframe, layer marker, or work area edge. Also jumps to the Roto Brush span's base frame when viewing Roto Brush in the Layer panel.
J
Go to the next visible item in the time rulerKeyframe, layer marker, or work area edge. Also jumps to the Roto Brush span's end frame when viewing Roto Brush in the Layer panel.
K
Go to beginning of composition, layer, or footage item
Home
or
Ctrl+Alt+Left
Go to end of composition, layer, or footage item
End
or
Ctrl+Alt+Right
Go forward 1 frame
Pg Dn
or
Ctrl+Right
Go forward 10 frames
Shift+Pg Dn
or
Ctrl+Shift+Right
Go backward 1 frame
Pg Up
or
Ctrl+Left
Go backward 10 frames
Shift+Pg Up
or
Ctrl+Shift+Left
Go to layer In point
I
Go to layer Out point
O
Go to previous In point or Out point
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Left
Go to next In point or Out point
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Right
Scroll to current time in Timeline panel
D

Previews

Start or stop the preview
Space
or
Num 0
or
Shift+Num 0
Reset preview settings to replicate RAM Preview and Standard Preview behaviors
Alt+ClickReset in the Preview panel
Preview only audio from the current time
Num .
Preview only audio in the work area
Alt+Num .
Manually preview (scrub) videoWhich form is active depends on the Live Update setting.
Dragcurrent-time indicator
or
Alt+Dragcurrent-time indicator
Manually preview (scrub) audio
Ctrl+Dragcurrent-time indicator
Preview number of frames specified by Alternate Preview preferenceDefaults to 5 frames.
Alt+Num 0
Toggle Mercury Transmit video preview
Num /
Take snapshot
Shift+F5
or
Shift+F6
or
Shift+F7
or
Shift+F8
Display snapshot in the active viewer
F5
or
F6
or
F7
or
F8
Purge snapshot
Ctrl+Shift+F5
or
Ctrl+Shift+F6
or
Ctrl+Shift+F7
or
Ctrl+Shift+F8
Fast Previews: Off
Ctrl+Alt+1
Fast Previews: Adaptive Resolution
Ctrl+Alt+2
Fast Previews: Draft
Ctrl+Alt+3
Fast Previews: Fast Draft
Ctrl+Alt+4
Fast Previews: Wireframe
Ctrl+Alt+5

Views

Turn display color management on or off for an active view
Shift+Num /
Show red, green, blue, or alpha channel as grayscale
Alt+1234
Show colorized red, green, or blue channel
Alt+Shift+123
Toggle showing straight RGB color
Alt+Shift+4
Show the alpha boundary in the Layer panelThe outline between transparent and opaque regions.
Alt+5
Show alpha overlay in the Layer panelA colored overlay on transparent regions.
Alt+6
Show Refine Edge X-ray
Alt+X
Center composition in the panel
Double-clickthe Hand tool
Zoom-in in Composition, Layer, or Footage panel
.
Zoom-out in Composition, Layer, or Footage panel
,
Zoom to 100% in the Composition, Layer, or Footage panel
/
Zoom to fit in Composition, Layer, or Footage panel
Shift+/
Zoom up to 100% to fit in the Composition, Layer, or Footage panel
Alt+/
Set resolution to Full in the Composition panel
Ctrl+J
Set resolution to Half in the Composition panel
Ctrl+Shift+J
Set resolution to Custom in the Composition panel
Ctrl+Alt+J
Open the View Options dialog box for the active Composition panel
Ctrl+Alt+U
Zoom in time
=
Zoom out time
-
Zoom in the Timeline panel to single-frame unitsPress again to zoom out to show the entire composition duration.
;
Zoom out in the Timeline panel to show the entire composition durationPress again to zoom back into the duration set by the Time Navigator.
Shift+;
Prevent images from being rendered for previews in viewer panels
CapsLock
Show or hide safe zones
'
Show or hide the grid
Ctrl+'
Show or hide the proportional grid
Alt+'
Show or hide rulers
Ctrl+R
Show or hide guides
Ctrl+;
Turn snapping to grid on or off
Ctrl+Shift+'
Turn snapping to guides on or off
Ctrl+Shift+;
Lock or unlock guides
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+;
Show or hide layer controlsMasks, motion paths, light and camera wireframes, effect control points, and layer handles.
Ctrl+Shift+H

Footage

Import one file or image sequence
Ctrl+I
Import multiple files or image sequences
Ctrl+Alt+I
Open movie in an After Effects Footage panel
Double-clickthe footage item in the Project panel
Add selected items to most recently activated composition
Ctrl+/
Replace selected source footage for selected layers with footage item selected in Project panel
Ctrl+Alt+/
Replace source for a selected layer
Alt+Dragfootage item from the Project panel onto a selected layer
Delete a footage item without a warning
Ctrl+Bksp
Open Interpret Footage dialog box for selected footage item
Ctrl+Alt+G
Remember footage interpretation
Ctrl+Alt+C
Edit selected footage item in application with which it's associatedEdit Original.
Ctrl+E
Replace selected footage item
Ctrl+H
Reload selected footage items
Ctrl+Alt+L
Set proxy for selected footage item
Ctrl+Alt+P

Effects and animation presets

Delete all effects from selected layers
Ctrl+Shift+E
Apply most recently applied effect to selected layers
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E
Apply most recently applied animation preset to selected layers
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F

Layers

New solid layer
Ctrl+Y
New null layer
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Y
New adjustment layer
Ctrl+Alt+Y
Select layer by its number1-999. On the numeric keypad; enter digits rapidly for two- and three-digit numbers.
<0-9>
Toggle selection of layer by its number1-999. On the numeric keypad; enter digits rapidly for two- and three-digit numbers.
Shift+<0-9>
Select next layer in stacking order
Ctrl+Down
Select previous layer in stacking order
Ctrl+Up
Extend selection to next layer in stacking order
Ctrl+Shift+Down
Extend selection to previous layer in stacking order
Ctrl+Shift+Up
Deselect all layers
Ctrl+Shift+A
Scroll topmost selected layer to top of Timeline panel
X
Show or hide Parent column
Shift+F4
Show or hide Layer Switches and Modes columns
F4
Setting the sampling method for selected layers (Best/Bilinear)
Alt+B
Setting the sampling method for selected layers (Best/Bicubic)
Alt+Shift+B
Turn off all other solo switches
Alt+Clicksolo switch
Turn Video (eyeball) switch on or off for selected layers
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+V
Open settings dialog box for selected solid, light, camera, null, or adjustment layer
Ctrl+Shift+Y
Paste layers at current time
Ctrl+Alt+V
Split selected layersIf no layers are selected, splits all layers.
Ctrl+Shift+D
Precompose selected layers
Ctrl+Shift+C
Open Effect Controls panel for selected layers
Ctrl+Shift+T
Open layer in Layer panelOpens source composition for a precomposition layer in the Composition panel.
Double-click
Open source of a layer in Footage panelOpens precomposition layer in the Layer panel.
Alt+Double-click
Reverse selected layers in time
Ctrl+Alt+R
Enable time remapping for selected layers
Ctrl+Alt+T
Move selected layers so their In point is at the current time
[
Move selected layers so their Out point is at the current time
]
Trim In point of selected layers to the current time
Alt+[
Trim Out point of selected layers to the current time
Alt+]
Add or remove expression for a property
Alt+Clickstopwatch
Add an effect to selected layersWorks with multiple selected effects too.
Double-clickeffect selection in the Effects & Presets panel
Set In point by time-stretching
Ctrl+Shift+,
Set Out point by time-stretching
Ctrl+Alt+,
Move selected layers so that their In point is at beginning of composition
Alt+Home
Move selected layers so that their Out point is at end of composition
Alt+End
Lock selected layers
Ctrl+L
Unlock all layers
Ctrl+Shift+L
Set Quality to Best for selected layers
Ctrl+U
Set Quality to Draft for selected layers
Ctrl+Shift+U
Set Quality to Wireframe for selected layers
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+U
Cycle forward through blending modes for selected layers
Shift+-
Cycle backward through blending modes for selected layers
Shift+=
Find in Timeline panel
Ctrl+F

Showing properties and groups in the Timeline panel

Find in Timeline panel
Ctrl+F
Toggle expansion of selected layers to show all properties
Ctrl+`
Toggle expansion of property group and all child property groups to show all properties
Ctrl+Clickthe triangle to the left of the property group name
Show only Anchor Point propertyFor lights and cameras, this is the Point Of Interest property.
A
Show only Audio Levels property
L
Show only Mask Feather property
F
Show only Mask Path property
M
Show only Mask Opacity property
T,T
Show only Opacity propertyFor lights, this is the Intensity property.
T
Show only Position property
P
Show only Rotation and Orientation properties
R
Show only Scale property
S
Show only Time Remap property
R,R
Show only instances of missing effects
F,F
Show only Effects property group
E
Show only mask property groups
M,M
Show only Material Options property group
A,A
Show only expressions
E,E
Show properties with keyframes
U
Show only modified properties
U,U
Show only paint strokes, Roto Brush strokes, and Puppet pins
P,P
Show only audio waveform
L,L
Show only selected properties and groups
S,S
Hide property or group
Alt+Shift+Clickproperty or group name
Add or remove property or group from set that is shown
Shift+<property or group shortcut>
Add or remove keyframe at current time
Alt+Shift+<property shortcut>

Showing properties in the Effect Controls panel

Toggle expansion of selected effects to show all properties
Ctrl+`
Toggle expansion of property group and all child property groups to show all properties
Ctrl+Clickthe triangle to the left of the property group name

Modifying layer properties

Modify property value by default increments
Dragproperty value
Modify property value by 10x default increments
Shift+Dragproperty value
Modify property value by 1/10 default increments
Ctrl+Dragproperty value
Open Auto-Orientation dialog box for selected layers
Ctrl+Alt+O
Open Opacity dialog box for selected layers
Ctrl+Shift+O
Open Rotation dialog box for selected layers
Ctrl+Shift+R
Open Position dialog box for selected layers
Ctrl+Shift+P
Center selected layers in the viewModifies the Position property to place the layers' anchor points in the center of the current view.
Ctrl+Home
Center anchor point in the visible content
Ctrl+Alt+Home
Move selected layers 1 pixel at current magnificationPosition property.
<any arrow key>
Move selected layers 10 pixels at current magnificationPosition property.
Shift+<any arrow key>
Move selected layers 1 frame earlier
Alt+Pg Up
Move selected layers 1 frame later
Alt+Pg Dn
Move selected layers 10 frames earlier
Alt+Shift+Pg Up
Move selected layers 10 frames later
Alt+Shift+Pg Dn
Increase Rotation (Z Rotation) of selected layers by 1°
Num +
Decrease Rotation (Z Rotation) of selected layers by 1°
Num -
Increase Rotation (Z Rotation) of selected layers by 10°
Shift+Num +
Decrease Rotation (Z Rotation) of selected layers by 10°
Shift+Num -
Increase Opacity of selected layers by 1%For light layers, this is the Intensity property.
Ctrl+Alt+Num +
Decrease Opacity of selected layers by 1%For light layers, this is the Intensity property.
Ctrl+Alt+Num -
Increase Opacity of selected layers by 10%For light layers, this is the Intensity property.
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Num +
Decrease Opacity of selected layers by 10%For light layers, this is the Intensity property.
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Num -
Increase Scale of selected layers by 1%
Ctrl+Num +
or
Alt+Num +
Decrease Scale of selected layers by 1%
Ctrl+Num -
or
Alt+Num -
Increase Scale of selected layers by 10%
Ctrl+Shift+Num +
or
Alt+Shift+Num +
Decrease Scale of selected layers by 10%
Ctrl+Shift+Num -
or
Alt+Shift+Num -
Modify Rotation or Orientation in 15° increments
Shift+Dragwith the Rotation tool
Modify Scale, constrained to footage frame aspect ratio
Shift+Draglayer handle with the Selection tool
Reset Rotation to 0°
Double-clickthe Rotation tool
Reset Scale to 100%
Double-clickthe Selection tool
Scale and reposition selected layers to fit composition
Ctrl+Alt+F
Scale and reposition selected layers to fit composition widthPreserves image aspect ratio for each layer.
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+H
Scale and reposition selected layers to fit composition heightPreserves image aspect ratio for each layer.
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+G

3D layers

Switch to 3D view 1Defaults to Front.
F10
Switch to 3D view 2Defaults to Custom View 1.
F11
Switch to 3D view 3Defaults to Active Camera.
F12
Return to previous view
Esc
New light
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+L
Switch to Orbit camera control
1
Switch to Pan camera control
2
Switch to Dolly camera control
3
New camera
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+C
Switch to Universal gizmo
V
Switch to Position gizmo
4
Switch to Scale gizmo
5
Switch to Rotation gizmo
6
Move the camera and its point of interest to look at selected 3D layers
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+\
With a camera tool selected, move the camera and its point of interest to look at selected 3D layers
F
With a camera tool selected, move the camera and its point of interest to look at all 3D layers
Ctrl+Shift+F
Turn Casts Shadows property on or off for selected 3D layers
Alt+Shift+C

Keyframes and the Graph Editor

Toggle between Graph Editor and layer bar modes
Shift+F3
Select all keyframes for a property
Clickthe property name
Select all visible keyframes and properties
Ctrl+Alt+A
Deselect all keyframes, properties, and property groups
Shift+F2
or
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+A
Move keyframe 1 frame later
Alt+Right
Move keyframe 1 frame earlier
Alt+Left
Move keyframe 10 frames later
Alt+Shift+Right
Move keyframe 10 frames earlier
Alt+Shift+Left
Set interpolation for selected keyframesLayer bar mode.
Ctrl+Alt+K
Set keyframe interpolation method to hold or Auto Bezier
Ctrl+Alt+H
Set keyframe interpolation method to linear or Auto Bezier
Ctrl+Click
in layer bar mode
Set keyframe interpolation method to linear or hold
Ctrl+Alt+Click
in layer bar mode
Easy ease selected keyframes
F9
Easy ease selected keyframes in
Shift+F9
Easy ease selected keyframes out
Ctrl+Shift+F9
Set velocity for selected keyframes
Ctrl+Shift+K
Add or remove keyframe at current time
Alt+Shift+<property shortcut>
Reverse paste the copied keyframes in the timeline
Ctrl+Shift+V

Text

New text layer
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+T
Align selected horizontal text left
Ctrl+Shift+L
in horizontal text
Align selected horizontal text center
Ctrl+Shift+C
in horizontal text
Align selected horizontal text right
Ctrl+Shift+R
in horizontal text
Align selected vertical text top
Ctrl+Shift+L
in vertical text
Align selected vertical text center
Ctrl+Shift+C
in vertical text
Align selected vertical text bottom
Ctrl+Shift+R
in vertical text
Extend or reduce selection by one character to right or left in horizontal text
Shift+Right
or
Shift+Left
Extend or reduce selection by one word to right or left in horizontal text
Ctrl+Shift+Right
or
Ctrl+Shift+Left
Extend or reduce selection by one line up or down in horizontal text
Shift+Up
or
Shift+Down
Extend or reduce selection by one line to right or left in vertical text
Shift+Right
or
Shift+Left
Extend or reduce selection one word up or down in vertical text
Ctrl+Shift+Up
or
Ctrl+Shift+Down
Extend or reduce selection by one character up or down in vertical text
Shift+Up
or
Shift+Down
Select text from insertion point to beginning or end of line
Shift+Home
or
Shift+End
Move insertion point to beginning or end of line
Home
or
End
Select all text on a layer
Double-clicktext layer
Select text from insertion point to beginning or end of text frame
Ctrl+Shift+Home
or
Ctrl+Shift+End
To mouse-click point, select text from insertion point
Shift+Click
Move insertion point one character left or right in horizontal text
Left
or
Right
in horizontal text
Move insertion point one line up or down in horizontal text
Up
or
Down
in horizontal text
Move insertion point one word left or right in horizontal text
Ctrl+Left
or
Ctrl+Right
in horizontal text
Move insertion point one paragraph up or down in horizontal text
Ctrl+Up
or
Ctrl+Down
in horizontal text
Move insertion point one character up or down in vertical text
Up
or
Down
in vertical text
Move insertion point one line left or right in vertical text
Left
or
Right
in vertical text
Move insertion point one word up or down in vertical text
Ctrl+Up
or
Ctrl+Down
in vertical text
Move insertion point one paragraph left or right in vertical text
Ctrl+Left
or
Ctrl+Right
in vertical text
Select a word with the Type tool
Double-click
Select a line with the Type tool
Triple-click
Select a paragraph with the Type tool
Quadruple-click
with the Type tool
Select the entire text frame with the Type tool
Quintuple-click
with the Type tool
Turn All Caps on or off for selected text
Ctrl+Shift+K
Turn Small Caps on or off for selected text
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+K
Turn Superscript on or off for selected text
Ctrl+Shift+=
Turn Subscript on or off for selected text
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+=
Set horizontal scale to 100% for selected text
Ctrl+Shift+X
Set vertical scale to 100% for selected text
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+X
Auto leading for selected text
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+A
Reset tracking to 0 for selected text
Ctrl+Shift+Q
Justify paragraph; left align last line
Ctrl+Shift+J
Justify paragraph; right align last line
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+J
Justify paragraph; force last line
Ctrl+Shift+F
Decrease font size of selected text by 2 units
Ctrl+Shift+,
Increase font size of selected text by 2 units
Ctrl+Shift+.
Decrease font size of selected text by 10 units
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+,
Increase font size of selected text by 10 units
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+.
Increase leading by 2 units
Alt+Down
Decrease leading by 2 units
Alt+Up
Increase leading by 10 units
Ctrl+Alt+Down
Decrease leading by 10 units
Ctrl+Alt+Up
Decrease baseline shift by 2 units
Alt+Shift+Down
Increase baseline shift by 2 units
Alt+Shift+Up
Decrease baseline shift by 10 units
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Down
Increase baseline shift by 10 units
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Up
Decrease kerning or tracking by 20 units20/1000 ems.
Alt+Left
Increase kerning or tracking by 20 units20/1000 ems.
Alt+Right
Decrease kerning or tracking by 100 units100/1000 ems.
Ctrl+Alt+Left
Increase kerning or tracking by 100 units100/1000 ems.
Ctrl+Alt+Right
Toggle paragraph composer
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+T

Masks

New mask
Ctrl+Shift+N
Select all points in a mask
Alt+Clickmask
Select the next mask
Alt+`
Select the previous mask
Alt+Shift+`
Enter free-transform mask editing modeOr select the mask in the Timeline panel, then press Ctrl+T (Cmd+T on Mac).
Double-clickthe mask with the Selection tool
or
Ctrl+T
Exit free-transform mask editing mode
Esc
Scale around the center point in Free Transform mode
Ctrl+Drag
Move selected path points 1 pixel at the current magnification
<any arrow key>
Move selected path points 10 pixels at the current magnification
Shift+<any arrow key>
Toggle between smooth and corner points
Ctrl+Alt+Clickvertex
Redraw Bezier handles
Ctrl+Alt+Dragvertex
Invert selected mask
Ctrl+Shift+I
Open the Mask Feather dialog box for selected mask
Ctrl+Shift+F
Open the Mask Shape dialog box for selected mask
Ctrl+Shift+M
Subtract mode
S
Darken mode
D
Difference mode
F
Add mode
A
Intersect mode
I
None
N

Paint tools

Swap paint background color and foreground colors
X
Set paint foreground color to black and background color to white
D
Set foreground color to the color currently under any paint tool pointer
Alt+Click
Set foreground color to the average color of a 4-pixel x 4-pixel area under any paint tool pointer
Ctrl+Alt+Click
Set brush size for a paint tool
Ctrl+Drag
Set brush hardness for a paint toolRelease Ctrl (Cmd on Mac) while still dragging.
Ctrl+Drag
Join current paint stroke to the previous strokeHold Shift while beginning the stroke.
Shift
Set starting sample point to point currently under Clone Stamp tool pointer
Alt+Click
Momentarily activate Eraser tool with Last Stroke Only option
Ctrl+Shift
Show and move overlayChanges the Offset value of an aligned Clone Stamp tool, or the Source Position value of an unaligned one.
Alt+Shift+Drag
Activate a specific Clone Stamp tool preset
34567
Duplicate a Clone Stamp tool preset in Paint panel
Alt+Clickthe button for the preset
Set opacity for a paint toolOn the numeric keypad. For example, 9=90%, 1=10%.
<digit>
Set opacity for a paint tool to 100%
Num .
Set flow for a paint toolOn the numeric keypad. For example, 9=90%, 1=10%.
Shift+<digit>
Set flow for a paint tool to 100%
Shift+Num .
Move stroke earlier by the stroke Duration setting
Ctrl+Pg Up
or
1
Move stroke later by the stroke Duration setting
Ctrl+Pg Dn
or
2

Shape layers

Group selected shapes
Ctrl+G
Ungroup selected shapes
Ctrl+Shift+G
Enter free-transform path editing modeSelect the Path property in the Timeline panel first.
Ctrl+T
Increase star inner roundness
Pg Up
while dragging to create a shape
Decrease star inner roundness
Pg Dn
while dragging to create a shape
Increase number of points for star or polygon, or roundness for rounded rectangle
Up
while dragging to create a shape
Decrease number of points for star or polygon, or roundness for rounded rectangle
Down
while dragging to create a shape
Reposition shape during creation
Space
while dragging to create a shape
Set rounded rectangle roundness to 0; decrease polygon and star outer roundness
Left
while dragging to create a shape
Set rounded rectangle roundness to maximum; increase polygon and star outer roundness
Right
while dragging to create a shape
Constrain rectangles to squares, ellipses to circles, and polygons and stars to zero rotation
Shift
while dragging to create a shape
Change outer radius of star
Ctrl
while dragging to create a shape

Markers

Set marker at current timeWorks during preview and audio-only preview.
Num *
Set marker at current time and open marker dialog box
Alt+Num *
Set and number a composition marker at the current time0-9, on the main keyboard.
Shift+<0-9>
Go to a composition marker0-9, on the main keyboard.
<0-9>
Display the duration between two layer markers or keyframes in the Info panel
Alt+Clickthe markers or keyframes
Remove marker
Ctrl+Clickmarker

Motion tracking

Move feature region, search region, and attach point 1 pixel at current magnification
<any arrow key>
Move feature region, search region, and attach point 10 pixels at current magnification
Shift+<any arrow key>
Move feature region and search region 1 pixel at current magnification
Alt+<any arrow key>
Move feature region and search region 10 pixels at current magnification
Alt+Shift+<any arrow key>

Saving, exporting, and rendering

Save project
Ctrl+S
Increment and save project
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S
Save As
Ctrl+Shift+S
Add active composition or selected items to render queue
Ctrl+Shift+/
Add current frame to render queue
Ctrl+Alt+S
Duplicate render item with same output filename as original
Ctrl+Shift+D
Add a composition to the Adobe Media Encoder encoding queue
Ctrl+Alt+M

Intro

After Effects on Windows uses Ctrl as its primary modifier throughout, with Alt for secondary variants and for cycling through related tools. A large share of the shortcut set is single letters that reveal one layer property at a time.

Windows-specific shortcut notes

Numeric-keypad shortcuts. Marker placement (NumpadMultiply), memory purge (Ctrl+Alt+/ on the numpad), and paint tool opacity/flow all live on the numeric keypad, distinct from the same keys on the main keyboard.

Alt+W is a shared toggle. Alt+W activates and cycles between the Roto Brush and Refine Edge tools, the same chord for both, this is how Adobe's own reference documents it.

Ctrl+Alt+Shift+T does two things. It creates a new text layer when nothing is selected for editing, and toggles the paragraph composer when text is being edited, both from the same table row on Adobe's page.

Printable PDF

The After Effects Windows shortcut list is available as a printable PDF. Given its size, the property-revealing single letters (P, R, S, T, A) and the keyframe-easing shortcuts (F9, Shift+F9) are worth learning first.

FAQ

Need more than shortcuts?
Visit the Adobe After Effects app page for an overview and helpful links.

Want to suggest a new app, report a bug, or get help? Email us at info@hkeys.app.

For anything else or just a quick hello, write to us at info@hkeys.app.