Adobe After Effects is one of the most popular visual effects software used by movie producers, advertisement agencies, media companies, and personal videographers for post-production visual and motion effects. Key features include motion graphics creation, text animation, visual effects, compositing, animation, 3D creation, and integration with other Adobe services and products. Adobe After Effects is commonly used to complete post-production videos for social media content, advertisements, title sequences, broadcast graphics, film, and other general video post-production.

Adobe After Effects, due to its extensive features and capabilities, tends to be more difficult to learn compared to other Creative software. Still, with the listed General and Projects keyboard shortcuts, you will be up and running with Adobe After Effects in no time.

General Keyboard Shortcuts

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

Projects Keyboard Shortcuts

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