Adobe After Effects Keyboard Shortcuts Reference
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1. General & Application Commands
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Action
| Windows Shortcut
| macOS Shortcut
--------------------------------------------------------------------------New Project
| Ctrl + Alt + N
| Cmd + Option + N
Open Project
| Ctrl + O
| Cmd + O
Save Project
| Ctrl + S
| Cmd + S
Save As…
| Ctrl + Shift + S
| Cmd + Shift + S
Quit
| Ctrl + Q
| Cmd + Q
Undo
| Ctrl + Z
| Cmd + Z
Redo
| Ctrl + Shift + Z
| Cmd + Shift + Z
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2. Composition & Preview
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Action
| Windows Shortcut
| macOS
Shortcut
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------New Composition
| Ctrl + N
| Cmd + N
Composition Settings
| Ctrl + K
| Cmd + K
Add to Render Queue
| Ctrl + M
| Cmd + M
Standard Preview (Play)
| Spacebar
| Spacebar
RAM Preview (using Numeric Keypad 0)
| 0 (Numeric Keypad)
| 0 (Numeric
Keypad)
Set Work Area Start (In Point)
| B
| B
Set Work Area End (Out Point)
| N
| N
Zoom In (Timeline)
| = (Equal)
| = (Equal)
Zoom Out (Timeline)
| - (Minus)
| - (Minus)
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3. Tools & Layer Properties
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Action
| Windows Shortcut
| macOS
Shortcut
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Selection Tool
| V
| V
Hand Tool (temporarily, while holding Space)
| Spacebar (hold)
|
Spacebar (hold)
Pen Tool
| G
| G
Shape Tool (cycles through shapes)
| Q
| Q
(If available) Roto Brush Tool
| Alt + W
| Option
+ W
Anchor Point property
| A
| A
Position property
| P
| P
Scale property
| S
| S
Rotation property
| R
| R
Opacity property
| T
| T
Reveal all keyframed properties
| U
| U
Reveal all modified properties (Double tap U)
| U, U
| U, U
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4. Layer & Timeline Editing
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Action
| Windows Shortcut
| macOS Shortcut
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------Duplicate Layer
Split Layer
Pre-compose Layers
Bring Layer to Front
Send Layer to Back
Trim Layer In to Current Time
Trim Layer Out to Current Time
| Ctrl + D
| Ctrl + Shift + D
| Ctrl + Shift + C
| Ctrl + Shift + ]
| Ctrl + Shift + [
| Alt + [
| Alt + ]
| Cmd + D
| Cmd + Shift + D
| Cmd + Shift + C
| Cmd + Shift + ]
| Cmd + Shift + [
| Option + [
| Option + ]
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5. Timeline Navigation & Keyframes
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Action
| Windows Shortcut
| macOS Shortcut
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Go to Previous Keyframe
| J
| J
Go to Next Keyframe
| K
| K
Move one frame backward
| Left Arrow
| Left Arrow
Move one frame forward
| Right Arrow
| Right Arrow
Jump 10 frames (backward/forward)
| Shift + Left/Right Arrow| Shift +
Left/Right Arrow
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6. Panels & Workspace Management
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Action
| Windows Shortcut
| macOS
Shortcut
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Maximize Active Panel (hover & press)
| ~ (Tilde key)
| ~ (Tilde
key)
Toggle Switches/Modes panel in Timeline
| F4
| F4
Toggle between Timeline/Layer views
| Tab
| Tab
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7. Markers & Text
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Action
| Windows Shortcut
|
macOS Shortcut
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Add Marker
| * (Asterisk on Numeric Keypad)
|
* (Asterisk on Numeric Keypad)
Rename Layer (enter rename mode)
| Enter (with layer selected)
|
Return (with layer selected)
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Additional Tips
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- Customizing Shortcuts:
You can change or add shortcuts by going to:
• Windows: Edit → Keyboard Shortcuts
• macOS: After Effects → Keyboard Shortcuts
- Context Matters:
Some shortcuts work only when specific panels are active. If a shortcut
doesn’t work as expected, be sure to check the active panel or mode.
- Numerous Workflows:
After Effects includes many more shortcuts, especially for advanced tasks such
as:
• Working in the Graph Editor
• Using scripts
• Customizing your interface
For a complete guide, refer to Adobe’s official documentation or download
their printable shortcut reference.