If you have experience in cinematic design or if you’re new to the world of motion graphics, it’s important to know how to modify the canvas size in After Effects. This blog post will walk you through the easy process of adjusting your canvas size to fit any project or intention.
Steps to Change Canvas Size in After Effects
There are two main stages to adjusting the canvas size in After Effects:
- Changing the Composition Settings
- Adjusting the Solid Settings
1. Changing the Composition Settings
The composition settings allow you to change the size of your overall canvas. Here’s how to do it:
Open After Effects, and select the composition you want to alter. Navigate to Composition on the main taskbar, and then select Composition Settings.
In the dialogue box that appears, you’ll see a variety of options. The ones we’re interested in for resizing the canvas are the Width and Height fields under ‘Video Frame Size’.
Type in the width and height you want for your canvas in these fields. These dimensions will be in pixels. Once finished, hit ‘OK’ to save your changes.
2. Adjusting the Solid Settings
If you have solids in your composition, you’ll also need to adjust their size to match your new canvas dimensions. Here’s how:
Select the solid layer that needs resizing, and then navigate to Layer on the main taskbar. Then select Solid Settings.
In the dialogue box that appears, adjust the Width and Height fields to match your new canvas size. Hit ‘OK’ to save your changes.
And that’s it! You’ve successfully changed the canvas size in After Effects.
Wrapping Up
Changing the canvas size in After Effects is a simple but vital process that can dramatically affect the outcome of your animations and motion graphics. With this newfound knowledge, you’re well on your way to creating professional-level projects. Happy creating!
