Creating Shapes and Text in After Effects

In this tutorial, you’ll learn the basics of using the Shape and Text Tools in Adobe After Effects. These are key tools for creating graphics, titles, and animations. We’ll show you how to draw and customize shapes, create and format text, and combine the two to create dynamic designs. By the end, you’ll have a solid understanding of how to use these tools to enhance your motion design projects. Let’s get started!

Shapes and text are two of the most common building blocks in motion design. They’re also incredibly flexible. Whether you’re designing a title, a background element, or a full animated graphic, these tools are your starting point.

Creating Shape Layers

To create a shape:

  1. Select a shape tool from the toolbar (Rectangle, Ellipse, Polygon, or Star).
  2. Click and drag in the Composition panel to draw the shape.

After Effects will create a new Shape Layer. If a layer is already selected when you draw, it may add the shape to that existing layer. To avoid that, deselect all layers before drawing.

You can customize shapes by:

  • Changing the fill and stroke color and thickness in the toolbar

  • Using the Add menu (inside the shape layer) to add properties like Pucker & Bloat, Repeater, or Trim Paths

  • Animating properties like Position, Scale, Rotation, and Opacity

Shapes are vector-based, so they stay crisp at any size.

Using the Pen Tool

For custom shapes or lines:

  1. Choose the Pen tool from the toolbar.
  2. Click to add points and create a custom path.
  3. Click and drag to create curves.

You can use the pen tool to draw shapes or masks. Make sure no layer is selected if you want a new shape layer, otherwise you will draw a mask.

Creating Text

To add text:

  1. Select the Horizontal Type Tool (or Vertical Type Tool) from the toolbar.
  2. Click in the Composition panel and start typing.

After Effects will create a Text Layer. You can format text using the Character and Paragraph panels:

  • Character Panel: Controls font, size, weight, color, tracking, leading, etc.

  • Paragraph Panel: Sets alignment, justification, and margins

If you don’t see these panels, go to Window > Character or Window > Paragraph.

Working with Fonts

You can use any font installed on your system. To install a new font:

  • Windows: Right-click the font file and choose Install.

  • Mac: Double-click the font file and choose Install Font.

Once installed, the font will appear in After Effects the next time you open it (or after a restart). Adobe Fonts (through Creative Cloud) will also show up automatically if they’re activated.

Use bold, clear fonts for on-screen readability. Avoid overly decorative fonts unless it suits the design.

Converting Text to Shapes

If you need to manipulate individual letters or animate them in ways text normally doesn’t allow, you can convert text to shapes:

  1. Right-click the text layer and choose Create > Create Shapes from Text.
  2. A new shape layer will appear with the outlines of each letter.

Now you can animate each piece using shape layer tools. Just note that it’s no longer editable text.

Design Principles in Motion

Even when things move, design basics still apply:

  • Balance: Keep elements evenly weighted across the screen.

  • Space: Use margins and padding to avoid visual clutter.

  • Emphasis: Use size, color, or motion to guide the viewer’s eye.

  • Line: Directional shapes or alignment can help structure your composition.

Thinking like a designer helps your motion work feel intentional, not random.

Wrap-Up

Shapes and text are where motion design often begins. Learn their tools, explore their properties, and practice building scenes with just these two elements. There’s a lot you can create with a little.

In the next lesson, we’ll start moving things, literally, with keyframes and basic animation properties.