After Effects Label Colors: How to Categorize Layers

Organizing complex compositions in Adobe After Effects is essential for an efficient motion design workflow. This guide explains the After Effects label color system, how default color assignments work across different asset types, and how you can manually categorize, customize, and select layers using color-coding to streamline project management.

What is the Label Color System in After Effects?

The label color system is a visual organization feature that assigns specific colored swatches to layers in the Timeline panel. Each layer type receives a default color upon creation or import, allowing you to instantly identify the nature of a layer without reading its name or expanding its properties.

By default, After Effects assigns colors to specific layer categories:

  • Red: Light layers
  • Peach: Adjustment layers
  • Aqua: Shape layers
  • Dark Green: Camera layers
  • Cyan: Text layers
  • Red/Orange: Null objects
  • Lavender: Solid layers
  • Green: Audio files
  • Magenta: Video or pre-composed layers

How to Categorize Layers Manually

You can override default color assignments at any time to group related assets by scene, animation phase, or visual role (such as backgrounds, foreground elements, or animated typography).

  1. Locate the layer in the Timeline panel.
  2. Click the small colored square directly to the left of the layer number.
  3. Choose a new color from the pop-up menu of sixteen preset options.

Once applied, the layer name bar across the timeline track will adopt that color, making the layer instantly recognizable within complex timelines.

Selecting Layers by Color Group

Color coding provides a fast method for batch-editing assets across a busy composition:

  1. Click the colored swatch next to any layer's number.
  2. Select Select Label Group from the contextual menu.
  3. After Effects will instantly highlight every layer in the active composition that shares the same label color.

This enables you to move, trim, lock, parent, or add effects to entire groups simultaneously without manually hunting for individual layers.

Customizing Label Colors and Names

You can customize the available palette and rename label categories to suit your studio's pipeline:

  1. Go to Edit > Preferences > Labels (Windows) or After Effects > Settings > Labels (macOS).
  2. To rename a label, edit the text field next to the color slot (for example, change "Aqua" to "VFX").
  3. To alter a color value, click the color box next to the label name and choose a new hue via the color picker.
  4. Adjust the Label Defaults section at the bottom of the window to change which color automatically applies to specific layer types upon creation.
  5. Click OK to save your preferences.