How to Change Solid Color and Size in After Effects

The Solid Settings dialog in Adobe After Effects is a dedicated configuration panel used to define and modify the core properties of solid layers, including their dimensions, aspect ratios, and color values. This guide covers what the Solid Settings dialog does, how to access it on both Windows and macOS, and the exact steps required to adjust the color and size of an existing solid layer without distorting your composition.

What Is the Solid Settings Dialog?

In Adobe After Effects, a solid layer is a flat plane of uniform color frequently used for backgrounds, shape masks, particle emitters, and hosts for various visual effects. When you create a solid, After Effects creates a source item in your Project panel.

The Solid Settings dialog is the interface that controls this underlying source data. Unlike adjusting the Scale property in the Timeline (which stretches or compresses pixels and can cause raster distortion), modifying a solid via Solid Settings recalculates the actual pixel dimensions or reassigns the base color of the layer natively.

How to Access the Solid Settings Dialog

To open the dialog for an existing solid layer:

  1. Select the solid layer in your Timeline or Composition panel.
  2. Use the keyboard shortcut:
    • Windows: Ctrl + Shift + Y
    • macOS: Cmd + Shift + Y
  3. Alternatively, navigate to the top menu and select Layer > Solid Settings....

How to Change the Color of a Solid

Once the Solid Settings dialog box is open:

  1. Locate the Color swatch box at the bottom of the window.
  2. Click the colored rectangle to open the Color Picker, or click the Eyedropper icon next to it to sample a color directly from your screen.
  3. Select your desired color and click OK in the Color Picker.
  4. Click Apply or OK in the Solid Settings dialog to confirm the change.

How to Change the Size of a Solid

You can adjust the width, height, and pixel aspect ratio directly within the same dialog:

  1. Open the Solid Settings dialog (Ctrl + Shift + Y or Cmd + Shift + Y).
  2. Under the Size section, manually enter new values for Width and Height. You can toggle the measurement units between pixels, inches, millimeters, or percentage of composition.
  3. Check the Lock Aspect Ratio box if you want the width and height to scale proportionally.
  4. If you want the solid to instantly match the active composition's exact dimensions, click the Make Comp Size button.
  5. Click Apply or OK to update the solid.

Note: If the solid is used in multiple compositions and you only want to modify the selected layer, check the option to apply changes only to the selected instance if prompted, or duplicate the solid item in the Project panel beforehand.