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How to Export Text Animation with Transparent Background in After Effects?

Published in After Effects Export 3 mins read

To export text animation with a transparent background in After Effects, you need to ensure your composition's background is indeed transparent and then choose the correct export settings. Here's how:

Steps to Export with Transparency

  1. Confirm Composition Transparency:

    • Make sure your composition settings have a transparent background. You can check this by looking at the background of your composition in the After Effects composition window. If you see a checkerboard pattern, your background is transparent. If it's not, you'll need to remove any solid layers or backgrounds covering the text.

  2. Add Your Text Animation:

    • Create your text animation as you normally would. Ensure that there are no solid layers or other opaque elements behind the text that would block the transparency.

  3. Add to Render Queue:

    • Go to Composition > Add to Render Queue.

  4. Output Module Settings:

    • In the Render Queue panel, click on the "Lossless" (or whatever the current output module setting is) next to "Output Module." This will open the Output Module Settings.
    • Format: Choose a format that supports transparency. Common options are:
      • QuickTime: This is a versatile choice.
      • PNG Sequence: Creates a series of PNG images, each with transparency.
    • Video Codec: (If using QuickTime) Choose a codec that supports an alpha channel (transparency).
      • Apple ProRes 4444: A good choice for high-quality transparency.
      • Animation: Another option, but may result in larger file sizes.
    • Channels: This is the most important setting. Set this to "RGB + Alpha". This tells After Effects to include the transparency information (alpha channel) in the exported file. If you only select "RGB," your background will be black instead of transparent.

  5. Audio Output:

    • If your animation doesn't include audio, make sure "Audio Output" is set to "Off."

  6. Output To:

    • Click on "Not Yet Specified" next to "Output To" to choose a location to save your file and give it a name.

  7. Render:

    • Click the "Render" button to start the export process.

Example: QuickTime Export

Here's a summarized table for exporting using QuickTime:

Setting Value Explanation
Format QuickTime Widely supported format.
Video Codec Apple ProRes 4444 High-quality codec with alpha channel support.
Channels RGB + Alpha Crucial for preserving transparency.
Audio Output Off (if no audio) Prevents unnecessary audio encoding.

By following these steps, you can export your text animation with a transparent background, allowing you to overlay it onto other footage or graphics seamlessly.

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