How to Change the Color of a Solid in After Effects (2 Easy Ways)

Working on something in After Effects and realized your solid layer is the wrong color? Don’t worry, it happens all the time. Maybe you picked the wrong shade at first, or maybe your whole color scheme changed halfway through the project.

Whatever the reason, changing the color of a solid is super simple once you know where to look. Let’s walk through two quick ways to do it.

1. Use the Solid Settings

This is probably the most direct way to change a solid’s color.

1. In your timeline, select the solid layer you want to change.
2. Go to the top menu and click Layer > Solid Settings (or just press Ctrl+Shift+Y on Windows or Cmd+Shift+Y on Mac).
3. A window will pop up showing your current solid settings.
4. Click on the color box next to “Color” and pick your new shade.
5. Hit OK, and you're done.

This method updates the actual layer itself, so it’s great if you’re not using any effects that rely on that original color.

2. Add a Fill Effect

If you want more flexibility (or if you're working with precomps), adding a Fill effect might be better.

1. Select your solid layer in the timeline.
2. Go to Effect > Generate > Fill.
3. In the Effect Controls panel, click on the color swatch next to “Color.”
4. Choose your new color and you're good to go.

The nice thing about this method is that it doesn’t mess with your original layer settings, so you can stack effects or animate colors more easily later on.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the shortcut to change the color of a solid in After Effects?

You can use Ctrl+Shift+Y (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+Y (Mac) to open Solid Settings quickly. From there, just click on the color box and choose your new color.

How do I change the color of a shape in After Effects?

To change a shape's fill color:

1. Select the shape layer.
2. Open its contents by clicking the arrow next to it.
3. Find “Fill” under Contents > Shape > Fill.
4. Click on Fill Color and choose your new shade.

How to change the color of composition in After Effects?

To change comp background:

1. Go to Composition > Composition Settings.
2. In the pop-up window, find “Background Color.”
3. Click it, pick a new one, then hit OK.

Note: This only affects preview background unless you add an actual background layer.

How do I change multiple solids' colors at once?

You can apply a Fill effect instead:

1. Select all solids.
2. Go to Effect > Generate > Fill.
3. Adjust one Fill effect and copy-paste it across layers if needed.

This keeps things consistent without editing each one manually.