Animate Your Logo in After Effects: A Step-by-Step Guide

In the meantime, animation software has grown in popularity, effectiveness, and usability to meet the needs of the growing user population. Therefore, even amateurs now have the power to design simple yet effective animations, despite the supposedly technical and frightening nature of logo animation.

Step 1: Get the logo file ready

To ensure that the logo file is prepared for animation, the logo animation tutorial begins in Adobe Illustrator (or a logo design program of equal quality).

Although raster-based visuals are used by animation software, logo source files should be in vector format. This protects the quality of the picture when it is altered (for example, scaling up a raster logo causes pixelation), and it is useful when working with form layers afterwards.

It is crucial to make sure the logo is divided into various layers using the Layers Panel. The logo should have multiple layers rather than being grouped as a single entity. By animating various parts of the logo, this makes it possible to create animations that are more complex. The Add New Layer button can be found at the bottom of the Layers panel and is used to add new layers. The process is made easier by copying and pasting logo components into these new levels.

• Additionally, using RGB colors is crucial because animations are digital in nature. You can fix this if the Illustrator file is set to CMYK by choosing the logo and going to Edit > Edit Colors > Convert to RGB;
• The logo should be exported as a fully layered vector file once it has been finished. The protagonist saves the logo they generated as an AI (Adobe Illustrator) file because After Effects file types are a part of the Adobe software family. However, if a different piece of software is used, a variety of vector file formats are available for option.

Step 2. Adding the logo to After Effects

The protagonist is met by an interface that appears to be complicated after starting After Effects. But they’re determined to get to the bottom of it:

• The pen tool and type tool, as well as other basic graphic design tools, are conveniently located on the tool panel;
• Throughout the project, managing and organizing media files takes place mostly in the project panel;
• The composition window serves as a preview screen by showing the animation for the currently active composition, or “comp.” Comps are used to depict certain scenes within a larger production, and each one has its own unique animation timeline. In the part that follows, a deeper comprehension of compositions will be investigated.

The area where the animation is built is called the timeline, which is on the right. It consists of a literal timeline where animation events are timed, as well as a comp area where media assets are stacked and their characteristics are changed.

The control panel gives users access to a number of assistance features, such as media information, paragraph and alignment choices, as well as built-in animation and visual effects libraries for After Effects.

• Every time the protagonist comes across a new tool or button, a quick mouse hover displays a detailed description;
• They may just drag and drop the logo file into the Project panel or go to File > Import > File to import it. They choose to import the media as footage and merge layers in the ensuing dialogue box.

Setting up the composition is step three

Layering, editing, and applying animations to media files are made easier by compositions functioning as containers. Multiple compositions (comps) are organized within the project panel of a bigger project, such as a movie. Each comp has its own separate chronology and reflects a different scene in the film.

• In the case of a logo animation lasting less than five seconds, only a few comps are required;
• The main character drags and drops their media files into the timeline panel’s left side to create a comp. They start by making a straightforward backdrop. In the comp panel, they choose New > Solid by performing a right-click. They opt for a solid black color in keeping with their white emblem, yet any color may be used. They give the solid a name (in this case, “BG”), select the Make Comp Size button, and then click OK;
• The logo is then previewed in the comp window once they drag the logo file from the project panel into the timeline panel. They make sure the layers are correctly ordered even if the logo is not visible by putting the backdrop solid file underneath the logo file;
• The protagonist chooses Create > Convert to Layered Comp from the context menu by right-clicking the logo file in the comp panel. The modified icon shows that this step changes the logo file into a different comp. They may access this new comp, which contains all the various layers originally built up in Illustrator, by double-clicking the logo file. This opens a new tab. This demonstrates the usefulness of comps, which behave like nested folders.

By right-clicking and choosing Pre-compose, each layer can be made into its own separate composition if needed. By doing so, a different animation timeline is created and nested inside the earlier comp. On the other hand, using the timeline connected to the main comp would include animating the full logo as a whole. With these preparations complete, the narrator delves into the workings of timelines for animation.

Step 4: Animating with keyframes

Like most animation software, After Effects uses keyframes to work. As markers along the timeline, keyframes indicate the beginning and end states of an animation.

• The narrator begins with a straightforward fade-in animation to demonstrate. An object has a variety of attributes, and animation happens when these attributes change over a certain amount of time. The attributes can be seen by expanding the logo comp and its associated Transform property;
• By selecting the stopwatch icon next to the attributes in the timeline panel, keyframes can be created;
• The opacity attribute, which controls an object’s visibility, is used for fade-in animations. The narrator clicks the stopwatch symbol next to Opacity since the logo is originally completely visible with its opacity set to 100%.

At the current playhead marker position on the timeline, this action creates a keyframe. The animation progressively fades in by moving the keyframe to the 2-second point and adding a new keyframe with an opacity set to 0% at the 0-second mark. A preview of the animation is available in the comp window by using the spacebar.

A sequence of starting and finishing points can be established by placing keyframes at various intervals along the timeline. The necessary frame transitions between these keyframes, also referred to as inbetweens in the animation industry, are automatically determined by After Effects.

There are many attributes available to use with the Transform property. There are various possible animations for each property. Creative exploration is possible by altering these qualities and experimenting with keyframing. Some noteworthy qualities are:

• Position: Determines the logo’s X and Y coordinates on the comp screen, enabling linear movement animation;
• Scale: Controls the logo’s size as a percentage relative to the source file, facilitating growing or shrinking animations;
• Rotation: Governs the logo’s orientation in degrees, enabling spinning animations.

A pro tip for logo animation involves working in reverse, as demonstrated in the fade-in example. This approach ensures that the animation concludes with the finished logo. Therefore, keyframes should be placed before making any changes, capturing snapshots of attribute values in their default states. These keyframes can then be moved to the intended end point on the timeline, with new keyframes established for changes at the start of the timeline, aligning with the desired duration of the animation.

Step 5: Animating the logo with shape layers

Now, the narration delves into more captivating animation techniques utilizing shape layers. Shape layers encompass pathing information, including anchor points and connecting lines, akin to vector programs. Manipulating these shape layers unlocks a plethora of animation possibilities that extend beyond the Transform property.

• Shape layers are distinguished by a star icon, and one can convert a vector graphic into a shape layer by right-clicking and selecting Create > Create Shapes from Vector Layer;
• To begin, the narrator proceeds to convert the logo into a shape layer. Within the layered comp panel (comprising the layers created in step 3), they select all the layers, right-click, and choose Create > Create Shapes from Vector Layer. Each layer duplicates with a star icon, indicating a shape layer;
• Nestled beneath the shape layer, one discovers the Content property in addition to the Transform property. Adjacent to the Content property lies the Add button, granting access to additional attributes available for animation;
• Shape layers contain the Add button, allowing the narrator to incorporate a wide range of animatable properties, such as Trim Paths;
• Opting for a common and practical animation technique using the Trim Paths property, the narrator proceeds to add Trim Paths to the shape layers for each letter;
• They set the End attribute keyframe to 0% at the start of the timeline and 100% approximately 1 second later. This particular approach imparts the impression of letters being intricately drawn by an invisible hand in real-time.

Furthermore, the narrator yearns to infuse liveliness into the background by adding accents. They opt for a black and white aesthetic and decide on using a looping tunnel effect that brings back memories of the Twilight Zone. To achieve this, the polygon tool in the toolbar is employed to draw a shape at the center of the comp, thereby creating a new shape layer.

Subsequently, they include a Repeater property, centering its position and increasing its number of copies. This duplication of shapes produces an illusion of an endless tunnel. By adjusting scale, it increases spacing between each copy while changing rotation allows for various orientations to keep visual appeal. Last but not least, to get this effect animated, they set up an Offset keyframe from 0 at the start of the timeline and later change it to negative value. Notably, employing polygon shape layers including a repeater property facilitated animating our background backdrop with ease as depicted.

The narrator acknowledges that animations offer numerous options which whole classes are dedicated to online; hence it is necessary to invest time in experimentation and learning about animation tools as well as techniques. It is impossible for our narrator to specify exact animation styles or animations suitable for your logo individually; however, they offer guidance on discovering varying methods independently. It’s prudent to seek inspiration from similar company brands’ lovely animated logos trending sites like Dribbble or Pinterest like one did during logo creation phase.

Upon analyzing these inspirations armed with newfound knowledge of logo animation, one will observe that many are based on simple manipulations of shapes and transforms, even those adorned with advanced stylized effects. Once a few preferred animations are identified, one can reverse engineer them in After Effects, using them as a foundation for practice and skill enhancement.

Step 6: Adjusting the animation timing

Upon clicking on a keyframe attribute, a straight line connects one keyframe to the next. Currently, as the narration has only created starting and ending point keyframes, the timing calculation is left to After Effects. Without specific instructions, After Effects distributes each animation frame evenly, resulting in a straight line. Located at the bottom of the Graph Editor, the bezier tools enable the adjustment of the graph line’s curvature.

The Graph Editor empowers the narrator to fine-tune the timing of their animation using bezier handles that transform the graph line into a curve. Towards the bottom right of the Graph Editor, one can find icons depicting square points connected by lines—these are the bezier tools.

By selecting a keyframe and hovering over the bezier tools, the narrator discovers the option labeled “Convert keyframes to Auto Bezier.” Clicking on this option reveals a yellow handle in the graph. Dragging this handle alters the curve of the line, thereby changing the animation’s timing. A more pronounced curve signifies faster frame playback, while a smoother curve corresponds to slower frame playback.

To fully grasp the nuances of customizing timing, one needs animation experience, and manually adjusting bezier curves is a more advanced topic. For this beginner tutorial’s purposes, the narrator recommends utilizing the Easy Ease bezier tool, which automatically applies a curve to the selected keyframe. Outside the Graph Editor, one can apply Easy Ease by right-clicking on a keyframe.

Step 7: Exporting the animated logo

When ready to export the completed animated logo, the narrator navigates to File > Export > Add to Adobe Media Encoder queue. By default, After Effects exports the file as an mp4, which is suitable for video. However, since the goal is to create a shareable image file of the logo animation, exporting it as an animated GIF is necessary.

• In the Media Encoder window, by clicking the arrow next to the highlighted blue line of text under the word “Format,” the option to choose “Animated GIF” becomes available. The destination folder for the finished file can be set by clicking the blue text under “Output File”;
• To specify the export settings, the narrator double-clicks the highlighted blue text under “Preset,” opening the Export Settings window. Several options should be considered to reduce the file size: Quality (set at 20 in this case), Frame Rate (set at 10, although a higher frame rate is recommended for video), and the duration indicated by the blue bar beneath the preview (which is cropped to 4 seconds). Selecting OK closes this window;
• Once all adjustments are made, the narrator clicks the green Play icon in the upper right corner of the Media Encoder, initiating the rendering process to the preferred destination folder. And there you have it—a finished logo animation!

In conclusion

Logo animation goes beyond being a mere trend that brands feel pressured to follow. There is an undeniable enchantment in animating a logo, offering a moment of visual delight for everyone who engages with the brand. Fortunately, animation software has evolved to the point where almost anyone, regardless of their skills, can add a touch of that magic to their own logo.

However, while this tutorial serves as a starting point for learning the basics of logo animation, creating anything beyond a basic animation requires considerable trial and error, practice, and experimentation. If you desire a truly exceptional logo animation, it is worth considering investing in a professional logo animator.