Want to make your brand stand out with a professional animated logo? After Effects is the go-to tool for creating slick motion graphics that give your logo energy and personality. Whether it’s for YouTube intros, presentations, or brand stings, a well-animated logo adds polish to your content.

By the end, you’ll be confident animating logos from scratch using core After Effects tools — and even enhancing them with pro tricks.

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Step-by-Step Guide

1. Prepare Your Logo File
   • Use a high-resolution PNG, SVG, or AI (Adobe Illustrator) file with transparency.
   • Make sure layers are separated in Illustrator if you want to animate parts individually.
2. Open After Effects and Create a New Project
   • Go to File > New > New Project.
   • Save your project to avoid data loss later.
3. Import Your Logo
   • Click File > Import > File or drag your logo into the Project panel.
   • If it’s an Illustrator file, choose Import As: Composition – Retain Layer Sizes to keep each part separate.
4. Create a New Composition
   • Go to Composition > New Composition.
   • Set dimensions (1920×1080 is standard), frame rate (30 fps), and duration (5–10 seconds is good for logos).
5. Drag Your Logo Into the Timeline
   • If using a layered AI file, open the imported composition and drag it to your new comp.
   • Arrange and scale the layers using the Selection Tool (V).
6. Animate Position, Scale, or Rotation
   • Select a layer, hit P (Position), S (Scale), or R (Rotation) to reveal properties.
   • Click the stopwatch to set keyframes, move the playhead, then adjust values to animate.
   • Example: Animate the scale from 0% to 100% for a “pop-in” effect.
7. Add Easy Ease for Smoother Motion
   • Select your keyframes, right-click, then choose Keyframe Assistant > Easy Ease or press F9.
   • Open the Graph Editor for finer control of speed curves.
8. Add Effects or Masks
   • Use Effects & Presets panel to add glows, blurs, or color changes.
   • Add masks (with the Pen Tool) to reveal your logo in creative ways.
9. Add Motion Blur
   • Enable Motion Blur for your layers and in the timeline controls.
   • Makes movement feel more natural.
10. Preview and Adjust Timing
    • Press Spacebar to preview.
    • Tweak keyframe timing or layer in/out points for best pacing.
11. Export Your Logo Animation
    • Go to File > Export > Add to Render Queue or Composition > Add to Adobe Media Encoder.
    • Choose QuickTime (with RGB + Alpha) for transparent background or H.264 for web.

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Pro Tips & Workflow Improvements

• Use Pre-comps: Wrap grouped elements into pre-compositions for cleaner timelines and reusability.
• Use Null Objects: Animate multiple layers together by parenting them to a null layer.
• Use Trim Paths (for vector logos): Animate strokes dynamically on Illustrator-based logos.
• Add a Sound Effect: Subtle whooshes or impacts enhance the motion.
• Save as a Template: Keep a reusable comp structure to animate future logos fast.

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Advanced Use Case: Looping the Animation

To make your logo loop seamlessly:

• Duplicate the animation in reverse using Time-Reverse Keyframes.
• Or use Time Remapping with expressions:jsxCopyEditloopOut("cycle")

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Troubleshooting & Common Mistakes

• Logo is blurry: Enable Continuously Rasterize (sun icon) for vector layers.
• Effects not showing: Make sure the layer is selected and timeline indicators are within keyframe range.
• Missing transparency on export: Use a codec that supports alpha channels like QuickTime Animation or ProRes 4444.
• Choppy animation: Add more frames or use motion blur and easy ease.
• Import error from Illustrator: Ensure it’s in RGB mode and layers are unlocked.

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Conclusion

Now you know how to turn a static logo into a professional animation using After Effects. You’ve learned everything from basic keyframe animation to applying effects and preparing exports for transparent or full-background usage.

Practice on different logos to build confidence — and next, try integrating sound, shape layers, or 3D camera moves for even more polish!