Using grids and guides

After Effects has a number of features to help you arrange layers precisely.…These include the proportional grid, the regular grid, guides, as well as the Align panel.…Let's look at the proportional grid first.…This divides the frame into a number of divisions, width and height.…In this case, I've used four across and four down.…This is a legacy grid from an earlier version of After Effects.…One of the drawbacks is that you cannot snap to it;…however, you can use it as a simple grid to just help you align things by eye.…

I'll turn off the proportional grid and turn on the regular grid.…Instead of dividing the frame into a number of divisions width and height,…the regular grid is determined by how many pixels are in the grid. In this…case, there's 80 pixels, width and height, and then the grid is divided into four subdivisions.…So depending on how many pixels are in your comp, you may not have a whole number…of grids in the width and height.…Under Preferences > Grids & Guides, you can set the color for the grid, which…