As you start layering different elements into your After Effects composition and applying things like motion effects and other transformations, anchor points become a very important part of your motion graphics workflow.

If you're just getting started with the After Effects interface, you may be wondering, "What's an anchor point, and why do I need to center it?" Don't worry, like always, we've got you covered.

We've compiled this short guide to anchor points and how to center them, so you can animate like a pro in After Effects.

What Are “Anchor Points” in After Effects?

An anchor point is a point on an element from which all types of transformations will originate. This point "anchors" whatever action you will take on that element, whether that be a change in size, position, etc. This is important to understand because it will radically change how an element transforms based on where the anchor point is set.

For most transformations, you will likely prefer a central anchor point. This means all transformations will evenly distribute from the center of your selected element. However, the default positioning for anchor points in After Effects is often off-center, so you'll need to know how to bring your anchor point to the center of your element.

How to Center The Anchor Point in After Effects

You can center your anchor point by either using a keyboard shortcut or navigating your editing menus.

Here’s an example of the default anchor point for a text layer. As you can see, the anchor point is at the bottom left corner of the text. We want to transform our text to get larger over time while staying in the same spot, so we want to center this anchor point.

To set the anchor point to the center using your After Effects menus, follow these steps:

Step 1: Select “Layer” in your top menu

Step 2: Select “Transform” from the dropdown menu

Step 3: Select “Center Anchor Point in Layer Content”

And voila, you now have a central anchor point that looks like this:

Now any transformation effects will originate from the center instead of the bottom left.