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Viewing color and alpha channels


    You can preview the red, green, blue, and alpha channels of a still image or movie in a Footage window, Layer window, or Composition window. When you view a color channel, areas with that color are displayed according to the color value of each pixel. For example, if you view the red channel, areas with high red values are displayed as white.

    Tip iconTo see the color values in a color channel displayed in the channel's own color instead of white, hold down Shift and click the desired color channel icon.

    When you preview the alpha channel, After Effects displays transparent and opaque areas as black and white to make identification easier. Degrees of opacity appear as shades of gray.

To view a color channel or alpha channel:

  1. Open the Composition, Layer, or Footage window to view a channel for a composition, layer, or footage item, respectively.
  2. At the bottom of the window, click the icon that corresponds to the channel you want to display.
  3. Illustration with these callouts: A. Red channel B. Green channel C. Blue channel D. Alpha channel
    A. Red channel B. Green channel C. Blue channel D. Alpha channel