After Effects 2026 — H.264 Color Shift at 1024×512 Resolution, Fixed by Increasing Width by Just 2 Pixels

Product: Adobe After Effects 2026
Operating System: Windows 11
Export Method: Native After Effects Render Queue
Output Format: H.264 (.mp4)
Color Depth: 8 bits per channel
Frame Rate: 30 FPS
Issue Type: Resolution-dependent color shift during video export

1. Issue Description

I discovered an unusual and repeatable color reproduction issue when exporting videos from Adobe After Effects 2026.

When exporting a composition at 1024×512 pixels, a specific turquoise color becomes noticeably greener than its original appearance inside After Effects.

The original color is:

HEX: #008C95
RGB: 0, 140, 149

Inside After Effects, the color appears correctly as turquoise. However, after exporting to H.264 (.mp4), it shifts toward a noticeably greener shade.

The most unusual part is that increasing the composition width by just 2 pixels — from 1024 to 1026 — completely eliminates the visible color shift.

At 1026×512, the turquoise color appears correct again.

All tests were performed within the same After Effects project, using identical rendering and color management settings. The exported videos were compared using the same video player.

2. Resolution Test Results

During troubleshooting, I tested multiple composition resolutions to identify a possible pattern.

These results suggest that the issue may be related to specific frame-width thresholds, particularly around 1024 pixels.

3. Additional Observation: Horizontal vs. Vertical Resolution Changes

While investigating the issue, I separately experimented with changing the composition width and height.

Horizontal Resolution Changes

Starting from the original resolution of 1024×512:

• 1022×512: Incorrect colors.

• 1024×512: Incorrect colors.

• 1026×512: Correct colors.

• 1030×512: Correct colors.

• 1280×512: Correct colors.

Increasing the width by only 2 pixels was sufficient to restore the correct color appearance.

This suggests a possible transition in export behavior when the frame width exceeds 1024 pixels.

Vertical Resolution Changes

I also tested several composition heights while keeping the width fixed at 1024 pixels:

• 1024×510: Incorrect colors.

• 1024×512: Incorrect colors.

• 1024×514: Incorrect colors.

• 1024×520: Incorrect colors.

None of these changes resolved the issue.

This is particularly interesting because changing the width by just 2 pixels completely fixed the color shift, whereas changing the height by 2, 4, or even 8 pixels relative to the original resolution had no positive effect.

It is possible that changing the height would require a much larger adjustment — potentially 10, 20, or more pixels — before any difference in color reproduction becomes noticeable.

However, the exact vertical threshold has not been identified, and larger height adjustments have not yet been systematically tested.

Based on these observations, the issue may be more closely related to specific frame-width boundaries than to the total pixel count or aspect ratio alone.

4. Suggested Steps to Reproduce

To investigate this issue, I suggest performing a simple test without complex graphics, effects, or third-party plugins.

1. Open Adobe After Effects 2026 on Windows 11.

2. Create a new composition at 1024×512 pixels, 30 FPS.

3. Add a rectangular Shape Layer, preferably filling the entire composition.

4. Set its fill color to #008C95 (RGB: 0, 140, 149).

5. Export the composition directly through the native After Effects Render Queue using H.264 (.mp4).

6. Compare the exported video's color with the original color inside After Effects.

7. Change only the composition width from 1024 to 1026 pixels, keeping the height at 512 pixels.

8. Keep the original fill color and all rendering settings unchanged.

9. Export the composition again using identical settings.

10. Compare both exported videos using the same video player.

Expected Behavior Based on My Existing Project

At 1024×512, the original turquoise color becomes noticeably greener.

At 1026×512, the color appears correct.

For further investigation, I also recommend testing widths of 1022, 1030, and 1280 pixels.

Additionally, testing different composition heights while keeping the width fixed at 1024 pixels may help determine whether the issue is related to a specific internal resolution threshold.

Important: The reported results were obtained from my existing After Effects project. It has not yet been confirmed whether the issue can also be reproduced in a completely new project containing only a single Shape Layer. The suggested procedure is intended to help isolate this possibility.

5. Actual Result

The original color #008C95 visibly changes its appearance when exporting at 1024×512.

Instead of maintaining its turquoise appearance, it becomes significantly greener.

Changing the composition width from 1024 to 1026 pixels restores the correct appearance.

Changing the height to 510, 514, or 520 pixels while keeping the width at 1024 pixels does not resolve the issue.

Therefore, a minimal horizontal resolution adjustment appears to affect color reproduction, while similarly small vertical adjustments do not produce the same result.

6. MediaInfo Comparison

I compared two exported files using MediaInfo:

• 1024×512: Incorrect colors.

• 1026×512: Correct colors.

Both files report the following characteristics:

MediaInfo does not explicitly display Color Primaries, Transfer Characteristics, or Matrix Coefficients for either file.

This raises the possibility that the issue may involve:

• Incorrect or missing color metadata.

• Resolution-dependent RGB-to-YUV conversion.

• Different color matrix interpretation during decoding.

• Internal H.264 encoder behavior at specific frame dimensions.

• Resolution-dependent processing paths.

However, these are only hypotheses. The exact technical cause has not been established.

7. Expected Result

H.264 exports should maintain visually consistent color reproduction regardless of composition resolution.

The original color #008C95 should not visibly shift toward green simply because the composition width changes from 1026 to 1024 pixels.

Small adjustments to frame dimensions should not cause significant changes in the appearance of colored graphic elements when all export and color management settings remain identical.

8. Temporary Workaround

Through trial and error, I discovered that changing the composition width from 1024 to 1026 pixels eliminates the visible color shift.

This workaround successfully restores the intended turquoise color in my project.

However, it is not an ideal solution for production workflows requiring exact pixel dimensions, including:

• LED displays.

• Digital signage.

• Custom advertising screens.

• Nonstandard video formats.

• Projects with strict resolution specifications.

In these situations, changing the composition dimensions may not be acceptable.

9. Request to the Adobe Engineering Team

I would appreciate an investigation into why the native H.264 export process in Adobe After Effects 2026 may produce different color results depending on composition dimensions.

Specifically, I would like to understand:

1. Why does the turquoise color #008C95 become noticeably greener when exported at 1024×512?

2. Why does increasing the frame width by only 2 pixels, from 1024 to 1026, restore the correct color appearance?

3. Why do small changes to the composition height fail to produce a similar improvement?

4. Could this behavior be related to missing or incorrect color metadata, RGB-to-YUV conversion, or internal H.264 encoder processing?

5. Is there a way to preserve correct color reproduction at the original required resolution of 1024×512 without modifying the frame dimensions?

I can provide the original MP4 exports, MediaInfo screenshots, color comparison images, and additional After Effects project settings if needed.

10. Additional Note — Use of ChatGPT

This bug report was prepared with the assistance of ChatGPT following an extensive troubleshooting conversation.

Over the course of many exchanges, we investigated possible causes, compared export settings, researched similar reported issues, and tested numerous composition resolutions.

After a lengthy process of trial and error, we eventually discovered that increasing the composition width by just two pixels — from 1024 to 1026 — resolved the visible color shift.

Although we successfully identified a reproducible pattern in the existing project and found a temporary workaround, the underlying technical cause remains unknown.

ChatGPT helped organize our findings, document the experiments, and structure this report for the Adobe engineering team.

All reported test results are based on actual exports performed and observed by the user.

From user: Thank you for your attention