How are you creating TikTok-style motion graphics in After Effects?

[evelyn_7855]

Hey everyone,

A lot of TikTok videos use really slick motion graphics—things like dynamic text animations, trendy transitions, and those quick punchy effects that keep the viewer engaged.

I’d like to hear how others here approach making content in After Effects that’s tailored specifically for TikTok. Do you build everything from scratch, or do you rely on templates/presets and then customize them? Also, how do you handle the vertical 9:16 format—do you design with that in mind from the start, or repurpose horizontal projects later?

Would love to know your workflows, any tips on export settings, and what kind of effects seem to connect best with audiences on TikTok.

Thanks in advance!

[evelyn_7855]

Thanks for the views so far—still curious to hear how others are approaching this.

One thing I’ve noticed while experimenting is that different versions or variations of TikTok seem to demand slightly different approaches in terms of content style and effects. For example, TikTok 18 has a more mature audience compared to the regular TikTok app, which means the motion graphics and text treatments that resonate there can feel a bit different—less “trendy dance” focused and more on bold, clear visuals that hold attention.

I’ve been testing exports in vertical 9:16 with higher bitrates to keep the text crisp, but I’m wondering if anyone here has tips on balancing file size with quality when posting for TikTok (whether standard or TikTok 18). Are you sticking to H.264, or experimenting with HEVC for better compression?

Would love to hear any insights—especially if you’ve run into differences in how graphics perform across these platforms.

[ShiveringCactus]

Honestly, I still find TikTok baffling and I use it only to share promos to YouTube tutorials.  But I did recently share a preset for vertical video safezones ( https://youtu.be/I6tGaxotm1s ).

When I make these promos, I'm currently experimenting with using square comps, rendering it out in ProRes, and then cropping it for vertical and separately for horizontal.

In terms of text animations etc... I think these things come and go with fashion.