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Participant
November 15, 2025
Question

JPG , PNG icons not showing in After Effect

  • November 15, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 151 views

I’m having a strange issue in After Effects. My PNG files are importing correctly, but in the Project panel the PNG icons don’t show — they appear as blank/white file icons (screenshot attached). Compositions show normally, but PNG thumbnails are gone.

I’ve tried:

  • Restarting AE

  • Clearing cache

  • Re-importing PNGs

  • Resetting preferences

  • Updating AE

The PNGs work fine on the timeline — only the icons in the Project panel are missing.
Has anyone experienced this or knows how to fix it?

Thanks!

2 replies

cartooncande
Participant
March 30, 2026

I am having the same issue but with .mov and .mp4:
 

nishukushwaha
Community Manager
Community Manager
March 30, 2026

In which app do .mov and .mp4 files open if you double-click them in Finder/Explorer? Are you on macOS or Windows?

Let me know.

 

Thanks,

Nishu

Glenn 8675309
Legend
November 15, 2025

Layer panel options, choose a large thumbnail.

Participant
November 16, 2025

PNG icons are still showing as blank white files both in the Project panel and the Timeline. 

 

nishu_kush
Legend
November 20, 2025

It might be a file association thing. Just check that the right app is set to open your PNG and JPG files when you double-click them.

 

Hope that helps!


Thanks,
Nishu