The New Spectrum UI in After Effects 25.0

[nishu_kush]

A Fresh, Modern UI

Adobe Video apps are getting a fresh, modern, and consistent design with the new Spectrum UI. 

Try the Latest Version

Key Features

Here are a few key features that become available with the new Spectrum UI

Cleaner Design

You get cleaner fonts and typography for better legibility and consistency with other Adobe Creative Cloud apps. That means you’ll spend less time re-learning how to use tools in our different apps and more time creating. 

Switch to High-Contrast

There is now a new toggle for switching between a high-contrast mode for easier visibility and accessibility or a low-contrast mode for focusing on your content. 

Color Themes

With Theme modes—a standard dark, darkest, and high-contrast accessibility mode—you can customize the look and feel of After Effects to your preference. Switching between these modes gives you the flexibility to select the setting that best matches your environment and personal preference, whether for enhanced readability or improved visibility based on current lighting conditions.

Here's how you can install the latest version

Open the Creative Cloud desktop application and click the Updates tab on the top left. Find After Effects in the list and click Update.

I don't see the update in my Creative Cloud desktop application. What should I do?

Click Help > Check for Updates from the Creative Cloud desktop application to refresh it.

If you are experiencing any issues, please create a new thread explaining your problem so we can help.

[bullet.train]

The highlight effect on layers is completely off. Please change it.
I select the "end" parameter now. It looks the same with the layers below that but they are not selected. So weird man. Every layer looks like it was selected.

[CucaramblaX]

@Jessica McMillanalso, could you increase the indent for the expressions pickwhips, which are almost in the same column as parenting pickwhips, yet both have different functionality.

And, could you publish for scripting the fields of pickwhips that are currently unusable, such as for PointLight.castShadows and 3D layer's MaterialOptions.acceptsShadows. Or, for the sake of decluttering the UI, remove those pickwhips at all - afaik, they have no point.

[Jessica McMillan]

Hello @bullet.train and @CucaramblaX ,

I am bringing your thoughts to our AE designer to get input on your concerns and where/how we might make modifications.

Thanks for bringing your concerns foward.

All the best,
Jessica
AE Engineering

[mihimaruGT]

Please don't waste time on features that are not AE's strengths, such as 3D models.
Smooth window zooming should be added, with a zoom interval of 10%, thank you

[johnalmightyx]

With the growing pains of working around deficiencies within After Effects and Premiere Pro, I think the last thing on your guys' list is getting rid of the ability to customize the color for our UI. 

As a creator who spends MANY hours in both programs, the least you guys could do is give us our own choice to pick which color the interface has... 

Please give us enable_theme_colorizing back, please!!!!!

[Leon de Peejon]

Indeed, thank you.
I can't imagine any serious creator caring about their tools looking 'flashy', over them being productive.  If it ain't broken, don't fix it Adobe!

PS My PPro keeps intermittently reverting back to the 'darkest' option. As if the 'dark' option isn't bad enough.

[johnalmightyx]

I enjoy making my job fun as a animator... colors, UI matters the most. Why do you think iPhones outsell Android? Because of UI

[graylikethecolor]

THIS! I'm on PC and i keep older versions of AE around so that I can navigate those projects without having to 'update' them onto newer versions (sometimes i have plugins that haven't/can't be updated. SO i love having specific UI colors for each version of AE that way, when it opens i KNOW for sure what version i'm looking at, because the tray icon is identical for every version!!!!!! anyway, i feel you. i want this option back!!

[nadirz64460928]

Why does pressing Enter now select the latest clicked button in a dialog window, instead of validating the choice?

For example you're in the color picker, press the eyedropper and pick a color, in the past you'd hit enter to close the color picker. Now it selects the eyedropper again because it's highlighted, so you have to waste your time clicking OK with your mouse. 

[bravo3700657956lo]

 

1. This change is likely due to recent UI updates where the last focused or highlighted button remains active, causing Enter to trigger it instead of confirming the dialog. It’s a frustrating shift, especially in workflows like the color picker where speed and efficiency are key. A possible workaround is to use the Tab key to refocus on the OK button before pressing Enter. For more tips and updated workflows addressing these changes, the Adobe Training Guide includes practical solutions to streamline your experience.

[jackthegiantkiller]

Just checked out latest beta...how on earth has your team not managed to, at the very freaking least, made some adjustments to the Color Themes?!?!? I now have to work using your mid-range "Dark" mode because it's the only one with reasonably subtle contrast. Normally I would have chosen "Darkest" but the ridiculously contrasting buttons and pulldown menus make this pallette absolutely unusable, and even worse if you click "Accessible Color Contrast". Seriously, get your team together and at the very least make one more freaking option in there!!!!!! Call it "Darkest Sans Insane Contrast" or something, ANYTHING.

[T_riley]

The UI sizing is much too small for a 4k monitor. Not giving an option for adjustment in this version is an embarrassment.

[Jessica McMillan]

Hello @T_riley,

AE will respect OS scaling on mac and windows. Beyond that we are investigating additional application sizing overrides to support users who want more app level control vs an os wide setting. 

[QuietRobot]

Is it possible to add more margin to this line of buttons so that when they are activated they do not overwhelm with the blue line of focus? Thanks team