How to Render/Export in Adobe After Effects CC (2017)

Rendering your work out of After Effects should not be the hardest part of the process, but it often feels that way. There are multiple ways to export, different codecs to choose from, and the file sizes can be enormous if you are not careful. Understanding the difference between lossless and compressed rendering is the key to choosing the right approach for your project.

Today I am going to go over two ways to render from Adobe After Effects: using the built-in Render Queue for lossless output, and using Adobe Media Encoder for compressed delivery files.

Method 1: Render Queue (Lossless)

This method exports your composition at full quality with no compression. The result is a massive file that preserves every detail. Use this when you are passing the footage to another stage of production (like color grading or editing in Premiere Pro) where another render will happen later.

1. Make sure the composition you want to render is selected. Click in any blank space in the timeline to confirm it is the active composition.
2. Go to Composition > Add to Render Queue (or press Ctrl+M / Cmd+M).
3. The Render Queue panel will open at the bottom, showing your composition ready to render.
4. Click on the Output To file name to choose where you want the rendered file saved.
5. Click on Render Settings (it says “Best Settings” by default). Here you can adjust the quality, resolution, and frame rate. For most cases, the defaults are fine.
6. Click on Output Module (it says “Lossless” by default). This is where you choose the codec. The built-in options are lossless formats like AVI and QuickTime Animation. If you install QuickTime, additional codec options become available.
7. Click Render to start. Be aware that lossless renders can produce files in the range of 500 MB to 2 GB per minute. An external hard drive is recommended for storing these.

Method 2: Adobe Media Encoder (Compressed)

This method produces a smaller, viewable file using compression codecs like H.264. Use this when the render is the final deliverable (for YouTube, a client, social media, etc.) and you need a reasonable file size.

1. Make sure your composition is selected in the timeline.
2. Go to Composition > Add to Adobe Media Encoder Queue (or press Ctrl+Alt+M / Cmd+Option+M).
3. Adobe Media Encoder will open and import your composition into its queue.
4. Under Preset, click the blue link to choose an export preset. H.264 - Match Source - High Bitrate is a good general-purpose choice.
5. Under Format, you can click to change the codec. H.264 is the most common for web delivery. H.265 (HEVC) produces smaller files at the same quality but is slower to encode.
6. Click on the preset name to open the full export settings dialog, which looks very similar to Premiere Pro’s export window. Here you can adjust bitrate, resolution, and other settings.
7. Click the green play button in the top-right corner to start rendering.
8. Click on the Output File link to change the save location.

When to Use Each Method

Method	File Size	Quality	Use Case
Render Queue (Lossless)	Very large (500MB-2GB/min)	Perfect, no loss	Intermediate files for further editing
Media Encoder (Compressed)	Small (50-100MB/min)	Very good, minor loss	Final delivery for web, clients, social

Tips

• Rendering is CPU and RAM intensive. Close other applications while rendering to give After Effects as much system resources as possible.
• Use Media Encoder for the final output. There is rarely a reason to deliver a lossless file to a client or upload one to YouTube. The compression from H.264 is visually transparent at reasonable bitrates.
• Render Queue for archives. If you want to keep a master copy of your work at full quality, render lossless and store it on an external drive.
• Check your composition settings before rendering. Go to Composition > Composition Settings and verify the resolution, frame rate, and duration are correct. It is frustrating to render a 10-minute composition only to realize it was set to the wrong frame rate.
• For exporting from Premiere Pro instead, the process is similar. Press Ctrl+M to open the export dialog directly.

That is how you render and export from After Effects. Render Queue for lossless intermediates, Media Encoder for compressed delivery. Choose the right one for where the footage is going next.