Effects and animation — overview

Studio has two kinds of effect — static Visual effects that work on any template, and Animation effects (entrance, exit, emphasis, continuous, style) that only run on video templates. Here's where to find them and how timing works.

Updated July 1, 2026

Studio's Effects system covers two different things that are easy to conflate, so it's worth separating them up front:

  • Visual effects are static — a drop shadow, an inner shadow, a layer blur, a background blur. They change how an element looks, permanently, and they work on both image and video templates. (Color filter is a related look, but it's only available as an animated Style effect on video templates — see below.)
  • Animation effects — entrance, exit, emphasis, continuous, and style — play out over time. They only apply to video templates (a template with a duration greater than zero); on an image template there's no timeline for them to run against.

For the full categorized list of animation effects, see Animation effects reference.

Where to find them#

Effects live in the Effects section of the Properties tab, for whichever element you have selected. It opens as a set of Figma-style popovers — pick a category, then pick an effect, then tune its settings.

For animation effects specifically, timing is handled separately in the Timeline panel, which appears along the bottom of the editor once your template has a duration set. See Video templates for enabling video mode.

Tracks and start/end frames#

Once an element has an animation effect, it shows up as a track on the Timeline panel. Each effect on that track has a start frame and an end frame — the window during which it plays. Drag either edge to change when the effect starts or how long it runs, or drag the whole block to move it earlier or later without changing its length.

A single element can carry more than one animation effect — for example, an entrance effect that plays once at the start, plus a continuous effect (like a gentle float) that loops for as long as the element is visible.

Easing, in plain language#

Every effect has an easing setting that controls its feel — not just what moves, but how it moves. Studio offers named easing presets so you don't have to think in curves:

  • Smooth / gentle — even, calm motion with no sudden starts or stops. Good for understated, premium-feeling brands.
  • Snappy / punchy — fast, decisive motion that gets to its end state quickly. Good for grabbing attention or urgency (sales, countdowns).
  • Bouncy / elastic — overshoots the target and settles back, like a spring. Good for playful, energetic brands.
  • Steady — constant speed throughout, no acceleration or deceleration. Good for continuous/looping effects where you don't want a rhythmic pulse.
  • Dramatic — pronounced, exaggerated timing that draws the eye. Good for a single hero moment, used sparingly.
  • Gravity / thump — motion that behaves like something falling or landing with weight. Good for drop-in/impact-style entrances.

Each effect ships with a sensible default easing already applied — you only need to change it if the default doesn't match your brand's motion style.

Where to go next#