What Software Do 2D Animators Use?

Most software applications commonly used in 2D animation are programs within the Adobe Creative Cloud. These programs are closely integrated with one another and offer users the tools they need to easily and effectively create vibrant animated assets and projects.

Adobe After Effects

The most commonly used tool by 2D Animators is Adobe After Effects, a digital motion graphics application primarily used to construct animated assets intended to be placed into a video file in post-production. After Effects is the tool used to create digital, animated effects ranging from animated title cards and logos up to elaborate digital effects and full digital simulacrum in film, television, online content, and video games. Adobe After Effects is a versatile tool used in a wide variety of different projects, meaning that learning how to use it is an ideal step for anyone aspiring to work in an animation-related industry. As a bonus, most training programs, including Noble’s Adobe After Effects Bootcamp, couple 2D animation training with instruction in After Effects 3D animation functionalities, meaning that students in these classes will learn animation skills that apply to other kinds of animation projects, laying the groundwork for a possible new career path to follow.

Adobe Premiere Pro

While Adobe After Effects is used to create animated assets, Premiere Pro is the tool that is used to compile those animated assets and insert them into a video file. Premiere Pro is a video editing application that allows users to take the work they have done in other animation applications and add them to a finished project that is ready for publication. This can include things as minor as adding a title card produced in After Effects before the beginning of a video or as complex as manually inserting digitally animated effects into partially completed video footage during the post-production process. Premiere Pro is also used in traditional animation contexts to edit together the completed work on a team of animators. In this case, it is used like a traditional video editing tool, with the animators compiling their work, cutting it together, and handling the technical aspects of film editing, like maintaining continuity between cuts and ensuring that audio files align with animation files.

Adobe Photoshop

Less commonly used than either Premiere Pro or After Effects, Adobe Photoshop fills two important niche roles in animation. The first is that it is often used to create some of the assets that are later converted into animated digital objects using After Effects. This isn’t always the case, but in many contexts, an image is constructed in Photoshop before it is brought in After Effects to have elements of that image animated. This is often the case with things like online advertisements or animated title sequences.

Photoshop is also rapidly becoming the most commonly used application for building animated GIFs. Since flash and similar programs don’t run well (or often at all) on mobile devices, Photoshop is used to apply traditional animation techniques to digital images. Users will subtly alter elements of a photoshopped image to create the illusion of motion. Given the simplicity of laying these different Photoshop files on top of each other, it makes an ideal system for building GIFs.

How to Learn 2D Animation Software

Once you know what tools you will need to learn to become a 2D Animator, the obvious next question is how you can go about learning these tools. There are a lot of different training options, each of which come with their own advantages and disadvantages. Each student learns differently, so you should aim to pick the training method that works before for you.

Students may be tempted to try and bypass the whole training process by attempting to self-teach these tools. This is not recommended for two major reasons. First, it can be incredibly difficult to learn complex design tools like After Effects without some measure of guidance, particularly if you are hoping to parlay your skills into a career (many hiring managers will simply not trust someone who claims to have taught themselves how to be a 2D Animator). Second, one of the most important aspects of learning a design skill is iterating on the designs and learning why animators make certain decisions. You may be able to teach yourself how to use After Effects, but you probably can’t teach yourself why an animator would use one feature of After Effects over another.

Professional skills training comes in a few different forms. On-demand learning options are available for students who need added flexibility in their training schedule. These classes let students work on their own time, allowing them to work their training around things like work and family obligations. However, these courses run into one of the same problems that self-teach runs into, namely the lack of an instructor to provide students with feedback. These are great ways to learn the fundamentals of a design application, but will likely need to be supplemented with additional training.

The most immersive option for animation software training is a live in-person or online class. These classes are taught by experienced instructors who are available in real-time to provide feedback and assistance on your work. In addition to getting hands-on training, the instructors can provide personalized feedback on your work, which is a vital part of becoming a more skilled animator. These are the ideal classes for students looking to shift into a new career as a 2D Animator.

Other Skills Needed to Become a 2D Animator

Being a successful 2D Animator requires more than knowing how to use software applications. While this is an integral part of the process, animators will also need to hone several different soft skills to succeed in their work. You’ll need to learn how to work under tight deadlines and how to iterate upon the animations you are working on. Both are skills that you can begin to practice in a live training environment since the course structure will require you to finish your work on a deadline and respond to your instructor’s feedback.

Learn the Skills to Become a 2D Animator at Noble Desktop

Once you’ve committed to learning the skills necessary to become a 2D Animator, Noble Desktop is available to make that dream a reality through professional skills instruction. Noble offers a wide array of 2D animation classes, available in person or online, and all of these classes are taught by expert instructors with years of on-the-job experience. This structure means that regardless of how your course is delivered, you’ll receive real-time instruction and be able to ask questions and receive personalized feedback on your work. Similarly, no matter whether you take the course in person or online, you’ll benefit from small class sizes and all of the professionalization support options, including one-on-one career mentoring in the career-certificate programs. Finally, every Noble class comes with the option for a free retake within one year, meaning that you’ll have the chance to build your portfolio and get even more hands-on experience in preparation for entering the job market.

Students interested in a career change may consider enrolling in Noble’s Motion Graphics Certificate program. This class aims to teach students how to use tools like Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro to create evocative 2D and 3D animated assets for many practical projects. In this class, students will be guided through the process of using After Effects to animate text, photos, and videos, and they will learn how to modify these animations in subtle but perceptible ways slightly. Students will also learn how to create animated images using layered Photoshop and Illustrator files (this course does not include instruction in either of these tools, they are prerequisites for taking the course). Finally, students will learn how to use Premiere Pro to edit their animated assets into video files. All this work will culminate in a series of professionalization seminars, including a portfolio-building workshop and a one-on-one mentorship session, intended to prepare students for a career as a 2D or 3D Animator.

Students who aren’t ready to make a significant career shift but do want to learn 2D animation skills may want to consider one of Noble’s many motion graphics bootcamps. These classes include the Adobe After Effects Bootcamp, which provides students with guided instruction in the use of After Effects for creating animated digital assets and the Adobe Premiere Pro Bootcamp, which teaches students how to use that program to compile their animated assets into a completed project. These courses are excellent starting points for new animators looking to learn the trade. However, they don’t provide students with any of the professionalization services offered through Noble’s career certificate programs.

Finally, students who aren’t sure that they want to start learning 2D animation but are intrigued by the possibility should consult some of Noble’s free training resources to learn more. Noble’s Learn 2D Animation page, as well as their Learn After Effects and Learn Premiere Pro page compiles a weird range of articles, free seminars and resources that students can use to help them on their 2D Animation career path. Noble also provides prospective 2D Animators with a career information hub to help them decide if a career change is right for them.