Home › After Effects Presets › Text › Stairstep
Free — After Effects 2026Stairstep After Effects preset
This is what the built-in Stairstep preset does. It is in the Mechanical folder of the After Effects animation presets, and it works on a text layer.
Click the preview to copy the name.
- Where
- Effects & Presets › Animation Presets › Text › Mechanical
- Works on
- A text layer
- Comes with
- After Effects. Nothing to download.
How to apply Stairstep
- Select your text layer in the timeline.
- Move the playhead to the frame where the animation should start.
- Open Window › Effects & Presets, paste the name in the search box and double-click Stairstep.
Select the layer and press U to see the keyframes the preset added, or UU to see every property it changed. Drag the keyframes closer together to make it faster. The font, size, colour and the words can all be changed after applying.
Where is Stairstep in After Effects?
Open Window › Effects & Presets and go to Animation Presets › Text › Mechanical. It is quicker to type the name in the search box at the top of the panel.
Do I need to download Stairstep?
No. It is installed with After Effects; this preview was rendered in After Effects 2026. On disk it is an .ffx file in the Presets › Text › Mechanical folder inside the After Effects application folder.
How do I change Stairstep after applying it?
Select the layer and press U to see the keyframes the preset added, or UU to see every property it changed. Drag the keyframes closer together to make it faster. The font, size, colour and the words can all be changed after applying.
