Illustrator blend modes look different in after effects?

[warpigs666]

Hi all. So I've discovered that blend mode settings (multiply, overlay, etc) don't transfer over when you open a .ai file in after effects. I'm assuming there's some technical reason for that, so I've gotten in the habit of just importing the .ai layers and setting the blend mode in after effects. But after effects blend modes look very different than they do with the same layers in illustrator. I have scoured the internet but I can't figure out why this is. Can anyone explain or point me to a tutorial?

Thanks

[Roei Tzoref]

show us in full screenshots exactly how different. I have not found it to be different.

[Jose Panadero]

Are you using color profiles embedded in your Illustrator files? Maybe you need to use the same profiles for your ai files inside AE or even configure your project using color management.

[warpigs666]

Thanks guys. Here's some screenshots. They're wildly different.

Illustrator:

After Effects:

Any idea what could be causing this? I've tried just importing the .ai file and changing the map layer's blend mode, and then also importing the .ai file without the background, importing the background separately, and then changing the map's blend mode and it still just looks like this.

I have tried to figure out if this has something to do with color profiles but either it doesn't or I'm just not understanding how to make the right changes to get it to import correctly.

[Mike_Abbott · Accepted solution]

Check that your Illustrator document isn't in CMYK colour mode.

File > Document Color Mode

[Mylenium]

AI blends against its canvas, AE does not. The composition background is simply ignored for blending mode operations, hence the result will look different. If you want to ensure consistent appearance, you have to use actual fills and objects underneath and include them in your layer stack in AE, not simply rely on how it looks on the AI artboard. Of course the others do have valid points - working in RGB mode and matching color management settings (if any) is critical just as well.

Mylenium

[viktorc92663764]

I had a similar situation today. The AE ignoring multiply mode of some .ai objects. So, I exported layered .ai to layered .psd, all layers I converted to smart layer, layers which were in multiply mode in AI I again made multiply in PS. Then, this .psd successfully imported to AE with right blend modes (in my case multiply mode)

[Byron Cortez]

Remember that in Illustrator you works with tha white background and in the After Effects regularly in black background, maybe you have to change de background color in After effects at white.

If this is not a solution, try to put the same embedded profile sRGB color mode when you import the file. Right clic, Interpret footage, Color Management.

[warpigs666]

Ok so I feel like an idiot, but yes the color mode was CMYK. It wasn't by accident, I always work in CMYK, and it had occurred to me it might be part of the problem and that I should check it, but I figured it couldn't possibly make that much of a difference and I never tested it. There are still other issues but I'll save them for a different thread. Thanks everyone for the help!