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Highlighter
One click creates a smart animated highlight box and cursor, styled like a clean UI/SaaS selection box, for any layer, including text, images, shapes, and more. Animate the box and cursor in from any direction you want.
Link layers, change the text, and everything responds- animation included. You can even export a ready MOGRT for Premiere Pro.
Features
Highlight any text layer with a perfectly aligned box and animated cursor. Works with all fonts and supports responsive scaling.
Apply Highlighter to image layers, PNG files, or Photoshop files. The box wraps your image perfectly with full control.
Works seamlessly with shape layers and Illustrator files. Highlight any vector or shape with full flexibility.
Create an independent Highlighter without selecting any layer and use it freely — fit it around anything you want in your composition.
Link other layers to the Highlighter box so they scale and move together. Build fully responsive motion graphics with Nulls & Parenting.
Export your Highlighter as a responsive MOGRT for Adobe Premiere Pro with a single click using the Control button.
Quick Use
The tool also lets you create a Highlighter without selecting any layer at all, and use it independently with anything you want. All you have to do is choose the settings that suit you and press the Highlighter button, and then you can fit it to anything you want — for example, this very line in the article in front of you right now.
Interface
Interface Overview
Highlighter features a streamlined, non-intrusive UI divided into Box Tab and Tool Tab , along with Color Swatches, Settings, and Help windows. Explore each detailed module below to see how every control operates.
Box color settings allow you to choose for the box to be Fill & Stroke , Fill only , Stroke only , or neither Fill nor Stroke at all, along with a numeric box to set the Box Stroke thickness.
Below that, you'll find the cursor color settings through Cursor Color Mode , featuring the same four options, along with a numeric box to set the Circle Stroke thickness.
You have five placement options: Smart (automatically determines direction based on layer type and language), Left To Right , Right To Left , Both Top (cursor appears from both sides at top), and Both Bottom (appears from both sides at bottom).
Five quick swatches open a direct Color Picker: Box Fill , Box Stroke , Circle Fill , Circle Stroke , and Line Stroke .
Let's go over the Highlighter button . This button behaves differently depending on what's actually selected. First, if a single layer of any type is selected and you press this button, it creates a box linked directly to that layer.
Delete Highlighter & Layers: Select the box layer and press Delete to erase the box, cursor, and associated Null layers completely.
Delete Cursor / Nulls Only: Selecting only the cursor or Null layers and pressing Delete removes only those specific elements.
The Box Tab toolbar. The first thing in it is the Add Layer to Box Sources button . If you already created a Highlighter on one layer or more, and you want to add a new layer to be included with it in the Highlighter, just select the box, then select the layer you want to add, and press the Add button. The layer will be added as a new source for the box, and the box will automatically resize to include it along with the animation, without any manual adjustment from you.
The second thing is the Remove Layer from Box Sources button . If you want to remove a layer from the layers the box is linked to, so it focuses only on the remaining layers, just select the box, then select the layer you want to remove from the selection, and press the Remove Layer button. It will be removed from the box's sources, and the box will automatically resize on the remaining layers along with the animation, without any manual adjustment from you.
The third thing is the 3D button , which converts the box and its cursor to three dimensions. All you have to do is select the cursor layer and the Highlighter layer, along with the Null layers if present, and press the button. It will convert all of them to 3D while preserving the connection and consistency, and keeping the parenting sequence between them exactly as it is, without any issues.
The fourth thing is the Lock / Unlock Transform button . If you want to animate the layers the box is working on separately (such as Scale, Rotation, or Position) without the box being affected, select the box and press the unlock button, and you'll find the link disconnected, letting you move the layers freely without the box following them. And if you want to reconnect it, select the box again and press the same button, and you'll find the link restored, with the box following the layer again if you move it.
The Duplicate button : when you select the Highlighter layer and press it, it creates a copy of the selected box and its cursor. This is useful if you want to reuse this same box and cursor, animation included, and of course, it will be an independent Highlighter that you can use and adjust with anything you want — for example, I'll use it with this example.
Contains 11 directional buttons to animate box scale from any corner or edge with a single click, automatically generating keyframes in the preset control.
Features Circle Scale animation alongside 5 Trim Path controls (In, Out, InOut, MidIn, and Reverse Path) for complete cursor line motion control.
Delete All Animation & Keyframes: If you select the entire Highlighter layer without selecting any specific keyframes, the button erases all the animation and keyframes from the selected box, whether box or cursor, without deleting the layer itself at all.
Delete Selected Keyframes Only: If you select only specific keyframes, the button erases only those keyframes and reverts the preset control values to the last state they were in before the keyframes were set.
Selecting the Highlighter box creates 8 corner Null layers linked directly to the box points for attaching secondary graphics, text, or elements.
Attaches layers based on selection order. Combine with Nulls to build fully responsive boxes that adapt dynamically to text or setting changes.
Converts the Highlighter box into an Alpha Matte for selected layers. Pressing again removes the Alpha Matte cleanly.
Links the Scale property of selected layers to the Highlighter box, causing attached elements to enlarge or shrink synchronously.
Control Null Generation: Gathers all preset controls into a single Control Null for easy dragging into Essential Graphics.
Shift + Click MOGRT Export: Adds all controls directly to Essential Graphics to export responsive MOGRT templates for Adobe Premiere Pro.
Preset Control
Enables or disables the box's Fill, changes the color and opacity of both Fill and Stroke, toggles the Lock Transform option (best used via the Lock button to keep position), and controls Extra Padding and Font Height character fitting.
Provides comprehensive Scale controls for resizing the box smoothly from any side, edge, or corner you choose.
Controls adding extra spacing around the box — either universally in all directions, or fine-tuned independently across width, height, right, left, top, or bottom.
Gives you independent positioning control over moving the box on its own without affecting the source layer, using separate horizontal (X), vertical (Y), and 3D depth (Z) offset values.
Rotates the box from its center point, from any edge (right, left, top, bottom), or from any of the four corners — and the cursor follows box rotations automatically without manual adjustment.
General cursor controls: toggle cursor visibility, choose Placement Mode (Smart, LTR, RTL, Top, Bottom), toggle left/right lines and circles, and enable Auto Cursor Scale and 3D mode.
Full color management for the cursor: toggle and style circle Fill and Stroke (color, opacity, lock both sides), and independently customize cursor line colors and opacity with lock support.
Controls the thickness of cursor lines and circles — either universally across both sides or customized independently per side when unlocked.
Controls circle sizes overall or independently per side when unlocked, with Circle Anchor Point settings (Smart auto-anchor at line intersections, or side/corner anchors).
Controls appearance and disappearance of cursor lines and circles: Start, End, and Offset line timing, with Circles Follow Lines mode or independent circle timing.
Adds extra spacing around cursor lines (overall, width, height, or per side), along with matching independent padding controls for the cursor circles.
Manual X, Y, and Z axis offset controls for cursor lines (overall or per side when unlocked), with matching offset controls for cursor circles.
An effect added once per source layer, establishing the dynamic parenting and tracking links between the Highlighter box and its source layers.
Tutorial
SFX
Sound Effects Pack |
Download dedicated sound effects designed specifically for the Highlighter box and cursor animations without having to search for sound effects, ready to use instantly with any Highlighter you create.
FAQs
How do I create my first Highlighter?
- Select the layer you want to highlight (text, image, shape, or any layer type).
- In the Box Tab, choose the Color Mode for both the box and cursor, along with the color shade.
- Press the Highlighter button — the box and cursor will be created perfectly aligned.
- To animate, go to the Tool Tab and use the direction buttons and Trim Path controls.
Can I use Highlighter without selecting any layer?
Yes! You can create a Highlighter without selecting any layer at all. Just choose the settings you want and press the Highlighter button. The box is created freely and you can position and fit it around anything in your composition manually.
How do I change the cursor direction?
There are two ways: either select the Highlighter layer and change the Cursor Directions settings in the Box Tab, or use the preset added to the Highlighter layer in Effect Controls under the Cursor | General group, where you can choose from 5 placement modes: Smart, left to right, right to left, both from top, or both from bottom.
What is the Control button and how does it work with Premiere Pro?
The Control button creates a Control Null layer with all preset controls in one place. Hold Shift and press it to automatically add all controls into the Essential Graphics panel. If you also select the source layer (text or image), it gets added too — letting you export a fully responsive MOGRT for Adobe Premiere Pro with a single click.
What is the Lock button and when should I use it?
The Lock button enables or disables the Lock Transform option, which keeps the Highlighter box fixed in place when you make changes. It's recommended to use the Lock button directly instead of the preset option, because it preserves the box's position correctly during the locking process.
How do I use Nulls and Parenting to build a responsive box?
Select the Highlighter box and press the Null button to add corner Nulls. Then select the layer you want to attach, select the corresponding Null, and press the Parent button. Once each layer is attached to its Null, you'll have a fully flexible box that responds to any preset change automatically.
Does Highlighter work in 3D compositions?
Yes. Use the 3D button in the toolbar to convert the Highlighter and its cursor to 3D layers. The cursor follows box rotations automatically through the Box | Rotation preset group, so you don't need to adjust it manually when rotating the box in 3D space.
Trial Limitations
- 5 Uses: Create Highlighter Box
- 3 Uses: Corner Follow Nulls
- 3 Uses: Link Source Scale
- 5 Uses: Parent to Box
- 5 Uses: Alpha Matte Tool
- 5 Uses: Convert Box to 3D
- 5 Uses: Lock Transform Toggle
- 5 Uses: Duplicate Box
- 5 Uses: Box Animation Presets
- 5 Uses: Trim Path & Path Reverse
- 5 Uses: Control Box (MOGRT Export)
- 5 Uses: Add / Remove Source Layers
The free trial is fully featured with usage limits. Go Pro to unlock: Get the full version for unlimited Highlighters, unrestricted preset controls, unlimited MOGRT exports, and lifetime updates — elevate your workflow today!
Discussions
Want to talk about it?
Head over to r/aescripts to chat with fellow users about this product.
Need Support?
Please open a support ticket to be connected directly with the author of this product
Version History
1.2 -
Aug 24, 2026
• Duplicate Box Fixed:
- Resolved an issue where duplicating a Highlighter box would change the cursor stroke width and circle scale, even though the preset values stayed the same.
- Resolved an issue where the duplicated layer appeared below the original Highlighter layers instead of above it.
- Duplicated boxes now keep the exact same stroke, scale, and correct layer order as the original box.
• Delete Button Fixed (Control Null):
- Resolved an issue where deleting a Highlighter control null did not remove its linked box presets or its entry in the Essential Graphics panel.
- Deleting a control null now also removes its preset links, its source layer, and its controls from the Essential Graphics panel, cleaning everything up in one step.
1.1 -
Aug 20, 2026
• Lock Transform Controls Fixed:
- Resolved a critical issue where disabling "Lock Transform" would prevent the Box Scale, Box Padding, and Box Rotation controls from working.
- Animation presets and transform controls now function perfectly whether the box is locked or unlocked.
- This fix maintains complete stability for anchor points, source layer positioning, 3D conversion, and layer addition/removal.
• Improvements
• Alpha Matte Toggle Behavior:
- Improved the Alpha Matte button to act as a proper toggle.
- Applying Alpha Matte to a text/layer that already has it will now correctly remove the Alpha Matte.
- Re-applying it (by selecting the layer and the Highlighter box) will restore the Alpha Matte flawlessly.
1.0.0 -
Aug 18, 2026
Compatibility
After Effects
2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022
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