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AEAfter Effects

Plugin Everything Effect Matte

by Plugin Everything·VFX

Images © Plugin Everything. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

Effect Matte covers a long span of After Effects versions, from CS6 through 2026, with native Apple Silicon support added along the way. Worth noting the requirement for continuous rasterization and the CC2018-only parenting behaviour before relying on it.

What is Plugin Everything Effect Matte?

Effect Matte is a matte plugin for After Effects from Plugin Everything. It provides expansion with both positive and negative values, roundness and feathering controls, and an invert matte option. Its Auto Set Matte feature sets the matte automatically when applied to a layer.

Compatibility runs from After Effects CS6 up through the yearly releases to After Effects 2026, in 32bpc color, with text and video layers. Native support for ARM chips, meaning Apple Silicon, was added in an earlier release, and the plugin also supports multi-frame rendering. Mac users need OSX version 10.8 or higher.

A few limitations are worth noting. Effect Matte requires layers to have continuous rasterization enabled, it is compatible with parented layers only on CC2018, and the Auto Set Matte feature does not work with shape layers. A demo video is available.

Who is Plugin Everything Effect Matte best for?

Plugin Everything Effect Matte is best for after Effects artists creating mattes on text and video layers who want expansion, roundness and feathering controls.

How much does Plugin Everything Effect Matte cost?

Plugin Everything Effect Matte is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Expansion with both positive and negative values
  • Roundness control
  • Feathering
  • Invert matte option
  • Auto Set Matte, which sets the matte automatically when applied to a layer
  • Native support for ARM chips (Apple Silicon)
  • Multi-frame rendering (MFR) support

Tags

#Effect Matte#Plugin Everything#After Effects#matte#feathering#masking#compositing

Frequently asked questions

Which After Effects versions does Effect Matte support?

Effect Matte lists compatibility with a wide range of After Effects versions, from CS6 through CC 2014, CC 2015 and 2015.3, CC 2017 and 2018, CC 2019, and the yearly releases from 2020 up to After Effects 2026. It works in 32bpc color and supports text and video layers. Before relying on it in a specific setup, check the developer's page to confirm the details for your exact After Effects version.

Does Effect Matte run natively on Apple Silicon Macs?

Effect Matte added native support for ARM chips, meaning Apple Silicon, in version 1.3.7 released in February 2022. For Mac users, OSX version 10.8 or higher is required. If you are on an Apple Silicon Mac, use a build from that version or later for native performance rather than an earlier release. For the current download and any platform-specific notes, check the developer's page.

Why isn't my matte behaving as expected in Effect Matte?

Effect Matte requires layers to have continuous rasterization enabled, so if a matte is not behaving as expected, that setting is the first thing to check. It is compatible with layers that have parents, but only on CC2018. The Auto Set Matte feature, which sets the matte automatically when applied to a layer, is not compatible with shape layers. Keeping these limitations in mind helps explain unexpected results.

Does Effect Matte support multi-frame rendering?

Effect Matte supports multi-frame rendering (MFR), which was added in version 1.3.5 alongside After Effects 2021 support in March 2021. The most recent release, version 1.4.0 from March 2025, fixed MFR rendering stability. If you render with multi-frame rendering enabled, use a current build to benefit from that stability fix. For the latest download and version details, check the developer's page. A demo video is also available.

Is Effect Matte free?

Effect Matte is listed as free in this catalog. Pricing and licensing terms can change, so for the current arrangement, activation steps and the latest download, check the developer's page directly. The changelog shows the plugin uses an activation system, with improved support for online activation and better error messaging for online activation issues added in version 1.3.9 in November 2022. Licensing framework updates also appear across several earlier releases.

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