A keyframe in animation is a specific reference point in an animation where a change or adjustment is made to an object's state or property.

A frame is a single image within a sequence of images. It is the building block of any video, film, or animation. Each frame is flashed on the screen for a fraction of a second and human persistence of vision blends them together, producing the illusion of movement.

Keyframes Animation: A Quick Guide

Q: Where does the word keyframe come from?

The word "keyframe" comes from the early days of keyframe animation, when each frame was drawn by hand, which was a very time-consuming and difficult task.Disney pioneered keyframe animation in the 30s by setting up the main poses of movement to be drawn by artists and the inbetween frames were created by less experienced colleagues or machines. The company was the first to set up the principles of animation and influenced other studios to adopt their techniques.

Q: What is the difference between a frame and a keyframe?

The difference between a keyframe and a frame is that a frame is a single component from a sequence of frames, while a keyframe is a reference point that marks how the object or element transitions, or changes to that particular frame.

Q: What is interpolation in the context of keyframes?

Interpolation in the context of keyframes is the process of filling data between two keyframes. The changes made to property values can be calculated in different ways based on what type of keyframes are set.

Q: What are the advantages of keyframes?

The advantages of keyframes are:- They speed up the animation process- They let animators create any kind of movement with ease- They create smooth transitions- They make later changes easy to make- They can be reused for other elements because they are easy to copy and paste

Q: What are the disadvantages of keyframes?

The disadvantages of keyframes are:- It can be time-consuming to manually set up and adjust each keyframe- Complex movements are challenging to create- It is difficult to keep track of them when you have a lot of keyframes set on the timeline

Keyframe animations are the foundation of modern motion design, allowing creators to produce smooth transitions and dynamic movements with precision.

In this article, we explore the concept of keyframe animation, including the origin of the term "keyframe," the pros and cons, the different types of keyframes, the best use cases, and additional key insights.

Table of Contents:

What is a keyframe?

A keyframe is a specific point in a timeline that marks a change in an object's properties. It tells the software that something should start or stop happening at that moment. You might use a keyframe to begin a fade-in, adjust the position of an object, or trigger an effect at a certain time.

In creative workflows such as animation, video editing, web development, or audio design, keyframes are essential tools for controlling timing and transitions.

Character keyframe animation - Made by SVGator

What is a keyframe in animation?

In animation, a keyframe identifies a precise moment when an object undergoes a change in properties like position, size, rotation, or transparency.

Modern animation tools depend on keyframes to set the start and end points for transitions. Between these points, the software fills in the movement, creating smooth and natural-looking motion. This process allows animators to control the flow and timing of changes with precision.

If you want to animate an element moving from left to right over the course of three seconds, here’s how you would do it:

Set a keyframe at the starting position (A).
Set another keyframe at the ending position (B).

Once these two keyframes are placed, the animation software will automatically generate all the in-between frames, creating a smooth transition from point A to point B. The speed of the animation is determined by how far apart the keyframes are on the timeline. A longer gap between them means the element will take more time to move from A to B, resulting in a slower animation.

Example of using keyframes for animation — Keyframe Animation Example - Made by SVGator

Where does the word "keyframe" come from?

The word "keyframe" comes from the early days of animation, when each frame had to be drawn by hand. This process was slow, detailed, and required a high level of skill and patience.

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In the 1930s, Disney introduced a new way of working by assigning the main poses of a movement to skilled artists. The frames that appeared between these key poses were filled in by assistants or mechanical tools, which helped speed up the production.

Disney was the first to formalize the core ideas behind animation. These principles influenced the entire industry and were quickly adopted by other studios around the world.

In the 1970s, computer animation appeared as a new method of creating animated images. It kept the keyframe structure but replaced hand drawing with digital models and mathematical techniques to bring characters and scenes to life.

What is the difference between a frame and a keyframe?

The difference between a frame and a keyframe lies in their roles within animation. A frame is a single image in a sequence that, when played in rapid succession, creates the illusion of motion. A keyframe, on the other hand, acts as a crucial reference point that defines how an object or element changes or moves at that specific moment. While frames make up the entire animation, keyframes mark the significant moments where transitions happen, shaping the overall movement and flow.

Frame: one single component from a sequence of frames

Keyframe: marks the changes/transitions assigned to a particular frame

Animated Line Artwork Illustration — Ladybug keyframe animation- Made by Ivan Mesaros & Animated by SVGator

What is the difference between keyframe animation and motion capture?

Keyframe animation is a technique where animators manually create specific poses or "keyframes" at certain points in time, and the software fills in the motion between these frames. This method gives animators full creative control over how a character or object moves, allowing for stylized or exaggerated actions that don’t have to follow the laws of real-world physics. It’s especially useful for animations that feature fantastical creatures, cartoon characters, or abstract visuals where realism isn’t the goal.

Motion capture, by contrast, records the movements of real actors using sensors or cameras and then applies that data to digital characters. This results in highly realistic animation because it captures all the natural subtleties of human movement. Motion capture is commonly used in films and video games where lifelike motion is essential.

The main difference between the two lies in the process: keyframe animation is manually crafted and more flexible in style, while motion capture is performance-based and focused on realism.

What is a frame?

A frame is essentially one individual image in a series that makes up a video, film, or animation. It serves as the fundamental unit of any moving visual content. Each frame appears on the screen for just a tiny fraction of a second, and our brains combine these rapidly changing images to create the seamless illusion of motion.

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The speed at which these frames are shown is measured in frames per second, or FPS. Most videos use a standard rate of 24 FPS, but increasing this number results in noticeably smoother and more fluid motion on screen.

Chocolate cake morphing effect animation - Made by SVGator — Keyframe easing animation - Made by SVGator

What does a motion capture do?

Motion capture, or mocap, is a technology that records movement and translates it into digital data. It’s widely used in film, video games, sports, and healthcare. Actors or subjects wear suits with sensors that track their movements, which are then applied to digital characters or models for realistic animation. This allows for lifelike motion in games and movies, and it also helps in analyzing physical performance in sports and medicine.

Is keyframe animation easy?

For simple movements, keyframe animation can be quite straightforward. You set key points in time, and the software fills in the motion between them, which is great for beginners. But as animations get more complex, with detailed movements and natural timing, it becomes more challenging.

Learning to control easing and timing takes practice. So, while keyframe animation is easy to start, mastering it requires patience and experience.

How are keyframes used in keyframe animation software?

Every keyframe animation software follows the same logic and can be used by following these steps:

Mark the initial state of an object with a keyframe.
Choose whether to leave the initial state as it is or apply more changes to it, which, of course, will represent the new initial state of the animation.
Define how long the animation will be by adding a second keyframe on the timeline at a certain second. This will mark the ending point of the animation.
Change the state of the object at the timing marked by the second keyframe, so that it is different from the state of the object at the first keyframe.
Hit play and see a smooth transition between the two states of the object. 🎉

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The state of the object that you are changing should be the same state as the assigned animator that you are adding keyframes.

Take for example the Rotation animator. You will only change the degrees of the object (between 0 degrees and 359 degrees from the center).

Changing the object’s position, scale level, or any other state except degrees of rotation, won't result in any animated effect.

In SVGator, the first keyframe will be added along the animator right where the playhead is positioned on the timeline. By dragging the playhead on a different second and making the adjustments to the element, another keyframe will be automatically added to mark the end of the transition. The adjustments should match the chosen animator, so if you chose the Rotate animator, you can only adjust the element’s rotation.

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Pro tip: You can also reuse keyframes on the timeline by simply copying and pasting them along the timeline in order to repeat a certain transition for the same element.

You can also copy them to a different element that you want to animate in the same way. Additionally, you can make more adjustments to the keyframes that will change the timing or the behavior of the animation.

Animated man using his laptop to animate keyframes — Using keyframe animation software - Made by SVGator

What changes can you make with keyframes on an object?

You can apply numerous changes to an object using keyframes. For instance, in SVGator, you have these options:

Changes made with keyframes to an object
Position	Changes the object’s location
Origin	Changes the object’s origin (center) point
Scale	Makes the object bigger or smaller
Rotate	Moves the object in a circle around a fixed point
Skew	Makes the object oblique, asymmetrical
Opacity	Changes the degree to which an object appears to be transparent
Fill Color	Changes the object’s color
Fill Opacity	Changes the object’s opacity
Stroke Color	Changes a stroke’s color
Stroke Opacity	Changes a stroke’s opacity
Stroke Width	Changes a stroke’s width
Stroke Offset	Changes the location of a dash along a path
Stroke Dashes	Changes the dash-gap pattern of a stroke
Filters	Adds filters to the object

Types of changes made with keyframes to an object

What changes can you make to keyframes?

The changes you can make to keyframes are the following:

Timing: Adjust the speed of transitions by changing the distance between keyframes on the timeline.
Position: Reverse an animation by swapping keyframe positions via right-click and “Reverse keyframes.”
Easing: Apply easing effects to transitions from selected keyframes using the Easing panel.
Skipping transitions: Remove transitions between keyframes by applying Step End or Step Start easing, creating instant jumps (hold keyframes).

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Note: Step keyframes support step numbers as well. You can set a certain number of steps between two-step keyframes. The state of a step keyframe will be easy to distinguish in the timeline as the keyframe shape will change to a square instead of a rhombus.

Animated example of changes made to keyframes — Example of changes made to keyframes - Made by SVGator

What are the main types of keyframes?

There are 3 main types of keyframes used in animation software:

Linear Interpolation Keyframe	Bézier Interpolation Keyframe	Hold Interpolation Keyframe
Linear interpolation creates a uniform and consistent change of values from the beginning to the end, at a constant speed.	This is a more complex interpolation that makes it possible to specify the object's velocity and motion path between two points.	This maintains the object in a particular pose. It is used to freeze or block a certain keyframe in a static phase. It is also known as a stop-motion keyframe.

The 3 Main Types of Keyframes

Animated example of a linear interpolation keyframe — Linear Interpolation Example

Animated example of a bezier interpolation keyframe — Bezier Interpolation Example

Animated example of a hold interpolation keyframe — Hold Interpolation Example

What is interpolation in the context of keyframes?

Interpolation in the context of keyframes is the process of filling data between two keyframes. The changes made to property values can be calculated in different ways based on what type of keyframes are set.

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Interpolation in animation is a mathematical method used to fill in the unknown values in between two or more specified points.

What are the advantages of keyframes?

Keyframes offer several advantages:

Acceleration of the animation process
Easy creation of a wide variety of movements for animators
Smooth transitions between motions
Simplified editing during later stages
Easy copying and reuse for other elements

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The biggest advantage of using keyframes in animation is that they make the creation process far quicker without losing quality.

Instead of drawing hundreds of individual frames, animators only need to establish a few crucial reference points.

Keyframe animation software provides a broad range of advanced motion options, allowing for complex animations to be completed relatively quickly.

Additionally, keyframes help preserve the animator’s unique style and hand-drawn charm, while delivering fluid movements and a polished look. Making adjustments later is simpler because only the main key values need to be changed, rather than editing every single frame.

Animated apple smiling in the light — Artwork created by Ivan Mesaroš, animated with SVGator

What are the disadvantages of keyframes?

The disadvantages of keyframes are:

Setting up and fine-tuning each keyframe manually can be very time-consuming.
Creating intricate or complex movements can be quite difficult.
Managing a large number of keyframes on the timeline can become confusing and hard to track.

Keyframes have limitations when it comes to producing realistic, complex, and natural motion. Such movements are often easier to achieve with motion capture technology, which records actual movement.

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While video animations are excellent for explaining complex concepts and engaging audiences, they are less effective at conveying emotions and motivating viewers to take action.

What are the use cases for keyframes?

The main use cases for keyframes are video production and animation:

Post-production: Post-production is the last stage of video-making when color correction, special effects, sound design, and many other editing work takes place. In this stage, creators can add animated filters, graphics, and various animation effects, whether they are making a simple YouTube video or a Hollywood blockbuster.
Creating animations: Animations can be created from scratch using graphic software to draw and animate characters, showcase products, present a process, or just entertain the viewers. Besides traditional motion art production, there is an increasing number of businesses that choose to have animated elements on their websites for better engagement and higher conversions.

Animated example for keyframe uses and their settings — Animated example for keyframe uses - Made by SVGator

How can you use keyframes in SVGator?

You can use keyframes in SVGator in the same way as any traditional 2D keyframe animation software. All you need to do is to follow the steps described earlier. Check out this step-by-step video tutorial to learn exactly how to use keyframes:

CSS keyframe animation is made easy with SVGator, as well as Javascript keyframe animation because the code is automatically generated in the background.

SVGator offers numerous export options so that you can create a single animation for various purposes: use it on a website, in a mobile app, or post it on your social media channels as a video. A special thing about this tool is that you can also create interactive animations for the web.

Final thoughts

Keyframe animation is a great way to create stunning animations for every platform, so if you’re still hesitant about whether to try it or not, we advise you to start with our newbie-friendly tutorials. The learning curve is truly a breeze!