Which layers will an Adjustment Layer affect?

An Adjustment Layer in Adobe After Effects is a special type of layer that can apply effects to other layers in your composition. When an Adjustment Layer is added, it modifies the visual properties of the layers that it influences.

The correct understanding is that an Adjustment Layer affects only the layers that are below it in the layer stack. This means that any layer positioned underneath the Adjustment Layer will be impacted by any effects or changes applied to the Adjustment Layer, allowing for creative control over how certain elements in the composition appear.

For instance, if you apply a Gaussian Blur effect to an Adjustment Layer, only the layers stacked beneath it will receive the blurring effect. Layers that are above this Adjustment Layer will remain unchanged, which is crucial for preserving specific aspects of your composition while still enhancing or altering others.

This functionality helps create complex visual compositions, giving the user flexibility in how they approach effects and layering strategy in their projects.