Copy or duplicate a layer

When you copy a layer, you copy all of its properties, including effects, keyframes, expressions, and masks.

Duplicating a layer is a shortcut with which you copy and paste the layer with one command. Duplicating a layer with a track matte preserves the relative ordering of the layer and its track matte.

When you paste layers, they are placed in the order in which you selected them before copying. The first layer selected is the last one to be placed, so it ends up on the top in the layer stacking order. If you select layers from the top first, they end up in the same stacking order when pasted.

If you have a component of a layer—such as a mask or keyframe—selected when you copy, you copy only that component. Before copying, press Shift+F2 to deselect all of the components of a layer and leave the layer itself selected.