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Every action in Align Pro (align, distribute, and distribute spacing) is measured against a target you choose first. This is the Align to control at the top of the panel, shown as either a row of icon buttons or a dropdown menu depending on your panel preferences.
TargetAligns/distributes relative to…
CompositionThe composition frame.
OutsideThe same as Composition, but layers land just outside the frame edges instead of flush against them. Handy for positioning layers off-screen before or after a slide in/out.
SelectionThe combined bounding box of your current selection.
Key LayerThe first layer you selected (the key layer). Every other selected layer moves; the key layer never does.
Title SafeAfter Effects’ title-safe margin, set in Preferences > Grids & Guides. Hold Alt/Option while clicking an align or distribute button to use the action-safe margin instead.
Some Align to targets disable specific buttons or modifiers that wouldn’t make sense together. For example, Outside disables centering, since “outside” is only meaningful at an edge. See Modifiers.