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Photoshop MCP
Drive a running copy of Adobe Photoshop on Windows or macOS from an MCP client, from layers to export
By Ali Sait Teke (individual) TypeScript Local · stdio DesignMedia
75 popularity score ★ 818 ↓ 5.1k/wk
Connect your client
Local (npm)
Add in one click
Opens the app, which asks before it adds the server.
Or add it by command or config
Claude CodeTerminal
claude mcp add photoshop -- npx -y @alisaitteke/photoshop-mcpClaude Desktopclaude_desktop_config.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"photoshop": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@alisaitteke/photoshop-mcp"
]
}
}
}Cursor~/.cursor/mcp.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"photoshop": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@alisaitteke/photoshop-mcp"
]
}
}
}VS Code.vscode/mcp.json
{
"servers": {
"photoshop": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@alisaitteke/photoshop-mcp"
]
}
}
}Codex~/.codex/config.toml
[mcp_servers.photoshop]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "@alisaitteke/photoshop-mcp"]Gemini CLITerminal
gemini mcp add --scope user photoshop npx -- -y @alisaitteke/photoshop-mcpSettings 5
ANALYTICS_DISABLED |
Optional: Set to 1 or true to turn off the anonymous usage analytics that are on by default. |
|---|---|
PHOTOSHOP_PATH |
Optional: Path to a Photoshop install when automatic detection picks the wrong one. |
PHOTOSHOP_SCRIPT_TIMEOUT |
Optional: Default script timeout in milliseconds (30000 unless set). |
PSMCP_UPDATE_CHECK |
Optional: Set to 0 to stop the daily npm version check and update notices. |
PSMCP_FEEDBACK |
Optional: Set to 0 to stop the product-feedback question added to ping replies. |
What it does
Photoshop MCP is a local stdio server that controls a copy of Adobe Photoshop already open on the same Windows or macOS machine. It sends ExtendScript to Photoshop through AppleScript on macOS and COM automation on Windows, so an assistant can create and open documents, work with layers, text, selections and masks, apply filters and colour adjustments, handle smart objects and artboards, and export files.
Version 1.7.34 registers 128 tools: 111 single-step tools and 17 recipe tools that chain several steps, such as background removal, portrait retouching, web and social export, carousel splitting and batch watermarking. Each recipe lands in Photoshop's history as one step, so a single undo reverts it. A further tool, photoshop_execute_script, runs any ExtendScript the client passes, with a 30-second timeout by default (PHOTOSHOP_SCRIPT_TIMEOUT, or timeout_ms up to 600000).
The same npm package also ships a browser chat window (the ui program) that uses the server with your own AI provider key or a Claude Code or Gemini CLI login; that window is a separate program, not part of the MCP server. An experimental opt-in routing feature in that window sends prompts to api.typesafe.ai when TYPESAFE_API_KEY is set.
The server collects anonymous usage analytics by default and sends them to a Rybbit instance at hey.sideguard.io (tool names and counts, never arguments or results, per its analytics doc); ANALYTICS_DISABLED=1 turns this off. It also checks npm for a newer release at most once a day and may add an update notice or a product-feedback question to photoshop_ping replies. The tools reference shows 107 tools in detail; the recipes are listed in the prompt-layer doc. The project is community-made and not affiliated with Adobe.
What it needs
| Runtime | Node.js 18+ |
|---|
Adobe Photoshop installed and running on Windows or macOS (the README says any version from 2012). Node.js 18 or later for npx. Generative tools need Photoshop 24 or later and an Adobe account signed in with generative credits; photoshop_generative_upscale needs Photoshop 27. photoshop_neural_filter needs the optional UXP plugin from the repository installed in Photoshop.
Limits
Windows and macOS only; it drives a local Photoshop and cannot work on files without the app running. Generative fill, remove, expand, upscale and text-to-image use Adobe's Firefly features and spend the Adobe account's generative credits. A long script that is still running makes photoshop_ping return extendscript_timeout until it finishes. photoshop_install_font installs a font file already on disk and does not download it. The routing feature in the chat window is labelled experimental, and the Action Plan mode there is labelled beta.
Who it suits
Suits designers and photographers who already have Photoshop on Windows or macOS and want an assistant to do repetitive edits, batch exports and multi-step retouching, with each recipe undoable in one step. It does not suit Linux users, headless servers or anyone without a Photoshop licence. It writes to open documents and files on disk and can run arbitrary ExtendScript, so pick it when you are comfortable letting the client change your work. We also hold another Photoshop server, photoshop-mcp-2 (@synthetic-ai/photoshop-mcp), from a different maker.
Tools 60 of 128
photoshop_ping- Checks that Photoshop's scripting engine is reachable and idle
photoshop_get_version- Reports the Photoshop version
photoshop_get_capabilities- Reports which Photoshop features this install supports
photoshop_get_state- Summarises the open documents and current state
photoshop_create_document- Creates a new document with a given size
photoshop_open_image- Opens an image file from disk
photoshop_list_documents- Lists open documents with their ids
photoshop_set_active_document- Switches to another open document
photoshop_get_document_info- Returns details of the active document
photoshop_save_document- Saves the document to a path in a chosen format
photoshop_close_document- Closes a document, with or without saving
photoshop_export_as- Exports the document or layers to image files
photoshop_create_artboard- Adds an artboard of a given size
photoshop_export_artboards- Exports each artboard to its own file
photoshop_create_layer- Adds a new empty layer
photoshop_delete_layer- Removes a layer
photoshop_get_layers- Lists the layers of the document
photoshop_create_text_layer- Adds a text layer with content and styling
photoshop_update_text_content- Changes the text of a text layer
photoshop_set_text_font- Sets the font of a text layer
photoshop_list_fonts- Lists fonts available to Photoshop
photoshop_install_font- Installs a font file from disk for the current user
photoshop_fill_layer- Fills a layer with a colour
photoshop_set_layer_opacity- Sets a layer's opacity
photoshop_set_layer_blend_mode- Sets a layer's blend mode
photoshop_duplicate_layer- Copies a layer
photoshop_merge_visible_layers- Merges all visible layers
photoshop_flatten_image- Flattens the document to one layer
photoshop_move_layer_to_position- Moves a layer to a given place in the stack
photoshop_scale_layer- Scales a layer by a percentage
photoshop_rotate_layer- Rotates a layer
photoshop_apply_gaussian_blur- Applies a Gaussian blur
photoshop_apply_sharpen- Sharpens the active layer
photoshop_adjust_hue_saturation- Changes hue, saturation and lightness
photoshop_adjust_curves- Applies a curves adjustment
photoshop_apply_lut- Applies a colour lookup table
photoshop_select_subject- Selects the main subject automatically
photoshop_select_rectangle- Makes a rectangular selection
photoshop_create_layer_mask- Adds a mask to a layer
photoshop_content_aware_fill- Fills the selection from surrounding content
photoshop_undo- Steps back in the history
photoshop_get_history- Lists history states
photoshop_play_action- Runs a recorded Photoshop action
photoshop_execute_script- Runs ExtendScript code supplied by the client
photoshop_resize_image- Resizes the image
photoshop_crop_document- Crops the document
photoshop_place_image- Places an image file as a layer
photoshop_generative_fill- Fills the selection with Generative Fill from a prompt
photoshop_generative_expand- Extends the canvas with Generative Expand
photoshop_generate_image- Creates an image from a text prompt
photoshop_neural_filter- Applies a Neural Filter through the UXP plugin
photoshop_apply_layer_style- Adds layer effects such as shadow or stroke
photoshop_replace_smart_object_contents- Swaps a smart object's contents for another file
photoshop_generate_from_datasets- Renders files from imported data sets
photoshop_recipe_remove_background- Cuts out the subject onto an editable mask in one step
photoshop_recipe_enhance_portrait- Smooths skin and fixes tones in one step
photoshop_recipe_prepare_for_web- Converts, downsizes and sharpens for web output
photoshop_recipe_export_social_variants- Exports sized copies for social networks
photoshop_recipe_split_carousel- Splits a wide design into numbered slides
photoshop_recipe_batch_watermark- Watermarks a folder of images, leaving originals untouched