The free, open-source Photoshop, Premiere, Illustrator, After Effects and Acrobat rebuilds: real downloads, a checksum check, and PhotoCraft run by Claude Code.
Swipe or tap Next · checked on 2026-10-31
If you already have Claude Code, this is the easy way: open a terminal, make the folder, start Claude in it, and paste the prompt. It walks you through the safe download, the checksum check, the install and the connection, one step at a time, and stops before anything costs money or overwrites a file. No Claude Code yet? Start with step 1 of “Connect PhotoCraft to Claude Code” below.
Make the folder and start Claude in it (Mac or Linux)
mkdir -p ~/photocraft-work/in ~/photocraft-work/out
cd ~/photocraft-work
claudeThe setup prompt (copy all of it) · lines 1-1 of 25. Copy all copies the whole prompt; read it in full on the page.
Hi Claude. Please be my patient setup helper. I run a business and I'm not technical, so go one step at a time, tell me exactly what to type or click, and wait for me to say done before the next step.This is the manual way: every step and every command. Claude follows it too.
photocraft-cli.PhotoCraft's own docs say an MCP client gets the full rights of the folders you hand it, and that text inside an image file (layer names, metadata) can try to steer an agent. So give it one work folder to read and one out folder to write, never your whole computer.
These all come from the ArtCraft team on GitHub (the storytold account). Each one says which Adobe app it measures itself against, and each one says it's early. Here's the line-up from the video plus the two extras:
Checked 2026-10-31 on getartcraft.com/apps and each app's GitHub page. The Adobe names come from each repo's own parity notes. All free; PhotoCraft is MIT or Apache-2.0, the others Apache-2.0.
Want all of them at once? The ArtCraft Launcher (github.com/storytold/craft-launcher/releases) lists every app in the suite, installs the right build for your computer, checks it against the release's SHA-256 checksums, and tells you when there's an update. It's early alpha too.
Claude's name on the code: open PhotoCraft's commit history and look at the bottom of the messages. When we checked on 2026-10-31, 39 of the latest 100 commits ended with a Co-Authored-By: Claude line.
There are lookalike repos out there offering “official download” zips. Download only from github.com/storytold/<app>/releases or getartcraft.com, and check the checksum every time.
New versions come out every few days (v0.18.0 shipped on 2026-10-31), so always take the newest. In the file names below, <version> is that number, like 0.18.0.
photocraft-<version>-macos-universal.dmg (the app) and photocraft-cli-<version>-macos-universal.zip (the command-line tool; the Mac app doesn't include it).photocraft-<version>-windows-x64.msi. ARM laptops take the arm64 one. The command-line tool comes inside.photocraft-<version>-linux-x86_64.deb. It puts the command-line tool at /usr/bin/photocraft-cli.SHA256SUMS.txt, the list of checksums.Run the first line, then find the same file in the second line's output. The two long strings of letters and numbers must be exactly the same. If they're not, delete the file and download it again from the official page.
Mac (Terminal, in the Downloads folder)
cd ~/Downloads
shasum -a 256 photocraft-<version>-macos-universal.dmg photocraft-cli-<version>-macos-universal.zip
grep macos-universal SHA256SUMS.txtWindows (PowerShell, in the Downloads folder)
cd $HOME\Downloads
(Get-FileHash .\photocraft-<version>-windows-x64.msi -Algorithm SHA256).Hash.ToLower()
Select-String "windows-x64.msi" .\SHA256SUMS.txtLinux (checks every file you downloaded)
cd ~/Downloads
sha256sum -c SHA256SUMS.txt --ignore-missingMac: open the .dmg and install it the way its window shows you. It's signed and notarized, which means Apple checked it. Windows: run the .msi. By default it installs for your account only, into %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\ArtCraft\PhotoCraft. Linux: install the .deb as below.
Linux (Debian or Ubuntu)
cd ~/Downloads
sudo apt install ./photocraft-<version>-linux-x86_64.deb
photocraft-cli --versionThe spctl line asks macOS whether Apple notarized the tool. You want to see accepted, source=Notarized Developer ID. A bare tool can't carry Apple's ticket inside it, so the first run checks online and can take a moment. If you installed Claude Code with its own installer, ~/.local/bin is already where your terminal looks.
Mac: unzip, check, move, test
cd ~/Downloads
ditto -x -k photocraft-cli-<version>-macos-universal.zip .
spctl --assess --type install -vv photocraft-cli-<version>-macos-universal/photocraft-cli
mkdir -p ~/.local/bin
mv photocraft-cli-<version>-macos-universal/photocraft-cli ~/.local/bin/
photocraft-cli --versionSkip this if claude --version already prints a version. Claude Code needs a paid plan (Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise); the free Claude plan doesn't include it. Open a new terminal window after installing, then run claude once to log in.
Mac, Linux, WSL
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
# open a NEW terminal window, then:
claude --versionWindows (PowerShell)
irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex
# open a NEW PowerShell window, then:
claude --versionin holds your originals, out holds everything Claude makes. Put copies of photos in in, never the only copy.
Mac or Linux
mkdir -p ~/photocraft-work/in ~/photocraft-work/out
cd ~/photocraft-workWindows (PowerShell)
mkdir $HOME\photocraft-work\in, $HOME\photocraft-work\out
cd $HOME\photocraft-workClaude Code reads this file at the start of every session in this folder. It's what keeps it in out, on a copy, and asking before a batch.
CLAUDE.md (save it in photocraft-work) · Part 1 of 2 · Copy copies all 23 lines
# My PhotoCraft folder
You edit images here with PhotoCraft, over its MCP server (the photocraft tools) or with photocraft-cli.
## Folders
- in/ the originals. Read them, never change them.
- out/ everything you make goes here, and only here.
## Every edit
1. Find the right command first: command_list with a filter word (or photocraft-cli commands --filter <word>).
Never guess a command id or its params.
2. Work on a copy: duplicate the document (image.duplicate) before trying anything.
3. Save to out/ with a new name. Never overwrite a file.
4. Show me a preview (render_preview) and tell me the file name when it's done.CLAUDE.md (save it in photocraft-work) · Part 2 of 2 · Copy copies all 23 lines
## Batches
- Before you edit more than one file, show me the list of files and the steps, and wait for my yes.
- Do the first file only, show me, then the rest after my yes. Stop on the first error.
## Never
- Never write outside out/, and never change anything in in/.
- Never use a customer's photo unless I say it's cleared.
- PhotoCraft is early alpha: if a result looks wrong, stop and tell me.Run this from inside photocraft-work. Everything after the -- is the command Claude Code starts: PhotoCraft's MCP server, allowed to read your work folder and write only to out. Use full folder paths: $HOME fills in your home folder for you. This adds it for this folder only (Claude Code's default, the local scope).
Mac (with the tool in ~/.local/bin) or Linux
cd ~/photocraft-work
claude mcp add photocraft -- photocraft-cli mcp --automation-read-root "$HOME/photocraft-work" --automation-write-root "$HOME/photocraft-work/out"Windows (PowerShell, default install folder)
cd $HOME\photocraft-work
claude mcp add photocraft -- "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\ArtCraft\PhotoCraft\photocraft-cli.exe" mcp --automation-read-root "$HOME\photocraft-work" --automation-write-root "$HOME\photocraft-work\out"claude mcp list should show photocraft with ✔ Connected. Then start Claude in the folder and type /mcp to see it from the inside.
Check, then start Claude
claude mcp list
claudeCopy any photo of yours into in and name it test.png (a PNG or JPEG is fine; change the name in the commands if it's a .jpg). First the command-line tool on its own, so you know PhotoCraft works:
In a terminal, inside photocraft-work
photocraft-cli --version
photocraft-cli info in/test.png
photocraft-cli commands --filter invert
photocraft-cli run in/test.png --cmd image.adjustments.invert --out out/test-inverted.pnginfo prints the picture's size and layers, commands --filter finds command names (this is how you never guess one), and run makes an inverted copy in out. Your original stays as it was: PhotoCraft refuses to write over the file it opened unless you add --in-place, and you won't. Now the same thing through Claude:
Prompt: the same edit over MCP
Use the photocraft tools. Open in/test.png, duplicate it, invert the copy (find the command with command_list first), save it to out/test-inverted-mcp.png and show me a preview. Don't change in/test.png.Good: two inverted copies in out, a preview in the chat, and in/test.png untouched. Bad: Claude says it has no PhotoCraft tools (check claude mcp list and that you started claude inside photocraft-work), or a save is refused (it tried to write outside out, which is the folder rule doing its job).
1. Sharpen a job photo
Sharpen in/<photo>.jpg on a duplicate with smart sharpen (filter.sharpen.smartSharpen; check its params with command_list first), amount 80. Save to out/<photo>-sharp.png and show me a before and after preview.2. Give a flat logo a raised look
in/logo.png is a transparent PNG. Find the bevel and emboss layer style with command_list, apply it to a duplicate with soft settings, save out/logo-raised.png and show me. Try one setting, not ten.3. What's inside this PSD
Open in/<file>.psd and tell me what's in it: size, every layer and group by name, which ones have masks, and any missing fonts. Don't change or save anything.4. The same edit on a folder of photos
For every image in in/, I want <the edit>. First show me the list of files and the exact commands you'll run. After my yes, do the first one only and show me. After my second yes, do the rest, save each to out/ with the same name, and stop on the first error.Without Claude, the command-line tool has its own batch: photocraft-cli batch --actions steps.json --in ./in --out ./out, where steps.json is a list of [command, params] pairs. It refuses to use the same folder for in and out, so it can't overwrite your originals.
Checked 2026-10-31 on getartcraft.com and claude.com/pricing. The free Claude plan doesn't include Claude Code. Prices change: check before you buy.
PhotoCraft runs on your own computer, so there's no per-edit charge and no credits. The only paid piece is the Claude plan, and you'd only need it for the Claude Code part. The apps work fine on their own.
When we tried PhotoCraft's relight filter (filter.render.relight, on an earlier version), it blew our picture out at every setting, like a flashbang. Skip it, or try it on a duplicate in a newer version and judge the preview before you save. Alpha filters get fixed release to release.
photocraft-cli: command not foundMac: check the tool is in ~/.local/bin and open a new terminal window. Linux: install the .deb or .rpm, which put it in /usr/bin. Windows: it isn't on your PATH, so use the full path, %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\ArtCraft\PhotoCraft\photocraft-cli.exe.
claude mcp list says ✘ Failed to connect, or ENOENT / “Executable not found”Claude Code can't find photocraft-cli. Remove it with claude mcp remove photocraft and add it again with the tool's full path instead of the bare name (no ~ in it).
You added the server inside photocraft-work, so start claude from inside that folder. Type /mcp to check.
That's the folder rule: PhotoCraft only reads under photocraft-work and writes under out. Move the file into in, and save to out.
Earlier steps stay done; nothing rolls back. Ask Claude to inspect the document (doc_inspect) and undo step by step, or just delete what's in out and start over from in, which never changed.
Known gaps on PhotoCraft's page: HEIC opens read-only, AVIF only saves, JPEG XL isn't there, Affinity files open read-only, and a re-saved PSD isn't byte-for-byte the same as the original. Keep your originals.
The font isn't on your computer. PhotoCraft warns you instead of faking it; install the font, or ask Claude to list the missing fonts.
Its page says some graphics drivers crash it on start. In PowerShell, from its folder: $env:WGPU_BACKEND = "vulkan" then & .\filmcraft.exe.
Not on Wayland yet. Use File › Open, or paste with Ctrl+V.
claude mcp remove photocraft disconnects it from Claude Code. Then uninstall the app the normal way for your computer and delete photocraft-work if you're done with it.
What each page backs up is listed at the end of the full guide.
Free Adobe rebuilds with Claude's name on the code, pulled from the real place, checked, and hooked up so Claude edits in one folder and nowhere else. Early, sure, but they're yours.
Want help setting this up? Receipts Group builds these systems.
Open the full guide as a page (every file in full, plus the table of contents).