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Photoshop MCP Server for Claude Desktop: Setup & Config

Photoshop MCP Server lets Claude Desktop control a locally installed Photoshop through photoshop-python-api.

What you can do with Photoshop in Claude Desktop

A Windows Photoshop bridge for assistant-driven document creation, layer work, and inspection.

  • Create a Photoshop document and add a text layer.
  • Inspect the layers of an open PSD.

Before you start: Photoshop in Claude Desktop

  • Windows
  • Locally installed Adobe Photoshop
  • Python 3.10+
  • uv / uvx for the recommended configuration

The README reports testing Photoshop CC2017 through 2024. macOS and Linux are not supported. Set PS_VERSION to the local release you intend to control.

Photoshop Claude Desktop configuration

  1. Choose Claude Desktop configuration scope

    For Photoshop MCP Server, open macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json. Merge under mcpServers via Settings → Developer → Edit Config when available.

  2. Add Photoshop MCP Server to Claude Desktop

    Use the photoshop-python-api-mcp-server entry below in mcpServers. Keep Photoshop MCP Server's documented stdio connection fields and your other Claude Desktop entries.

  3. Check Photoshop MCP Server in Claude Desktop

    Photoshop MCP Server: Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop; check developer diagnostics.

Config file · macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

JSON
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "photoshop-python-api-mcp-server": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--python",
        "3.10",
        "photoshop-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PS_VERSION": "<Installed Photoshop version, such as 2024>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Photoshop tools available to Claude Desktop

Photoshop's stored tool list documents 2 tools; compare it with Claude Desktop's connected tool list, because the stored list is not a live check.

create_document

When Claude Desktop requests create_document from Photoshop, review the action before approving it.

Create a new document in Photoshop.

create_text_layer

When Claude Desktop requests create_text_layer from Photoshop, review the action before approving it.

Photoshop: full stored tool descriptions

Troubleshooting Photoshop in Claude Desktop

  • Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop for Photoshop MCP Server. If uvx --python (from uv, for Python tools) is missing, check the desktop process's PATH, which may differ from your terminal.
  • In Claude Desktop's Photoshop MCP Server entry, check PS_VERSION. Keep secrets out of shared screenshots and repositories.
  • Photoshop MCP Server uses stdio here: Claude Desktop must keep the configured process running; protocol output belongs on stdout and diagnostics on stderr.
  • Known limitation: Runs only on Windows because of COM dependencies.
  • Known limitation: Requires Photoshop to be installed locally.
  • General Claude Desktop troubleshooting lives in the /clients/claude-desktop guide.

Photoshop MCP Server — details. Claude Desktop guide

Frequently asked questions

Claude Desktop loads Photoshop MCP Server from claude_desktop_config.json: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/ on macOS, or %APPDATA%\Claude\ on Windows. Open it via Settings → Developer → Edit Config when available.

Claude Desktop's photoshop-python-api-mcp-server example uses stdio.

Photoshop MCP Server's Claude Desktop configuration invokes uvx --python (from uv, for Python tools).

Claude Desktop's Photoshop MCP Server example references PS_VERSION. Check these names if startup or authentication fails; the example alone does not distinguish required from optional values.

Photoshop MCP Server's stored list contains 2 tools, including create_document, create_text_layer. Compare those names with Claude Desktop's connected tool list; the stored list is not a live check.

No. Windows-specific COM interfaces make Windows the only supported operating system.

Yes. The bridge connects to a local Adobe Photoshop installation.