AI Creative OS
01The 7 apps02Give Claude the handbook03Drive the CLI04Refine by hand05Chain the apps

The Craft Suite: 7 Open-Source Creative Apps Claude Can Drive

PhotoCraft, FilmCraft, EffectCraft, VectorCraft, LightCraft, PdfCraft and DesignCraft: free, open-source Rust rebuilds of the Adobe apps, each with a command-line tool and an AGENTS.md handbook so Claude can run them. Install steps, repo links and copy-paste prompts.
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0101
The 7 apps
Seven apps, one family. Each is a separate, free, open-source repo from the ArtCraft team (github.com/storytold), written from scratch in Rust.

PhotoCraft (like Photoshop): Image editing: layers, masks, adjustment layers, layer styles, type, vectors, brushes and real PSD files. github.com/storytold/photocraft
FilmCraft (like Premiere): Video editing, color and sound on a timeline. github.com/storytold/filmcraft
EffectCraft (like After Effects): Motion graphics and visual effects: 3D camera, motion blur, lens effects. github.com/storytold/effectcraft
VectorCraft (like Illustrator): Vector illustration for logos, posters and icons. github.com/storytold/vectorcraft
LightCraft (like Lightroom): Photo library and raw development with develop sliders. github.com/storytold/lightcraft
PdfCraft (like Acrobat): Reading, organizing, annotating and protecting PDFs. (Shown as PrintCraft in some early posts; the repo is now pdfcraft.) github.com/storytold/pdfcraft
DesignCraft (like InDesign): Page layout and publishing: spreads, threaded text, print-ready pages. github.com/storytold/designcraft

Easiest install: the ArtCraft Launcher or per-app installers at getartcraft.com/apps. Or build from source (needs Rust 1.90+).
Copy · paste · step 01
git clone https://github.com/storytold/photocraft
cd photocraft
cargo run --release -p photocraft

# same pattern for the others:
# filmcraft, effectcraft, vectorcraft,
# lightcraft, pdfcraft, designcraft
0202
Point Claude at the handbook
Every repo ships an AGENTS.md handbook plus docs. That is what lets an agent use the app properly instead of guessing. Open Claude Code inside the cloned repo folder so it can read AGENTS.md and the docs/ folder first, then ask it to explain how it can drive the app.
Copy · paste · step 02
You are inside the [app] repo.
1. Read AGENTS.md and everything in docs/
  about the CLI, control protocol and MCP.
2. Tell me in 10 lines: which commands
  exist, how to open/create a document,
  how to export, and any file-access flags.
3. Do not change any code.
0303
Let Claude drive the CLI
Each app has a command-line tool and an automation/MCP server, so Claude can create and edit real project files, not just a flat image. PhotoCraft, for example, has a headless session (no window) and a bridge mode where the agent drives the live app you can watch. Keep file access limited to one project folder.
Copy · paste · step 03
Using the [app] CLI (read AGENTS.md first),
make a first draft:

[brief, e.g. A3 poster for a jazz night,
dark blue, big serif title, date + venue]

- work only inside ./project
- keep every element on its own editable
  layer / object
- export a PNG preview and save the native
  project file
- tell me the exact commands you ran
0404
Refine by hand
One prompt gives you a full first draft. The finish is still yours. Because the result is a real layered file, you open it in the app and fix type, spacing and color by hand, or ask Claude for specific edits. A one-shot image generator can look better on the first try, but layered files are far easier to change.
Copy · paste · step 04
Open ./project/[file]. Make only these edits:
1. [e.g. title 20% smaller]
2. [e.g. move date under the title]
3. [e.g. swap accent to orange #FF6A1A]
Keep everything else unchanged.
Export a new preview and list what changed.
0505
Chain the apps
The real win is chaining: one agent moves a job through several apps. LightCraft develops the photos, PhotoCraft builds the hero image, DesignCraft lays out the pages, PdfCraft packs the PDF. Give Claude each repo's handbook and one folder for the whole job.
Copy · paste · step 05
Plan a small job across the Craft apps:
[e.g. 4-page menu for a cafe]

For each step say which app (LightCraft,
PhotoCraft, VectorCraft, DesignCraft,
PdfCraft), the CLI commands, and the file it
hands to the next app. Work in ./job only.
Stop after the plan so I can approve it.
Credit: original breakdown by @robonuggets. The apps are built and maintained by the ArtCraft team (github.com/storytold), not by AI Creative OS. Free and open source; check each repo's license before using it commercially.
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