# photoshop-automator

This skill lets an agent control Adobe Photoshop through ExtendScript: edit layer text, add layers, run filters, play actions and export files.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 477 installs
- Author: abdul-karim-mia
- License: not stated · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/abdul-karim-mia/photoshop-automator/tree/HEAD/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-02-14
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/photoshop-automator

## What it does

The skill bridges your agent to Photoshop on Windows and macOS. Calls go through the ExtendScript (JSX) engine, launched from VBScript or AppleScript, so Photoshop has to be installed locally and registered as a COM server. The command set covers `runScript`, `updateText`, `createLayer`, `applyFilter`, `playAction` and `export`.

Photoshop's engine speaks ECMAScript 3 only. No `const`, no `let`, no arrow functions, no template literals, no `Map` or `Set` — stick to `var`, plain `function` declarations and string concatenation with `+`. Every command targets the active document, so a script fails when nothing is open unless it calls `app.documents.add()` first.

\`runScript` runs arbitrary ExtendScript, and that engine reaches the host filesystem directly: the `File` and `Folder` objects can create, change or delete files. Read generated scripts before running them. A modal dialog left open in Photoshop will hang or break the COM call, so close it first. `updateText` matches layer names exactly, case included.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add abdul-karim-mia/photoshop-automator --skill photoshop-automator -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/photoshop-automator/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/photoshop-automator/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add abdul-karim-mia/photoshop-automator --skill photoshop-automator -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/photoshop-automator/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add abdul-karim-mia/photoshop-automator --skill photoshop-automator -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/photoshop-automator/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install abdul-karim-mia/photoshop-automator photoshop-automator
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/photoshop-automator/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add abdul-karim-mia/photoshop-automator --skill photoshop-automator -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/abdul-karim-mia/photoshop-automator
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/photoshop-automator/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add abdul-karim-mia/photoshop-automator --skill photoshop-automator -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/abdul-karim-mia/photoshop-automator/tree/HEAD/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- swap the copy in a named text layer of a PSD
- add an art layer with a set opacity and blend mode
- play a recorded action from an .atn set
- save the open document as PNG or JPEG
- run custom ExtendScript for trickier document edits

## Example prompts
- Change the text in the `Headline` layer to "Summer sale"
- Add a layer at 60 opacity with the multiply blend mode
- Play the `Retouch` action from `Studio.atn`, then export the document as PNG

## Similar
- [photoshop-mcp](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/photoshop-mcp.md) — MCP server · ★ 742
- [Photoshop](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/photoshop.md) — skill · 2100 installs
- [Adobe](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/adobe.md) — skill · 1900 installs
- [editmamei-photoshop-mcp](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/editmamei-photoshop-mcp.md) — MCP server · ★ 15
- [Photoshop MCP Server](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/photoshop-mcp-server.md) — MCP server · ★ 28
- [after-effects](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/after-effects.md) — skill · 2800 installs

---
NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md