Illustrator MCP Server

Read, manipulate, and export Adobe Illustrator design data. 26 tools. macOS only.

Local serverstdioTypeScript

What is the Illustrator MCP server?

Read, manipulate, and export Adobe Illustrator design data. 26 tools. macOS only. Exposed over MCP by the illustrator mcp server, that capability becomes something an assistant can invoke while it works, not something you go and do afterwards.

What it actually does

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for reading, manipulating, and exporting Adobe Illustrator design data — with 63 built-in tools.

Its toolset

Everything the assistant can do here goes through one of these:

  • get_document_info — Document metadata (dimensions, color mode, profile, etc.)
  • get_artboards — Artboard information (position, size, orientation)
  • get_layers — Layer structure as a tree
  • get_document_structure — Full tree: layers → groups → objects in one call
  • list_text_frames — List of text frames (font, size, style name)
  • get_text_frame_detail — All attributes of a specific text frame (kerning, paragraph settings, etc.)
  • get_colors — Color information in use (swatches, gradients, spot colors). include_diagnostics for print analysis
  • get_path_items — Path/shape data (fill, stroke, anchor points)
  • get_groups — Groups, clipping masks, and compound path structure
  • get_effects — Effects and appearance info (opacity, blend mode)
  • get_images — Embedded/linked image info (resolution, broken link detection). include_print_info for color space mismatch & scale factor
  • get_symbols — Symbol definitions and instances

Adding it to your client

The server ships on npm as illustrator-mcp-server, so your MCP client can launch it on demand — there is no separate build step. Add the server block to your client's configuration, restart it, and the tools register themselves.

When to reach for it

This sits in the developer tooling group, where several servers overlap in what they claim to do but differ sharply once you actually set them up. Illustrator's toolset — get_document_info, get_artboards, get_layers and 11 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by ie3jp; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

We check each listing at SyncDev against the project's documentation before it goes live — if something here drifts out of date, it is a bug worth reporting.

Caveats

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • With 14 tools registered it takes up a noticeable share of the context window; turn it off in projects that never touch Illustrator.
  • MCP clients confirm each tool call by default. Leave that on until you have watched what the illustrator mcp server does with a few real requests.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
get_document_infoDocument metadata (dimensions, color mode, profile, etc.)
get_artboardsArtboard information (position, size, orientation)
get_layersLayer structure as a tree
get_document_structureFull tree: layers → groups → objects in one call
list_text_framesList of text frames (font, size, style name)
get_text_frame_detailAll attributes of a specific text frame (kerning, paragraph settings, etc.)
get_colorsColor information in use (swatches, gradients, spot colors). include_diagnostics for print analysis
get_path_itemsPath/shape data (fill, stroke, anchor points)
get_groupsGroups, clipping masks, and compound path structure
get_effectsEffects and appearance info (opacity, blend mode)
get_imagesEmbedded/linked image info (resolution, broken link detection). include_print_info for color space mismatch & scale factor
get_symbolsSymbol definitions and instances
get_guidelinesGuide information
get_overprint_infoOverprint settings + K100/rich black detection & intent classification

How to install the Illustrator MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "illustrator": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "illustrator-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Example prompts to try

  • Use Illustrator to get document info.
  • Use Illustrator to get artboards.
  • Use Illustrator to get layers.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Illustrator to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 14 tools (get_document_info, get_artboards, get_layers, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Illustrator directly.