Home › Tutorial
ArtCraft Tutorial: From Install to Your First Edit
Fifteen minutes from zero to editing: install the suite (or just one app), launch it without an account, open a layered file, make your first edits, and — if you like automating things — drive the apps from a script. This guide covers the flow that is common to every ArtCraft app; UI details evolve from release to release, so where they might differ, we point to the official source of truth.
Step 1 · Install
The fast route: download the ArtCraft Launcher (v0.1.3) for your platform and let it install everything with auto-updates. The minimal route: open the releases page of the one app you want — for photo editing that is usually PhotoCraft — and grab the installer. Windows package types (MSI vs portable ZIP, ARM64) are broken down on our download for PC page; Linux users get AppImage, deb, rpm, Flatpak and tarball builds.
Step 2 · First Launch (No Account)
Launch the app you installed. Craft apps ask for no account and no sign-in — you are in the editor immediately. The only product in the family that requires a free account is the AI studio, which is a separate app for AI image and video generation, not part of this tutorial.
Step 3 · Open a Real File
The fastest way to evaluate any editor is to open your own work. In PhotoCraft, open an existing layered PSD or PSB — the project reports that 134 of 135 real-world test files round-trip byte-for-byte, so what you open is what you get back. If you don't have a file handy, create a new document and drop in an image layer.
Step 4 · Make Three Edits
Run through the core editing model that every image editor user already knows:
- Layers: add, reorder and mask layers — the layer stack works the way you expect from Photoshop.
- Adjustments: apply one of the 16 adjustment layer types, or try the 70+ live-preview filters.
- Export: use Quick Export for a fast render; recent releases added WebP quality controls to Export Preferences.
That's the loop: open → edit in layers → export. Everything else (smart objects, text, vector shapes, CMYK and soft proofing) builds on the same model.
Step 5 · Automate It (Optional, and Genuinely Different)
The feature nobody else in this space leads with: every ArtCraft app can be driven programmatically through a CLI, a JSON control channel, or an MCP server. If you batch-render graphics, pipeline exports, or want an AI agent to operate the editor for you, this is the hook. Check each app's repository README for its automation entry points.
Video Overview
An independent review walking through the whole suite — worth ten minutes before you dive into a single app:
Third-party video, embedded from YouTube; not produced by us and not affiliated with the project.
FAQ
Is there an official ArtCraft tutorial?
Each app's official page and GitHub README are the authoritative documentation. Step-by-step third-party tutorials are appearing as the suite grows; this page covers the flow that stays true across releases.
Can I install just one app?
Yes — every app publishes its own installers. The Launcher is convenience, not a requirement.
Do I need an account to follow this tutorial?
No. Craft apps require no account at any step. Only the AI studio asks you to sign in.
Can it really open my PSD files?
PhotoCraft opens and saves layered PSD/PSB (134 of 135 test files round-trip byte-for-byte, per the project). Test with your own files — that is the honest benchmark.