ArtCraft Guide

PhotoCraft: Install & First Launch (Windows, macOS, Browser)

PhotoCraft is a free, open-source, pure-Rust reimplementation of Adobe Photoshop. There is no installer server, no account, no trial watermark — you download a native build or open the browser version and start editing. This guide walks the first five minutes, using only the official sources.

Quick answer: Download PhotoCraft from the official PhotoCraft page on getartcraft.com (Windows/macOS/Linux desktop builds) or launch it in the browser. No subscription, no account. First launch: create a document, open a real .psd, check the layers panel — done, you are running.

Free tutorial — start here before unlocking the deeper guides.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is PhotoCraft really free?
Yes. Open source, dual-licensed MIT/Apache-2.0, no subscription, no paid tier — that is its positioning. This guide site is independent of the project.
Do I need to install anything else?
No runtime required — the desktop apps are native Rust binaries. The browser build needs nothing installed at all.
Which sources should I trust?
getartcraft.com for all desktop and web builds, GitHub Releases (storytold/photocraft) for the same builds plus Linux/FreeBSD packages. Both are official.
What if PhotoCraft is missing a feature I need?
Check the README's status notes for the current gap list (AI features, ~15 tools, typography depth, plugins). Use your current tool for those jobs and PhotoCraft for everything else.

More tools used in this tutorial

PhotoCraft

Open-source Photoshop replacement in pure Rust: layers, masks, adjustment layers, layer styles, text, vectors, brushes and real PSD files — free, no subscription.

LightCraft

Open-source non-destructive photo editor in pure Rust — a free Lightroom-style workflow: edit without destroying the original, agent-native.

More more tutorials

PhotoCraft layers & masks basics

The layered editing core of PhotoCraft: layers, masks, adjustment layers and layer styles — with real PSD behavior.

PhotoCraft adjustments & export

Grade with the 16 adjustment layer types, then export to PSD, PNG, JPEG, WebP or TIFF — with round-trip verification.