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Adobe Illustrator Integrations

GitHubOfficialFirst committed by jhaugaDistributed by GitHub

  • Skill
  • Tool integration
  • Software development
  • MIT
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From the author

Build, debug, package, and document Adobe Illustrator integrations: CEP extension panels, C++ SDK plug-ins (.aip), the coming UXP plugins, MCP servers that drive Illustrator, computer-use automation, and OS scripts (batch, PowerShell, bash, AppleScript) that run ExtendScript in Illustrator. Use when creating or fixing an Illustrator extension or plug-in, choosing between a script, extension, or plug-in, connecting an AI tool to Illustrator, automating Illustrator from the command line, or writing install and usage docs for an Illustrator tool someone will publish. Pairs with adobe-illustrator-scripting for the ExtendScript DOM.
— the description by jhauga

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

This skill provides comprehensive guidance for extending Adobe Illustrator. It covers the full lifecycle of integration development, from choosing the right delivery method—such as CEP extension panels, native C++ plug-ins, or external automation via MCP servers and OS scripts—to packaging and documentation. It emphasizes maintaining a clean separation between the user interface and the core ExtendScript logic to ensure future compatibility with emerging technologies like UXP.

What it does

  • Guides the selection of the appropriate integration tier for Illustrator features.
  • Provides patterns for building CEP extension panels and native C++ (.aip) plug-ins.
  • Details methods for running Illustrator scripts from external environments like PowerShell, bash, or Python.
  • Supports the design of MCP servers to enable AI-driven interaction with Illustrator.
  • Outlines best practices for packaging, signing, and documenting Illustrator tools for distribution.
  • Offers strategies for maintaining compatibility across different Illustrator versions and operating systems.

When to use it

  • When you need to create a custom panel or tool for Adobe Illustrator.
  • When automating Illustrator tasks from an external command-line tool or AI agent.
  • When deciding between a script, a CEP extension, or a native C++ plug-in.
  • When preparing documentation for an Illustrator tool or extension you intend to publish.
  • When debugging communication between an external process and the Illustrator host application.

Advantages

  • Promotes a modular architecture that simplifies future migration to UXP.
  • Provides clear, version-aware guidance for managing the transition away from CEP.
  • Standardizes the approach to external automation and parameter passing.
  • Encourages safe development practices like working on document copies and avoiding hardcoded secrets.

Usage examples

“How do I trigger an Illustrator script from a Python script on Windows?”
The agent provides a code snippet using win32com.client to dispatch the Illustrator.Application and execute the script via DoJavaScriptFile.
“What is the recommended folder structure for a new CEP extension?”
The agent outlines the standard directory layout, including CSXS/manifest.xml, index.html, and the required jsx/host.jsx file.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://autogineer.com/agent-skills/github/adobe-illustrator-integrations/download

  2. Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

    mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip adobe-illustrator-integrations.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by jhauga

Adobe Illustrator Integrations

Guidance for everything that sits around an Illustrator script: the panel a user clicks, the native plug-in that adds a tool, the command line or AI agent that starts Illustrator work from outside, and the documentation that ships with it. For the Illustrator DOM itself (documents, layers, paths, colors, exports), use the adobe-illustrator-scripting skill.

When to Use This Skill

  • Choosing how to deliver an Illustrator feature: a script, a CEP extension, a C++ plug-in, a UXP plugin, an MCP server, or an OS automation script

  • Building or fixing a CEP extension panel (HTML, JavaScript, and an ExtendScript host)

  • Building or fixing a C++ plug-in (.aip) with the Illustrator SDK

  • Running .jsx scripts from batch, PowerShell, bash, Python, or AppleScript, including passing parameters and reading results

  • Building or reviewing an MCP server that lets an AI tool drive Illustrator

  • Working in Illustrator through a computer-use tool when no scripting route exists

  • Writing step-by-step instructions people follow by hand, or install and usage docs for an asset, script, extension, or plug-in someone will publish

  • Organizing the files of an Illustrator project (sources, linked assets, exports, docs) so automation can find them

Script, Extension, or Plug-in

Adobe's own terms:

  • A script is ExtendScript (.jsx), AppleScript, or VBScript run against Illustrator's scripting object model. It has no persistent UI beyond ScriptUI dialogs.

  • An extension is a CEP panel: an HTML and JavaScript UI hosted in Illustrator that calls ExtendScript through CSInterface.evalScript.

  • A plug-in is native code built with the Illustrator C++ SDK (.aip). In apps that already run UXP (Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere Pro), "plugin" also means a UXP plugin; Illustrator UXP plugins are not public yet.

OptionWhat it isUIInstalls toShips asPick it when
Manual instructionsSteps a person followsIllustrator's ownNothingA documentThe task is rare, or needs judgment at every step
ExtendScript script.jsx run in IllustratorOptional ScriptUI dialogPresets/<locale>/Scripts or anywhere (File > Scripts > Other Script).jsx fileOne action, batch work, or a step another tool calls
CEP extensionHTML panel plus ExtendScript hostDockable panelCEP extensions folderSigned .zxpUsers need a persistent panel with controls and previews
C++ plug-inNative .aip from the Illustrator SDKTools, menus, notifiers, native dialogsPlug-ins folder or the Additional Plug-ins Folder.aip per OS and major versionYou need a custom tool, live effects, speed, or events scripts cannot reach
UXP pluginModern JavaScript plugin modelPanels and dialogsThrough Creative Cloud.ccxPlan for it; Illustrator's public beta is due by Spring 2027
MCP serverA process an AI tool calls, which runs scripts in IllustratorThe AI tool's chatThe AI tool's MCP configA package or repoAn agent should create or inspect artwork through tools
OS automationBatch, PowerShell, bash, or AppleScript that starts scriptsNoneAnywhereScript filesIllustrator work is one step of a larger pipeline

Start with the lowest tier that meets the need. A script that works is the core of every higher tier: a CEP panel, an MCP tool, and an OS script all end up calling ExtendScript.

Extensibility Timeline

From Adobe's announcement "Investing in the future of Creative Cloud extensibility" (blog.developer.adobe.com, September 2026):

  • Illustrator UXP plugins: public beta by Spring 2027.

  • CEP in Illustrator, After Effects, and Media Encoder: the Adobe Marketplace stops accepting new CEP submissions in December 2028, and CEP is disabled by default from December 2028.

  • CEP leaves these apps from December 2029, with at least two years between each app's UXP public beta and CEP's removal from new versions.

  • ExtendScript is not affected by the transition.

So a CEP extension built today has a working life of a few years. Keep its logic in plain ExtendScript files the panel calls, which carry over to a UXP plugin or an MCP server unchanged.

Workflow

  1. Scope: what the user does, which Illustrator versions and OSes it must run on, and who installs it.

  2. Pick the tier from the table above.

  3. Write the ExtendScript core first with the adobe-illustrator-scripting skill, as functions that take a plain settings object and return a result string, so any front end can call them.

  4. Add the front end:

  5. Test inside Illustrator on a copy of a real document: run every option, export a PNG of the result, and compare it with the expected output.

  6. Package: a signed ZXP for CEP, a per-OS .aip for plug-ins, a versioned folder or package for scripts and servers.

  7. Document with references/publishing-docs.md: requirements, compatibility, install steps per OS, a walkthrough with screenshots, a GIF, troubleshooting, and a changelog.

Running a Script From Outside Illustrator

PlatformRouteNotes
WindowsCOM Illustrator.ApplicationDoJavaScriptFile(JavaScriptFile, [Arguments], [ExecutionMode]) and DoJavaScript(JavaScriptCode, [Arguments], [ExecutionMode]); ExecutionMode 1 never shows the debugger
macOSAppleScript do javascriptdo javascript "$.evalFile(new File(arguments[0]))" with arguments {scriptPath}, with the path passed to osascript as an argument so it never enters script source; check the exact app name for your version
BothVS Code ExtendScript DebuggerAdobe's extension for running and debugging .jsx against a running app
Windows (legacy)ExtendScript Toolkit -run32-bit, does not run on macOS 10.15 or later; keep only for old pipelines

Pass parameters through a sidecar key=value file (no JSON parser or eval needed in ES3) and have the script write its result to a file, because arguments handling differs between launchers. The patterns are in references/automation-and-mcp.md.

Instructions People Follow by Hand

When the deliverable is a set of steps rather than code (for a complex graphic, or for an asset someone downloads):

  • Name the Illustrator version the steps were checked on, and give menu paths exactly as they appear (Object > Path > Offset Path).

  • One action per step, with the panel and the value to set (Stroke panel: Weight 2 pt, Align Stroke to Inside).

  • Show the expected result after each group of steps, with a screenshot or a small PNG.

  • Mark the steps that differ on Windows and macOS (shortcuts, file dialogs, font paths).

  • Offer the scripted route next to the manual one when a script exists.

Guardrails

  • Work on copies of user documents; never overwrite an original without a backup.

  • Ask before writing into Adobe's install folders, the system CEP folder, or the registry.

  • Development mode (PlayerDebugMode) belongs on development machines only. Ship signed ZXPs to users.

  • Never commit signing certificates, certificate passwords, API keys, or tokens. Read secrets from environment variables.

  • Prefer scripting, COM, or AppleScript over clicking through the UI; use computer use only for what has no scripting route.

  • Never automate around sign-in, licensing, or account dialogs.

  • Fonts from Adobe Fonts cannot be bundled in a plug-in or extension; document them as a requirement instead.

  • Version-specific details (CEP version, SDK version, menu names) change; say which version you checked and point to Adobe's docs.

References

Files

references/cpp-plugins.md

C++ Plug-ins for Illustrator

A plug-in is native code, built with the Illustrator SDK, that Illustrator loads at startup. It can add tools, menu items, live effects, file formats, and notifiers, and it runs much faster than ExtendScript on large documents. It is also the most work to build, ship, and keep current, because it must be rebuilt for each major Illustrator version and each OS.

Choose a plug-in only when a script or CEP panel cannot do the job: a custom tool that reacts to mouse drags, a live effect, a file format, events scripts cannot see, or performance on thousands of objects.

Getting the SDK

  • Sign in to the Adobe Developer Console (developer.adobe.com/console), open the downloads area, and pick the Illustrator SDK for your OS. Use the SDK whose version matches the Illustrator major version you target.

  • The download holds headers, documentation (getting started guide, API reference, porting notes), sample plug-ins under samplecode/, and build tools.

  • The getting started guide lists the supported compiler versions: Visual Studio on Windows, Xcode on macOS. Use those versions; newer ones may need project upgrades.

Build and Load

  1. Open a sample project (for example the Annotator sample) and build it unchanged first to prove the toolchain.

  2. The output is an .aip file on Windows and an .aip bundle on macOS.

  3. Load it by copying it into Illustrator's Plug-ins folder, or better, point Illustrator at a development folder: Preferences > Plug-ins & Scratch Disks > Additional Plug-ins Folder, then restart Illustrator.

  4. Plug-ins load only at startup. Quit Illustrator before replacing the .aip.

PiPL Resources

Every plug-in carries a PiPL (plug-in property list) resource with its name, entry point, and required Illustrator version. Since Illustrator 25.1, PiPL resources are generated by a script in the SDK's tools folder instead of being edited by hand in resource files (Adobe developer blog, "An Illustrator 25.1 Update for Plugin Developers"). Follow the sample projects' build steps, which run the generator.

Entry Point and Messages

Illustrator calls one exported function with a caller, a selector, and a message pointer. The SDK samples share a common folder: Main.cpp exports the entry point, and the Plugin base class routes caller and selector pairs to virtual methods, so start from a sample rather than writing it yourself:

// Shape of the entry point the SDK samples export; the base class routes
// caller/selector pairs to virtual methods such as StartupPlugin, ShutdownPlugin,
// GoMenuItem, Notify, and the tool handlers.
extern "C" ASAPI ASErr PluginMain(char* caller, char* selector, void* message);

  • Startup and shutdown: acquire suites, add menus, tools, and notifiers at startup; release everything at shutdown.

  • Suites: Illustrator's API is a set of versioned function tables (suites) such as the art, path, document, menu, tool, notifier, and timer suites. Acquire them through the basic suite the host passes in, check the returned error, and release them when done.

  • Notifiers: subscribe to events such as selection changes or document open and close; keep handlers fast.

  • Timers: for periodic work; never block the UI thread.

User Interface

Native plug-ins add tools and menu items directly. For panels with complex controls, a common design pairs the plug-in with a CEP panel that sends it events, so the UI is HTML and the heavy work is native. Check the SDK samples for your version for the supported UI approach, since this has changed across releases.

Debugging

  • Build the Debug configuration and set Illustrator as the program to launch (Visual Studio: project Debugging settings, Command; Xcode: the scheme's Run executable), or attach to a running Illustrator.

  • Keep a copy of a test document; native crashes take Illustrator down with them.

  • Log to a file in a temp folder rather than showing alerts in loops.

Versions and Distribution

  • Rebuild and retest for each major Illustrator release; read the SDK's porting notes for API changes.

  • Ship one build per OS. On macOS, sign and notarize the bundle so Gatekeeper allows it to load. On Windows, sign the binary with a code-signing certificate.

  • Document the supported Illustrator versions and OSes in a compatibility table (see publishing-docs.md).

  • UXP plugins are coming to Illustrator (public beta by Spring 2027). For new projects that only need panels and scripting, consider a CEP panel now and UXP later; keep native code for what only native code can do.

Checklist Before Release

  • [ ] Builds cleanly in Release for each OS and the targeted Illustrator major version

  • [ ] Loads from a clean Additional Plug-ins Folder and from the Plug-ins folder

  • [ ] Startup and shutdown release every suite and remove every notifier and timer

  • [ ] Tested on a copy of a large real document, with undo working after each action

  • [ ] Signed (and notarized on macOS)

  • [ ] Install, uninstall, and compatibility documented

Requirements and compatibility

Written for: GitHub Copilot

Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta

“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.

Needs: Needs an MCP server, Needs an API key

Security

No issues found by our static scan· No issues found

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Attribution and licence

First committed by
GitHub avatar of jhaugajhauga
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GitHub (Official)
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github/awesome-copilot · skills/adobe-illustrator-integrations · commit 797337f
Licence
MIT License (redistribution allowed)
  • LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE)
  • ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
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jhauga

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