InDesign MCP Server

A comprehensive Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Adobe InDesign automation with 51+ professional tools. This server enables AI assistants like Claude to directly control Adobe InDesign, automating complex publishing workflows, document creation, and professional layout tasks.

🚀 Features

📄 Document Management

• Create, open, save, and close documents with advanced options
• Support for all standard formats (A4, A5, Letter, Legal, Custom)
• Facing pages, bleeds, slugs, and margin configuration
• Multi-page document handling

✍️ Text & Typography

• Advanced text frame creation and editing
• Character and paragraph style management
• Find/replace with GREP support
• Professional typography controls (leading, tracking, optical margin alignment)

🎨 Graphics & Layout

• Image placement with multiple fit options
• Shape creation (rectangles, ellipses with styling)
• Layer management and organization
• Color swatch creation and management (CMYK, RGB, Spot colors)

📊 Tables & Data

• Table creation and data population
• Support for headers and footers
• CSV data integration capabilities

📤 Export & Production

• Professional PDF export with presets
• Multi-format image export (PNG, JPEG, TIFF)
• EPUB export for digital publishing
• Package for print production
• Preflight checking

🔧 Automation & Scripting

• Data merge operations
• Custom ExtendScript execution
• Batch processing capabilities
• Professional publishing workflows

📋 Prerequisites

• Adobe InDesign 2025 (or compatible version)
• macOS (required for AppleScript integration)
• Node.js 18+
• MCP-compatible client (like Claude Desktop)

🛠️ Installation

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/lucdesign/indesign-mcp-server.git
cd indesign-mcp-server

2. Install Dependencies

npm install

3. Configure MCP Client

Add the server to your MCP client configuration (e.g., Claude Desktop):

claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "indesign": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/indesign-mcp-server/index.js"],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

4. Start Adobe InDesign

Ensure Adobe InDesign is running before using the MCP server.

🎯 Quick Start

Create a Professional Document

// Create an A4 document with facing pages
create_document({
  preset: "A4",
  orientation: "Portrait", 
  pages: 4,
  facingPages: true,
  marginTop: 20,
  marginBottom: 20,
  marginLeft: 20,
  marginRight: 20
})

Add Formatted Text

// Create a text frame with professional typography
create_text_frame({
  content: "Professional Publishing with InDesign MCP",
  x: 20,
  y: 20,
  width: 170,
  height: 50,
  fontSize: 18,
  fontFamily: "Helvetica Neue",
  fontStyle: "Bold",
  alignment: "LEFT_ALIGN"
})

Create and Apply Styles

// Create a character style
create_character_style({
  name: "Emphasis",
  fontFamily: "Helvetica Neue",
  fontStyle: "Italic",
  textColor: "Red"
})

// Apply to specific text
find_replace_text({
  findText: "important",
  replaceText: "important",
  applyCharacterStyle: "Emphasis"
})

Export Professional PDF

export_pdf({
  filePath: "/path/to/output.pdf",
  preset: "HighQualityPrint",
  includeBleed: true,
  colorProfile: "ISO Coated v2"
})

🛠️ Available Tools

Document Management (5 tools)

• get_document_info - Document information and statistics
• create_document - Advanced document creation
• open_document - Open existing documents
• save_document - Save with optional new path
• close_document - Close with save options

Page Management (4 tools)

• add_page - Add pages with position control
• delete_page - Remove pages safely
• duplicate_page - Copy pages with content
• navigate_to_page - Page navigation

Text Management (3 tools)

• create_text_frame - Advanced text frame creation
• edit_text_frame - Modify existing frames
• find_replace_text - Search and replace with GREP

Graphics Management (3 tools)

• place_image - Image placement with fit options
• create_rectangle - Rectangle creation with styling
• create_ellipse - Ellipse creation with styling

Style Management (4 tools)

• create_paragraph_style - Paragraph style creation
• create_character_style - Character style creation
• apply_paragraph_style - Apply styles to text
• list_styles - List all available styles

Color Management (3 tools)

• create_color_swatch - Create CMYK/RGB/Spot colors
• list_color_swatches - List available colors
• apply_color - Apply colors to objects

Table Management (2 tools)

• create_table - Table creation with headers/footers
• populate_table - Fill tables with data

Layer Management (3 tools)

• create_layer - Create new layers
• set_active_layer - Switch active layer
• list_layers - List all layers

Export & Production (4 tools)

• export_pdf - Professional PDF export
• export_images - Multi-format image export
• export_epub - Digital publishing export
• package_document - Print production packaging

Automation & Utilities (4 tools)

• execute_indesign_code - Custom ExtendScript execution
• preflight_document - Quality checking
• view_document - Document visualization
• data_merge - Automated data integration

💡 Use Cases

Automated Publishing

• Generate newsletters, brochures, and reports from data
• Batch process multiple documents
• Consistent styling across document series

Data-Driven Documents

• Mail merge for personalized materials
• Catalog generation from databases
• Financial reports with dynamic content

Professional Workflows

• Template-based document creation
• Brand compliance automation
• Print production preparation

Educational Materials

• Automated textbook layout
• Exercise sheet generation
• Multi-language document variants

🔧 Advanced Configuration

Custom ExtendScript Integration

execute_indesign_code({
  code: `
    // Custom InDesign scripting
    var doc = app.activeDocument;
    // Your custom automation logic here
  `
})

Batch Processing Example

// Process multiple files
const files = ["doc1.indd", "doc2.indd", "doc3.indd"];
for (const file of files) {
  await open_document({ filePath: file });
  await export_pdf({ 
    filePath: file.replace('.indd', '.pdf'),
    preset: 'HighQualityPrint' 
  });
  await close_document({ save: false });
}

🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Adobe InDesign not found"

• Ensure InDesign 2025 is installed and running
• Check AppleScript permissions in System Preferences

"Script execution failed"

• Verify Adobe InDesign is the active application
• Check for document-specific errors in console

"Tool not found"

• Restart MCP client after configuration changes
• Verify server is running with node index.js

Debug Mode

node --inspect index.js

🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

📝 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Anthropic for the Model Context Protocol
• Adobe for InDesign ExtendScript API
• MCP Community for tools and inspiration

📞 Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Discussions: GitHub Discussions

Made with ❤️ for the publishing community

Transform your InDesign workflows with AI automation