Guide
How to Automate Illustrator with Claude Code on Vagon
Automate Illustrator Beta with Claude Code on Vagon Cloud Computer. Connect MCP, create artboard variants, and verify editable AI files, SVGs, and PNGs.
One Illustrator template can become a stack of repetitive edits: duplicate the artwork, change a city and date, check the type, and export each version with the right filename. Automating that sequence is useful when the logo stays intact, the text remains editable, and every export matches its artboard.
Claude Code can work with Illustrator through Adobe’s documented MCP connection for Illustrator (Beta). The connection exposes supported application operations, letting you request changes to the document. Illustrator performs the edits; you review the layout and saved results.
This guide follows a fictional Studio Sessions event series. Starting with one square template, we will build London, Berlin, and Istanbul cards, preserve an editable AI master, and check separate SVG and PNG exports. We will validate one card before expanding the batch.
On Vagon Cloud Computer, Illustrator, Claude Code, fonts, and project files can share the same Windows workspace, accessible from your browser for automation, visual review, and continued design work.
Prepare Illustrator and Claude Code on the Same Vagon Computer
Use a Windows Vagon Cloud Computer for this walkthrough. Install Illustrator (Beta) and run Claude Code inside that desktop. Adobe’s connection requires the application and AI tool on the same computer, so open the terminal within your Vagon session as well.
Get Illustrator Ready
Check Vagon’s application selection when creating your computer. For this workflow, confirm that you have the required Illustrator Beta build. If it is unavailable in the selection, install it through your Adobe account using Creative Cloud. Complete Adobe activation and launch the application before configuring the connection. Your Adobe entitlement and Claude access are separate from the cloud computer.
Open a copy of your event-card template and resolve missing fonts or linked assets. Keep the original untouched. For our Studio Sessions example, prepare one 1080 × 1080 px RGB artboard containing the logo, background, city, and date. Keep the city and date as live text so later changes remain editable.
Source: Adobe Illustrator Help
Create a project folder such as C:\VagonProjects\StudioSessions with this structure:
Put the approved template and its linked assets in source. Use working for the document you will edit and exports for delivery files. The CSV will hold the three city/date records, which we will define before making changes.
Source: Adobe Illustrator Help
Install and Verify Claude Code
If the CLI is not already available, open PowerShell inside Vagon and use Anthropic’s native Windows installer:
After installation, open a new PowerShell window and check:
A version number confirms that the command is available. Then start Claude Code from the project folder:
Complete sign-in using your own Claude account or your organization’s configured authentication. Keeping this session in the project folder gives the assistant a clear starting location for reading the CSV and preparing supporting files.
Before continuing, confirm that Illustrator opens the working template correctly and Claude Code starts successfully. The next step connects those two running tools.
Connect Claude Code Through Illustrator’s MCP & Tools
Illustrator (Beta) provides its own MCP connection for supported AI clients. For this walkthrough, use Adobe’s Claude Code CLI setup to register the application’s server with the client you just installed.
Keep Illustrator (Beta) open. Select MCP & Tools in the application bar, or open it through Edit > Preferences on Windows.
Next to Claude Code, select Copy Claude Code command to clipboard. This command contains the server address and your installation’s authentication key.
Open Command Prompt inside Vagon, paste the copied command, and run it. Use the command generated by your installation, including its address and authentication header.
Restart Claude Code from
C:\VagonProjects\StudioSessionsso the session loads the connection.
The copied command includes a credential. Keep it out of shared project files and screenshots. Adobe’s documentation includes a sample command, but its example key will not authenticate your installation.
The localhost address refers to the computer running Claude Code. In this setup, that is your Vagon Windows computer, where Illustrator is also running. Register the connection there.
Check the Server, Then Test an Application Operation
In Command Prompt, run:
Check that the Illustrator server reports a connected status. Inside an interactive Claude Code session, use /mcp to inspect server status and connection details. A saved configuration alone does not establish that the application is reachable.
Before touching the event template, ask:
Use the connected Illustrator tools to create a new blank document for a connection test. Leave existing documents unchanged. Report whether the operation succeeded.
Review and approve the requested operation, then check Illustrator itself. A new blank document appearing in the application confirms that a tool request reached Illustrator. Close that test document without saving and return to your working template.
Ask Claude Code to identify the available Illustrator tools for document inspection, text editing, artboard duplication, and export. Adobe documents these categories of supported operations, but check what your installed build exposes before planning the edits.
If the connection fails, first confirm that Illustrator Beta remains open and that you copied its current command into the same Vagon environment. Resolve the reported connection or authentication error before asking Claude to modify the template.
Map the Template Before Changing Text or Artboards
Make the working template the active document in Illustrator. Confirm its filename and location before asking Claude Code to inspect it. If you have only opened the source file, save a separate copy as working/studio-sessions-working.ai first.
Source: Adobe Illustrator Help
Name the template artboard Square_Template. In the Layers panel, give the objects below clear names, then save the working copy. These are names we assign for this example; they are not built-in Illustrator identifiers.
Target | Intended role | Required constraint |
|---|---|---|
| City text | Keep live text and the approved font |
| Event date text | Preserve its formatting and alignment |
| Supplied vector logo group | Preserve paths, proportions, and colors |
Background | Existing card background | Preserve appearance and position |
Ask Claude Code for an inspection before authorizing edits:
Inspect the active Illustrator document without changing it. Report its name, artboard names and dimensions, and the objects corresponding to Event_City, Event_Date, and Event_Logo. For the two text objects, report their current contents, font, size, position, and bounds. Identify ambiguous targets and any properties you cannot inspect. Request a preview of Square_Template.
Adobe documents object inspection and preview tools for this connection. Have Claude report the object IDs returned by those tools alongside the names. Use the inspected IDs for subsequent operations, and inspect again after duplication to identify the new objects.
Source: Adobe Illustrator Help
Compare the report with Illustrator. Confirm the 1080 × 1080 px artboard and RGB document mode. Check locked or hidden objects and unresolved links manually if the connection cannot report them. Record the exact font name and approve a text area for each field, with bounds measured relative to the artboard. A longer city name must fit that area without changing the logo or shrinking the type without approval.
Now save these fictional event records as variants.csv in the project root:
Ask Claude Code to read the file and confirm three records with unique slugs. It can read this project file independently of Illustrator; the workflow does not require an Illustrator CSV-import tool.
Proceed once the document, targets, preserved properties, and input records agree. The first edit will use only the London row.
Source: Adobe Illustrator Help
Create and Inspect the London Card First
Start with the London record: London, 12 November 2026, and the export slug london. Keep Square_Template unchanged so it remains the source for the other cities.
Ask Claude Code to duplicate the template artboard with its artwork, then inspect the copy before editing. Adobe lists artboard duplication and simple text editing among the supported operations. Confirm that the operation actually copied the logo, background, and text; an empty artboard is not a completed template copy.
Source: Adobe Illustrator Help
Use a bounded instruction:
In studio-sessions-working.ai, create one London artboard from Square_Template, including its artwork. Preserve the 1080 × 1080 px dimensions. Inspect the copied objects and identify the new city and date text IDs before editing them. Set their contents to London and 12 November 2026. Preserve the approved font, size, alignment, colors, logo, and background. Keep positions relative to the new artboard consistent with the template. Stop and report any ambiguous target or text that does not fit the approved area. Leave Square_Template unchanged and do not export yet.
Review the proposed operations before accepting them. Duplication may leave matching object names on both artboards, so require the assistant to distinguish the copied targets by their inspected IDs and location. A document-wide replacement could alter the template as well as the London card.
Inspect the Result in Illustrator
Request a preview of the London artboard and a report of the two updated text objects. Then inspect the card directly in Illustrator:
Read the city and date against the London CSV row.
Select each field with the Type tool and confirm it remains editable text with the approved typography.
Check that both fields fit their agreed areas without clipping, unexpected wrapping, or overlap.
Compare the logo’s proportions, colors, and position relative to the artboard with the template.
Confirm that the background and original template remain unchanged.
If the text is wrong, correct the identified field. If the target is wrong, undo the affected operation and inspect again before retrying. Avoid asking Claude to recreate a missing text object until you understand why it could not find the intended one.
Once the London card passes these checks, save the working document in Illustrator. You should now have the untouched template and one accepted city card, ready to use as a reference for the remaining variants.
Build the Remaining City Cards from the Original Template
Use the accepted London card as the visual reference, while creating Berlin and Istanbul from Square_Template. This keeps a correction made specifically for London from becoming an unintended starting condition for the other cities.
Before creating anything, ask Claude Code to compare the current artboard list with variants.csv. At this point, London should exist; Berlin and Istanbul should be missing. If the document contains unexpected city artboards, resolve those first.
Then give the assistant a continuation instruction:
Read variants.csv and compare its city records with the existing artboards in studio-sessions-working.ai. Preserve the accepted London card. Create only the missing Berlin card from Square_Template with its artwork, using Berlin’s exact city and date_text values and the approved layout constraints. Inspect the copied text targets before changing them. If Berlin already exists, inspect and report its state instead of creating another copy. Stop on ambiguous or duplicate matches. Return a Berlin preview and inspection report, then wait for my review. Do not create Istanbul or export yet.
Inspect Berlin using the London acceptance checks. Once you accept it, explicitly ask Claude to repeat the process for the Istanbul row, again starting from Square_Template, preserving both accepted city cards, and stopping for review. Pay particular attention to Istanbul’s longer city name. If it does not fit, review a specific adjustment within the approved text area. Keep the original font size unless you explicitly approve a change.
Make a Second Run Predictable
An interrupted run may leave a completed Berlin card and a partially edited Istanbul card. Ask Claude to inspect their actual contents before continuing. An artboard name alone does not prove that its text is correct. Correct an identified incomplete card after review, or restore the saved working copy and repeat the missing steps.
Once both cards pass inspection, repeat the comparison with the CSV without authorizing changes. The expected result is three matching city cards and no missing records or duplicate city artboards. There should be four artboards in total: Square_Template, London, Berlin, and Istanbul. Retain the template for future work and exclude it from delivery exports.
Save the working document. Have Claude record the CSV row, artboard name, and export slug for each accepted city in a short project note. That mapping will guide the export stage and help you distinguish a verified card from a name that merely appears in the artboard list.
Save the AI Master and Verify Every SVG and PNG
Save the accepted document as working/studio-sessions-master.ai using Illustrator’s Save As command. Keep all four artboards, including Square_Template, in this editable master. Adobe recommends saving an AI file before exporting to preserve Illustrator editing capabilities.
Source: Adobe Illustrator Help
Native saving is a separate step from the connection’s documented export tools. If your installed MCP tools expose an appropriate save operation, inspect its parameters and destination before using it. Otherwise, save through Illustrator directly.
Close and reopen the master from disk. Confirm that the three city cards remain correct, their text is editable, and the logo retains its vector structure. Resolve any missing-font or linked-file warning before creating the delivery files. Reopening checks the saved result rather than relying on the document still held in memory.
Export Only the Three City Artboards
Ask Claude Code to use the recorded city-to-artboard mapping and export each city as SVG and PNG into exports. Adobe documents exports targeting a specific artboard. Require that scope explicitly: exporting the whole canvas would include the template and neighboring cards.
Set the PNG output to 1080 × 1080 px and preserve the approved background. Inspect the available export parameters before running the batch. If the MCP tool cannot express a required setting, use File > Export > Export for Screens in Illustrator. In the Artboards tab, select only London, Berlin, and Istanbul, choose PNG at 1x, and add SVG as the other output format.
Source: Adobe Illustrator Help
For this example, deliver SVGs as visual assets with text converted to outlines using the SVG font export option. Apply that setting only during export; keep the AI master’s text live. Use the Illustrator export interface if the MCP tool cannot set it. Outlined SVG text is no longer selectable or editable as text. If a future delivery requires live SVG text, agree on its font-loading strategy before exporting.
Check the generated filenames, prefixes, suffixes, and subfolders. Match the delivery names to the CSV slugs: london.svg, london.png, berlin.svg, berlin.png, istanbul.svg, and istanbul.png. If you rename or move files, inspect them again in their final location.
Source: Adobe Illustrator Help
Check the Files You Will Deliver
Have Claude list the six expected exports and report missing or empty files. Then complete these checks:
Open each PNG and confirm its actual pixel dimensions are 1080 × 1080. Check the city, date, background, and edges.
Open each SVG in a browser on a device without the workstation’s font setup and compare it with the corresponding card. Check that the outlined type preserves the intended appearance and that no artwork is missing or clipped.
Inspect SVG bounds against the square artboard. Confirm the logo remains vector artwork rather than accepting a raster preview as proof.
Confirm that no template export, duplicate city file, or outdated revision is included.
If an output fails, correct the responsible setting or source object, save the master when artwork changes, and regenerate the affected files. The accepted package is one reusable AI master and six verified city exports, with the CSV and project note available for the next revision.
Use JSX When the Task Needs a Reusable Script
A reviewed JSX script is useful when you want to repeat a fixed operation across future event files, or when the required operation is missing from your MCP toolset. It also provides an automation route for an Illustrator installation without the Beta connection, provided its scripting API supports the task.
Ask Claude Code to write for Illustrator’s JavaScript/ExtendScript environment and your installed release. Illustrator’s application objects are accessed inside that runtime; running the file with Node.js does not give it access to the open document.
For Studio Sessions, begin with a script that inspects the template and reports the city and date targets without modifying them. Require explicit document checks and diagnostics for missing or duplicate targets. Use the template’s object names and structure as inputs; do not assume MCP object IDs can be reused as scripting identifiers.
To try the script:
Save the reviewed file as
scripts/inspect-template.jsxin the project folder.Open a fresh working copy of the template in Illustrator.
Choose File > Scripts > Other Script and select the JSX file.
Source: Adobe Illustrator Help
Compare its report with the document before extending it to edits. Save changes to the script before running it again. Test the London record first, then verify saved files and exports using the same checks as the MCP workflow.
Keep the script alongside its input schema, supported Illustrator version, and run instructions. Once tested, that package gives future revisions a defined procedure. A script that merely parses successfully still needs to run in Illustrator and produce the intended editable result.
FAQs
Do I Need Illustrator Beta to Use Claude Code?
Yes, for Adobe’s MCP connection. For a non-Beta installation, Claude Code can help prepare JSX scripts compatible with that Illustrator release.
Must Claude Code Run Inside Vagon?
Yes. This local connection requires Claude Code and Illustrator on the same Vagon Windows computer. Use your browser to access that desktop.
Are Adobe and Claude Subscriptions Included with Vagon?
No. Vagon provides the computer environment. Bring your own Adobe entitlement and Claude access; verify that your Adobe account can activate the required Beta build.
Can Claude Code Modify Every Illustrator Object?
The connection exposes specific supported tools, including simple text edits and selected document, artboard, and object operations. Check those tools against your actual file. Complex artwork may require manual editing or a supported scripting operation. If inspection cannot identify a target or property reliably, resolve that gap before authorizing changes.
Can I Run the Whole Batch Unattended?
This walkthrough uses review checkpoints and does not establish unattended reliability. Before expanding the job, verify the input records, duplicate handling, text fit, saved master, and exported files. Any operation that needs a dialog or manual setting also needs a defined handling step. Start with the three-card batch and retain a recoverable working copy.
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Mert Boz
Mert is a philosophy student with a strong interest in economics, motorsports, and basketball. He enjoys thinking about how the world works, both in theory and in real life. In his free time, you can often find him watching a race, following a basketball game, or reading about economic ideas.
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