Free, open-source Illustrator and Photoshop plugin that creates brand guidelines, logo presentations, Instagram carousels and complete logo kits from templates, in minutes instead of days.
Download · Features · Templates · Make your own templates · Use with Claude (MCP)
PortableStudio is a free Adobe Illustrator plugin and Photoshop extension for designers who build brand identities. Design a brand guidelines template once (or use the free ones included), and PortableStudio fills it with any client's brand name, colours, fonts, logos, photos and copy. You get an editable Illustrator file plus a ready-to-send PDF brand book, logo presentation, social media carousel and logo export kit.
It's a free, open-source alternative to paid brand guideline plugins and template kits: no subscription, no watermark, and the files are yours.
| Platform | File | Install |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 10/11 | PortableStudio-setup.exe |
Run the installer (no admin rights needed) |
| macOS (Intel & Apple silicon) | PortableStudio.pkg |
Open the package and follow the steps |
| Any ZXP installer | PortableStudio.zxp |
Signed Adobe extension |
Then restart Illustrator/Photoshop and open Window › Extensions › PortableStudio (Photoshop: Window › Extensions (Legacy)). Requires Illustrator 2021+ and/or Photoshop 2021+.
The free Essential Brand Guidelines template creates a complete 43-page brand book: brand overview, mission and values, tone of voice, logo usage, logo construction grid, clearspace, minimum size, logo misuse, colour palette with HEX/RGB/CMYK, tints, gradients, typography, brand pattern, stationery, photography and applications.
A 12-page logo presentation for client pitches: the idea, the symbol, construction, colour versions, palette, the logo in use (profile picture, app icon, business card), pattern, website and typography.
A 5-slide Instagram carousel (1080×1350) filled from the brand copy, exported as one PNG per slide, ready to post.
All examples above were generated from the included sample brand, "Lumen Coffee".
- Template engine for Illustrator and Photoshop. Tag any design with
{{brand.name}}, global swatches, Heading/Body styles and logo placeholders; PortableStudio fills text, colours, fonts, logos and photos automatically. - Update generated documents. Change the brand later and re-apply it without losing manual edits.
- Logo export kit. SVG, EPS, PDF and PNG in full colour, black, white and brand colour, plus favicons (favicon.ico, Apple touch and Android icons) and social media profile pictures and banners.
- Logo construction grids. Outlines, anchor points, bezier handles, circles, gridlines and clearspace on any vector logo.
- Colour palette tools. Extract a palette from a logo, industry palettes, tints and shades, CMYK conversion and WCAG contrast checks.
- Brand copy. Headline, mission, values, tone of voice and carousel text from industry starter copy, or written by AI with your own Anthropic API key.
- Smart fitting. PNG logos are trimmed and recoloured, long text shrinks to fit its box, and photos are cropped to their frames.
- Brand profiles and batch export. Save every client once and generate many templates in one click.
- Template packs. Install
.ziptemplate packs, or publish and sell your own. - Automation. A local REST API and an MCP server for Claude Desktop and Claude Code.
- Design and tag. Build a template in Illustrator or Photoshop and tag what should change (template guide), or use the free starter templates.
- Add the brand. Name, colours, fonts, logos, photos and copy, saved as a reusable brand profile.
- Generate. Get an editable
.ai/.psd, a PDF and per-page PNGs. Edit freely, then Update to apply brand changes.
git clone https://github.com/vicenet/PortableStudio.git
cd PortableStudio
npm install
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts\dev-install.ps1 # Windows
sh scripts/dev-install.sh # macOS
npm test
npm run package # release builds in dist/The project is plain JavaScript (Adobe CEP panel + Node) and ExtendScript, with no framework. See
CONTRIBUTING.md, docs/API.md and docs/MCP.md.
Signed installers: docs/SIGNING.md. Adobe Exchange listing: docs/ADOBE-EXCHANGE.md.
Releases are built by GitHub Actions: pushing a v* tag builds the Windows .exe and macOS .pkg.
index.html, css/, js/ Panel UI (Adobe CEP: Chromium + Node.js)
host/ ExtendScript for Illustrator / Photoshop
core/ Shared Node modules: API, brands, packs, colour, copy
builders/ Scripts that draw the starter templates
templates/ Template library
installer/ Windows (Inno Setup) and macOS (pkgbuild) installers
mcp/server.js MCP server
Is PortableStudio free? Yes. It's free and open source (GPL-3.0), and the starter templates are CC0, so you can use them in commercial client work without attribution.
Can I use my own brand guidelines template? Yes. Tag your Illustrator or Photoshop file following the template guide and add it to the library.
Does it work with Photoshop? Yes: text, colours, fonts, logos (including smart-object mockups) and per-artboard carousel export. Logo kits and construction grids are Illustrator features.
Why does Windows/macOS warn when installing? The installers aren't signed with paid developer certificates yet. They're built by GitHub Actions from this public source code.
Found a security problem? See SECURITY.md. Privacy: no account, no tracking.
Need grids too? PortableGrid adds column, baseline and golden-ratio grids, magazine layouts and social safe zones, and can use your PortableStudio brands.
Code: GPL-3.0. Starter templates and sample brand: CC0. Template packs by others are licensed by their authors. PortableStudio is an independent project, not affiliated with Adobe. Illustrator and Photoshop are trademarks of Adobe Inc.
⭐ If PortableStudio saves you time, star the repo. It helps other designers find it.