Build PhotoCraft from source

Compile ArtCraft PhotoCraft from its GitHub repository with Rust and Cargo, run the tests, and add the optional CJK font bundle.

Building from source gives you the newest code and lets you change it. You need Git and Rust 1.90 or newer.

1. Install Rust

Install the toolchain with rustup, then check the version.

rustc --version   # must be 1.90 or newer
rustup update     # if it is older

2. Clone and run

git clone https://github.com/storytold/photocraft.git
cd photocraft
cargo run --release -p photocraft

The first build compiles the whole workspace and takes a while. To open a document on launch, pass its path after --:

cargo run --release -p photocraft -- image.psd

3. Run the tests

cargo test --workspace

The project also tests against pinned sets of real files. The repository's development guide explains how to fetch them with its xtask commands.

Optional: CJK fonts

Official desktop builds include fonts for Japanese and other CJK text from a separate repository. Without it, PhotoCraft uses the CJK fonts already installed on your system.

git clone https://github.com/storytold/craft-fonts ../craft-fonts
CRAFT_FONTS_DIR="$PWD/../craft-fonts" cargo run --release -p photocraft

Where to go next

AGENTS.md in the repository is the recommended starting point for new contributors and AI coding agents.
The docs/ folder covers architecture, file formats, automation and the release process.
The web build can be self-hosted; the repository documents a Docker setup for it.