PhotoCraft open-source project recreates Adobe Photoshop features

The open-source project Crafting Apps is rapidly updating its suite of software designed to replicate Adobe applications. The Photoshop alternative, known as PhotoCraft, has reached version 0.10.0, which introduces significant improvements including support for Japanese fonts and vertical text.

Developed using Rust, PhotoCraft is notably lightweight at approximately 100MB, compared to the 5GB+ size of Adobe Photoshop. While currently in an alpha stage with roughly 75% completion, the project aims to provide a free, cross-platform alternative for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Web users.

Developer Brandon Thomas has utilized AI assistance, specifically Claude, to accelerate the development of these tools. While the software currently lacks certain professional features such as AI generative tools, advanced typography depth, and plugin compatibility, it has already implemented features like brush and swatch file imports. The project's roadmap focuses on improving PSD file fidelity, performance, and bug reduction.