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Photoshop MCP Server

by alisaitteke
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photoshop_adjust_brightness_contrast

Destructive

Apply brightness and contrast deltas to the active raster layer for quick exposure or contrast fixes. Runs once as a destructive pixel adjustment, reversible with undo.

Instructions

Apply Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast once to the active layer. Values are deltas on pixels, not an adjustment layer.

Users often say: fix exposure, add contrast, brighten, darken.

Use when: a quick brightness/contrast pass on the current raster layer. Do NOT use when: exposure in stops on an editable layer — use photoshop_adjust_exposure. Do NOT use when: a non-destructive tonal curve — use photoshop_adjust_curves. Do NOT use when: automatic black and white points — use photoshop_auto_levels.

Returns: the brightness and contrast values applied. Preconditions: active document and active layer. Text and Smart Objects are rasterized first. Side effects: destructive pixels, one history step. Calling again applies another delta. Reversible with photoshop_undo.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
contrastYesContrast adjustment (-100 to 100)
brightnessYesBrightness adjustment (-100 to 100)
document_idYesPhotoshop document id from photoshop_get_state / photoshop_list_documents. Send null or 0 to use the active document. A positive number activates that document before the tool runs. When no document is open, a stale id does not block the call.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed1 schema field changedv1.7.33
    • changedInput schema / properties / document_id / description
      Previous value: -"Photoshop document id from photoshop_get_state / photoshop_list_documents. Send null to use the active document. A number activates that document before the tool runs."New value: +"Photoshop document id from photoshop_get_state / photoshop_list_documents. Send null or 0 to use the active document. A positive number activates that document before the tool runs. When no document is open, a stale id does not block the call."
  2. Changed4 schema fields changedv1.7.32
    • addedInput schema / additionalProperties
      Added value: +false
    • changedInput schema / properties / document_id / description
      Previous value: -"Optional Photoshop document id from photoshop_get_state / photoshop_list_documents. When set, the tool activates that document before running so a UI tab switch cannot retarget the edit."New value: +"Photoshop document id from photoshop_get_state / photoshop_list_documents. Send null to use the active document. A number activates that document before the tool runs."
    • changedInput schema / properties / document_id / type
      Previous value: -"number"New value: +[
+  "number",
+  "null"
+]
    • changedInput schema / required
      Previous value: -[
-  "brightness",
-  "contrast"
-]New value: +[
+  "brightness",
+  "contrast",
+  "document_id"
+]
  3. First observedv0.1.0

TDQS

A4.9/5.0
Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations declare destructive=true, readOnlyHint=false and idempotentHint=false, and the description goes well beyond them: it warns that Text and Smart Objects are rasterized first, that pixels are destroyed, that it consumes one history step, that repeated calls stack additional deltas, and that photoshop_undo reverses it. This is exactly the extra behavioral context the annotations cannot express.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loads the operation and the delta semantics, then uses tight labeled blocks (Users often say / Use when / Do NOT use when / Returns / Preconditions / Side effects). No sentence is filler; every clause either routes the agent or sets expectations.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

With no output schema, the description still states the return value (the applied brightness and contrast values) and covers preconditions (active document and layer), destructive side effects, reversibility, and the stacking behavior. Nothing needed to call this correctly is missing.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so brightness/contrast ranges and the document_id resolution rules are already documented, setting the baseline at 3. The description adds genuine meaning beyond the schema by clarifying that the numbers are deltas applied to pixels rather than an adjustment-layer setting, which changes how an agent should reason about repeat calls.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource ('Apply Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast once to the active layer') and immediately scopes the values as pixel deltas rather than an adjustment layer. This is enough to distinguish it from the many sibling adjustment tools without opening any schema.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Provides explicit when-to-use plus three when-not-to-use clauses, each naming the correct alternative sibling (photoshop_adjust_exposure for stops, photoshop_adjust_curves for tonal curves, photoshop_auto_levels for auto black/white points). It even captures the colloquial user phrasings ('fix exposure, brighten, darken') that trigger it.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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