codesign

<!-- Generated by @imgly/plugin-repo-builder — do not edit this repo by hand. -->
<!-- mcp-name: ly.img/codesign -->

# CoDesign

**The design layer for the agent era.**

CoDesign gives your coding agent a real design engine. Generate, edit, and
automate _fully editable_ designs — print, social, and video — straight from
the chat, then export print-ready PDFs, images, and more. You steer, the agent
edits the same scene, and you keep control of the outcome.

It ships as an MCP server (plus a Claude Code plugin) that hands your agent
IMG.LY's CE.SDK CreativeEngine — the same production engine behind IMG.LY's
commercial SDKs. Every recipe below spawns the published npm package
`@imgly/codesign-mcp` over stdio; no separate install step — `npx` fetches it on first
use.

## What you can make

Ask your agent, in plain language:

- _"Design a 3-panel Instagram carousel announcing our launch, on-brand."_
- _"Resize this poster to A4 with print bleed and export a print-ready PDF."_
- _"Localize this flyer into German and re-fit the layout to the new text."_
- _"Generate five color variants of this template so I can pick one."_

## How it works

Three layers, one product:

- **The plugin** — skills, slash commands, and an embedded design handbook your
  agent draws on to design _well_ (brand, localize, resize, and quality-check
  its own output). This is the piece you install.
- **The MCP server** (`@imgly/codesign-mcp`) — exposes the design tools (`edit`,
  `preview`, `export`, `list`, `history`, …) over MCP, driven by tool calls
  from any agent host.
- **The CE.SDK CreativeEngine** — IMG.LY's real, headless design engine that
  does the actual layout, rendering, and export.

## Why a real engine matters

Every other design agent draws on a web canvas — a quick fix that breaks on the
hard problems. CoDesign commands a production engine matured over years across
print, video, and social:

- **True print & color fidelity** — CMYK, bleed, and ICC profiles, not just
  RGB screen output.
- **Deterministic output** — renders identically everywhere, independent of
  browser or config.
- **Native performance** — a purpose-built engine that stays fast at scale and
  under heavy assets.
- **Full compatibility** — imports InDesign, PSD, PDF, and Lottie; exports
  print-ready PDF, image, video, and HTML.

## Requirements & known limitations

> **Read this first — the failure modes below are silent.**

- **Node.js ≥ 22.15 is required and is _not_ provided.** The server runs on your
  system Node. With no Node (or Node < 22.15) on `PATH`, the host reports the
  server as failed with no useful reason — typically `local: 0` and
  `MCP error -32000`. Install Node 22.15+ first: <https://nodejs.org>.
- **Pin `@latest` — it's in every recipe on purpose.** A bare, unpinned `npx`
  caches the package and goes stale; because each release carries a rolling
  30-day trial license, a stale copy eventually stops working.
- **Windows is not supported under bare `npx`.** Hosts that spawn `npx`
  directly hit `spawn npx ENOENT`
  ([anthropics/claude-code#58510](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/58510)).
  Use WSL for now; a native Windows launcher is coming.

## Install

### Claude Code

Install the plugin from the marketplace:

```bash
claude plugin marketplace add imgly/codesign
claude plugin install codesign@imgly-codesign
```

Or add the MCP server directly, without the plugin:

```bash
claude mcp add codesign -- npx -y @imgly/codesign-mcp@latest stdio
```

### Codex

Install the plugin from the marketplace:

```bash
codex plugin marketplace add imgly/codesign
codex plugin add codesign@imgly-codesign
```

Or add the MCP server directly, without the plugin:

```bash
codex mcp add codesign -- npx -y @imgly/codesign-mcp@latest stdio
```

### Antigravity CLI

Clone the repo and install the plugin folder:

```bash
git clone https://github.com/imgly/codesign
agy plugin install ./codesign/plugins/codesign
```

Or add the MCP server directly, without the plugin:

```bash
agy mcp add codesign -- npx -y @imgly/codesign-mcp@latest stdio
```

### Gemini CLI

Gemini CLI now serves Gemini Code Assist Standard/Enterprise and API-key
accounts; on a personal Google account, use Antigravity CLI above.

Install as an extension straight from the public repo:

```bash
gemini extensions install https://github.com/imgly/codesign
```

Or add the server manually to `~/.gemini/settings.json`:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "codesign": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@imgly/codesign-mcp@latest",
        "stdio"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

### Other MCP hosts

Every other host spawns the same stdio server — only the config file and
the top-level key differ. Add this block to the host’s MCP config:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "codesign": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@imgly/codesign-mcp@latest",
        "stdio"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

| Host | Config file | Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cursor | `.cursor/mcp.json` | as-is |
| Windsurf | `~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json` | as-is |
| VS Code | `.vscode/mcp.json` | use the key `servers` instead of `mcpServers` |
| Zed | `settings.json` | use the `context_servers` shape below |

VS Code (`servers` key):

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "codesign": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@imgly/codesign-mcp@latest",
        "stdio"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

Zed (`context_servers`):

```json
{
  "context_servers": {
    "codesign": {
      "command": {
        "path": "npx",
        "args": [
          "-y",
          "@imgly/codesign-mcp@latest",
          "stdio"
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}
```

## Licensing

A 30-day CE.SDK trial license is bundled in the package, so the recipes above
work out of the box with **zero configuration**. To use your own CE.SDK license,
set `CESDK_LICENSE` in the server's environment — for example, add an `env`
block next to `command`/`args`:

```json
{ "env": { "CESDK_LICENSE": "your-cesdk-node-license" } }
```

## Beyond your machine

CoDesign runs free on your machine today. When you need more — always-on
hosting, your own infrastructure (VPC / on-prem), or a fully bundled design
agent that lives in the canvas — the same building block graduates by changing
config, not vendors. No lock-in. Talk to us: <support@img.ly>.

## Support

Questions or issues: <support@img.ly>. This distribution is generated from
IMG.LY's source repository; see [LICENSE](./LICENSE) for terms.