I love T-shirts with that old, cracked plastisol look. They look brilliant, don’t they? You can give your own T-shirt designs that same vintage finish, super quick and super easy.
Here, I’ll show you how to turn a clean design into something that looks like it’s been knocking about for decades.
You’ll need Photoshop and my Plastisol Construction Kit Photoshop. The kit uses a straightforward setup, so it should work in older desktop versions that support its Smart Objects, layers and masks.
The aim is to make your design look as though it’s been through the washing machine a hundred times, dragged along to a few gigs and possibly slept in.
Hopefully in your own bed, but that’s your business.
How cracked you make your design look is entirely up to you. So let’s get into it.
I’m using my Plastisol Construction Kit Photoshop for this walkthrough. If you’d prefer to build the effect yourself, my manual Photoshop tutorial explains that approach.
The process at a glance
This is my four-step process to get from artwork to a finished printed T-shirt.
Step 1: Start with your artwork
Step 2: Apply a plastisol texture preset
Step 3: Preview your design on a T-shirt
Step 4: Prepare your design for printing
What makes a T-shirt design look vintage?
This plastisol kit does some of the work. But your artwork, your design, your lettering, your illustration, your colours and layout all need to pull their weight.
You can’t just chuck a few plastisol cracks on any old design and expect it to look like you bought it outside a gig in 1978.
The design part is down to you. That’s your thing, so I’ll leave you to do it.
But I’m here to help you with the plastisol cracks. Below, I’ll show you how to give your design that printed plastisol look, with an aged and worn appearance.
What kind of artwork works best to get that aged, cracked plastisol effect in Photoshop?
Bold lettering, chunky illustrations and large areas of colour give the plastisol cracks room to show themselves.
Small lettering and delicate details can work too, but they need a lighter touch. You might need to go in and manually paint out a few cracks here and there where they’re obscuring important details you want to keep.
I’ll show you how to use my Plastisol Construction Kit Photoshop. I’ll take you through the process, then show you a ton of different designs to demonstrate how the cracked textures work with different lettering and illustrations.
Why I made my textures from real printed ink
Before we get into it, let me explain why I created this kit.
I made these textures using real white plastisol ink printed onto black T-shirts with my small screen-printing press at home. So all these plastisol textures are the real thing. None of the crack textures were generated with AI or artificially created to imitate cracked ink.
I originally created this kit for myself, for my own T-shirts. I didn’t want clean vector outlines. I wanted them roughed up. I wanted that aged, worn, distressed effect to give my T-shirts some real character—to take the artwork from clean to aged.
After printing, I stretched and washed the shirts to create different patterns of cracking. I then digitised and cleaned up the results in Photoshop and Illustrator.
Trust me, this took ages. I must have washed those shirts about forty times.
You can read more about how I made my plastisol ink textures. Here, we’ll concentrate on using them.
What do you need before you start?
First, you’ll need my Plastisol Construction Kit Photoshop, Photoshop on desktop and your design, preferably on a transparent background.
And that’s it.
The Photoshop walkthrough
1. Open the kit and add your artwork
Open a working copy of the supplied Photoshop file so you can keep the original untouched.
Find the artwork Smart Object identified in the included instructions, then double-click its thumbnail to open it.
Place your design inside, replacing the example artwork. Resize it proportionally to fit, then save the Smart Object and return to the main document to see the effect update.
2. Choose how worn you want your design to look
Try the supplied texture presets and see how each one affects your artwork. Start with something close to the finish you want; you can refine it afterwards.
My Plastisol Construction Kit Photoshop comes with 20 presets. I’ve tried to name them according to how worn and distressed they look, but the best way to explore them is to double-click the artwork Smart Object in each one and add your design. Save it, then check the result. That way, you can quickly compare the presets and find the one you like. Bada bing, bada boom, job done.
For light wear, choose fine cracks and a few missing flecks. For medium wear, try more noticeable gaps while keeping the main lettering clear. For heavy wear, choose larger missing patches and stronger cracking.
Look at all the effects. Switch the layers off and on and examine how each one looks. The most dramatic option won’t necessarily be the one that suits your artwork best. And by dramatic, I mean the most cracked.
Bear in mind that the cracks will look finer when you scale the artwork down. If you then print it larger, they’ll appear larger too, so judge the effect at the size you actually want on the T-shirt.
Ugh, complications. But anyway, have a play. Mess around.
3. Protect the details that matter
Once you’ve chosen your texture, check whether it hides anything important. Small lettering, narrow strokes and details within an illustration are usually the first things to suffer.
These presets use editable layer masks, with your artwork sitting beneath the mask in the layer group. Find the mask thumbnail in the Layers panel and click it to select it.
You can then paint directly onto the mask with black or white. White restores your artwork, removing cracks from those areas. Black hides parts of the artwork, adding more wear. Make sure you’re painting on the mask rather than directly onto your design.
You don’t need to remove every crack. You might just want to restore important details in certain areas, then leave the larger shapes to carry more of the wear.
4. Try the design on light and dark backgrounds
Use the kit’s editable background colour to preview different combinations.
Look at how clearly the artwork stands out and how the cracks read against each colour. A treatment that works on black might need adjusting for cream or grey.
If you’re preparing artwork for different shirt colours, check each version separately. You may need to change the artwork colour or choose a different texture.
The pale Bowie lettering stands out against teal, while the darker offset lettering gives it depth. Check that your chosen background keeps both the design and its worn texture clear.
5. Judge the design at its intended size
Check the whole graphic at roughly the size it will appear on the shirt. If practical, print a paper proof at the intended dimensions.
A large screen close-up can make tiny details look far more significant than they’ll be in use.
How do you turn your design into artwork you can print on a real T-shirt?
Once you’re happy with the effect and you like the way it looks, the next step is to get your T-shirt printed.
Before exporting, check the artwork’s pixel dimensions against your print-on-demand service’s requirements. How large you can print it depends on those dimensions, not just the resolution setting in Photoshop.
Prepare a copy for export and switch off the background layers. Check that both the area around your design and the gaps in the ink show Photoshop’s transparency checkerboard, then export as a PNG with transparency enabled. That way, the shirt colour can show through the cracks.
If you’re using your own print supplier rather than a print-on-demand service, ask them which file format, dimensions and colour setup they need. If you’re planning to sell the T-shirts, order a sample first so you can check the colours, details and texture on the actual garment.
Your PNG is made from pixels, so enlarging it too far can make it look soft or pixelated. If your printer needs vectors, my Illustrator plastisol kit may be a better starting point. You can trace raster artwork in Illustrator, but fine cracks may change or disappear during conversion.
Watch the Photoshop tutorial
Here’s my tutorial showing how to create the cracked plastisol effect in Photoshop.
Watch the Photoshop tutorial on YouTube.
What’s included in my Plastisol Construction Kit Photoshop?
The kit brings together the textures I made from my original screen prints, with a prepared Photoshop setup to help you use them.
You get:
- 20 real cracked ink textures.
- A layered Photoshop file with editable Smart Objects.
- 15 plastisol brush presets.
- 10 additional background textures.
- Five edge-distressing actions.
- An editable background colour.
- Instructions to help you get started.
This Plastisol Construction Kit Photoshop will save you a lot of time. I’ve done the hard work so you don’t have to. You can concentrate on creating your own designs and applying the finish you want, quickly and easily.
Explore the Plastisol Construction Kit Photoshop.
Why does my vintage T-shirt texture look wrong?
The lettering is difficult to read
Try a finer texture or restore important details using the editable mask where available. Compare the result at the size you intend to use it.
The cracks look stretched
Check whether you resized the artwork or texture without preserving its proportions. Return to an untouched copy if necessary and resize proportionally.
The effect disappears when I zoom out
The marks may be too fine for the intended size. Try a different texture preset, while keeping the smaller lettering readable.
The entire design looks equally damaged
Use the available masks and brushes to restore selected areas and vary the wear. Compare the result with photographs of actual worn prints.
The result looks good in the mockup but wrong in the exported file
Check which layers contribute to the effect and follow the kit’s output instructions. Preview the exported file against both light and dark backgrounds, especially if you need transparency.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a digital effect, or do I need actual plastisol ink?
This is a digital Photoshop effect made from scans of real cracked plastisol prints. You don’t need ink, a screen-printing press or forty trips to the washing machine. You apply the texture to your artwork, then send the finished design to your printer.
Which versions of Photoshop does the kit work with?
The kit uses Smart Objects, layers and masks. It should work in older desktop versions of Photoshop that support those features and can open the supplied file, as well as newer versions. If you’re unsure about your version, contact me before buying.
Will it work in Affinity, Photopea, Photoshop Elements or Photoshop on iPad?
This kit is designed for desktop Photoshop. Compatibility with the complete workflow in other applications hasn’t been confirmed, so don’t assume that opening the PSD means every feature will work. Contact me before buying if you use different software.
Is it suitable for Photoshop beginners?
Yes, provided you’re comfortable with basic layers. The main process involves opening a Smart Object, adding your artwork and saving it to update the effect. Instructions are included, and the video above shows the process. You can start with a preset and leave the more detailed adjustments until you need them.
Will the cracks be transparent in my exported artwork?
Check that the cracks reveal Photoshop’s transparency checkerboard after you hide the background layers. Export a PNG with transparency enabled, then open it again to check the result. If the cracks remain solid white or another colour, check the visible layers and masks before sending it to print.
What size can I print the finished artwork?
That depends on its pixel dimensions and your printer’s requirements. A resolution setting alone doesn’t tell you how large you can print. Check the file at your intended print size and avoid enlarging a small export. If you need scalable vector artwork, take a look at my Illustrator plastisol kit.
What if I get stuck or can’t find my download?
Contact me with your order number. If it’s a Photoshop problem, include your Photoshop version and a screenshot of the Layers panel so I can see what’s happening.
Do I need to install the brushes and actions?
No. You can use the kit perfectly well without installing the brushes and actions. They’re there as a bonus if you want more control over the finish, including adding extra details or cracks to particular areas. But, to be honest, you don’t need them. I haven’t used them in this tutorial.
Can I do this without buying the kit?
Yes. You can apply a suitable cracked ink texture through a layer mask. This walkthrough uses my prepared kit, but my practical Photoshop guide explains the manual method.
Is lowering the opacity the same as making the design look worn?
Lowering opacity makes the whole layer more transparent. A distress texture creates local gaps and irregular damage. You can experiment with both, but they produce different results.
Does every vintage T-shirt need cracked ink?
No. Some designs rely more on faded colours, print grain, typography or illustration style. Cracked ink is one possible treatment.
Can I use the kit for T-shirts I sell on Etsy?
Yes, you can. You can use the kit to add cracked plastisol effects to your own designs and sell the finished T-shirts on Etsy.
Is the finished design automatically ready for screen printing?
No. Check your printer’s requirements, including the smallest details they can reproduce. A mockup that looks good on screen isn’t proof that every crack will survive the printing process.
Where do you get your vintage plastisol T-shirts printed?
I use Prodigi to print my T-shirts. It’s a print-on-demand service, so you upload your finished artwork, choose a T-shirt and they handle the printing and shipping.
Printful, Printify and Gelato offer similar services. Any of these four can be an option for printing your vintage-style designs. Check the requirements for your chosen T-shirt and order a sample to see how the colours and fine cracks reproduce.
So what have we learned today?
That heading makes me sound like I’m about to hand out worksheets. Sorry about that. We’re at the end, I’m running out of steam, and there’s a strong chance I need a biscuit. Anyway, what have we learned?
If you want that aged plastisol effect in your T-shirt designs—in fact, in any of your designs—you can feel confident that my Plastisol Construction Kit Photoshop will do the job. And it’ll help you do it quickly and easily.
You can take your design from clean to aged in a matter of minutes. Explore the 20 presets, experiment with the brushes and try the actions I’ve created to make the edges look more worn.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. I’m always here. Well, I’m not always here. I’m only human. But you know what I mean.
As they say in London, be lucky.
About the author
Written by Simon Stratford, type designer and graphic designer. These are my opinions, reached after too little sleep and too much coffee. You can also follow my antics on @itsmesimonok, or leave a comment below. Despite all the opinions, I’m actually quite nice.