Transparent Distressed Graphics

Hi there,

I'm wanting to create graphics with a distressed layer (effect) over the image, but I do not want this to be in color, I want it to be a transparent (knockout) of the shirt coming through. For example, cracks or waves through a design, but not filled with a color. If someone can explain the process of making it transparent, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance to all of those who respond.

Edited to include this necessary information which I forgot to include:

I am using a DTG printer (DTG Kiosk w/ white ink) with the ability to print white ink on colored shirts. I also have plugged Advanced Artist's Distressed Generator into my Corel Draw X3 to use for all of my distress filters. Would you happen to know how to make these filters as a transparent knockout? If I change any of the filters (fill or outline) to white, and I print on a colored shirt, the underbase will pick up the white and print a white layer, which is not what I am wanting. Also, if there is a way to make the filter transparent, would it still be editable in the design?

  • one of a lot of ways: you can use an irregular object and TRIM

    • Easy, we do this every day with our seps for screenprinting.

      All you need to do is make sure that your distress filter (overlay) is a monochrome bitmap.

      Set your fill to NONE and make your outline shirt color.

      Done deal. Easy Cheesy.

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      These distress filters are getting all mucked up in the posts, but I think you get the idea.

      Here's another.

      Change the black in the filter to white, set fill to none, overlay on your artwork................to print on a white tee.

      • Thanks so much for your detailed response and pictures. I failed to mention that I'm printing these using a DTG printer on white & colored shirts. I don't want the distressed filters to be any color (only a transparent knockout) -- how is this achieved, same process??

        • Whoops, it may make a difference.

          You wouldn't be able to change the color of the filter to shirt color because it will print that color.

          Is your DTG have white capabilities or not?

          Question? I've never created art specifically for a DTG, but if your machine doesn't have the ability to print white...................if you do use white, what happens?

          Will it knock out the color underneath?

           

          • hotaz said:

            Thanks so much for your detailed response and pictures. I failed to mention that I'm printing these using a DTG printer on white & colored shirts. I don't want the distressed filters to be any color (only a transparent knockout) -- how is this achieved, same process??

            I have done this with the DTG printer that I own. Here is the method. This is in two sections, the first being creating the distressed filter and the other being the application of the distress look to the design to be printed.

            Distress Filter:

            First, open CorelDRAW and fill a document with a large edge to edge rectangle, color that rectangle black. Print that page. Then when you have the printed page, crunch/wrinkle that page by scrunching it up into a ball. Spread the page out and re-crunch, if you want a finer distress pattern. Now flatten the printed page and scan back into CorelPhotoPaint. Do adjust the scanner to be Black and White (Or Gray Scale). If you can, adjust the contrast with the scanner driver to yield as high of a contrast as possible. Now, further adjust the contrast until you get a nice stress pattern. Save the image as a transparent tiff file. You now have your distress filter.

            Distress Design Application

            Do your normal design in CorelDRAW. When the design/layout is complete, (except for the distress part Big Smile) import the distress tiff file that you just created, place it over your design. You can resize the distress tiff page to fit over the design. Now change the outline color (of the selected tiff file) to white and the fill color to transparent (the X in the color palette).

            Done!.

             

            • Thanks for the response. Are you familiar with Advanced Artist's Distressed Generator? I have plugged this into Corel Draw to use for all of my distress filters. Would you happen to know how to make these filters as a transparent knockout? If I change any of the filters (fill or outline) to white, and I print on a colored shirt, the underbase will pick up the white and print a white layer, which is not what I am wanting.

              • I am not familiar with Advanced Artist's stuff. And since I do not do white ink (I print only light/white garments), I have not seen this.

                What I would think to do, is once you have the distress pattern applied to the shirt design, I would convert everything to a bitmap and then knock out the white areas (change the white areas to transparent) in PP.

                • Well, if your DTG has white ink capabilities, another (easy) option would be to convert your text along with the distressed filter, to a monochrome bitmap.

                  That way you won't need to worry about the white.

                  Like this.........you can change the color of the bitmap and the shirt (triangle) will still come through.