Re-creating vintage designs on t

Re-creating vintage designs on t-shirts
Michael Ploch
A client approached me recently with a shirt that he had printed. The printed design
looked like it was produced by the old method of cutting out the design with an
X-ACTO® knife to make each screen color. The client wanted to change the name yet
keep the overall design the same.
In a screen printing shop, we see this on a daily basis — someone bringing in an existing
design that needs to be re-created because it is not available in any type of electronic
format, or because the image quality is just not acceptable.
In this tutorial, I demonstrate how I use the many exceptional features in the
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite to get the job done.
Step 1: Layers
I start by taking a digital photograph of the shirt laid out as smoothly as possible, and
then I import the picture into CorelDRAW (see Figure 1).
Figure 1
I then open the Object Manager docker, create a new layer, and label it “JPG File.” I
will use the layering function quite a bit because I will create an overlay for all of the
elements to create the final design.
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Figure 2
Then, I make an assessment of the design elements and create layers for each group (see
Figure 2). In addition to the JPG File layer, which contains the original image, I’ll be
breaking this design into four distinct layers:
• Basic Objects — The basic objects will be all of the water and land areas.
• Text & Markings — This layer will contain all of the text and chart markings.
• Boats / Compass — The boats and the compass are complex objects that will need
to be traced.
• Name Drop — The final name drop has its own layer. This layer will include the
words “Little Harbor,” which will be added above the image to replace the original
text (“Bahia Beach Marina”).
I typically like to go ahead and create the blank layers now, before I go any further with
the design, even though I will not be using them all right away.
Step 2: Basic objects
When working with a JPG file to create an overlay of basic shapes, I like to use the
wire-frame view. This allows me to create closed objects and not see the fill color until
I’ve completed all of the objects. In Figure 3, I have selected my “Basic Objects” layer
and the wire-frame view to get started.
Figure 3
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Using the Freehand tool and my pen tablet, I draw a closed object around each area of
color in the design. (Tip: To make sure that the object you draw is closed, click the
Auto-Close Curve button on the property bar.)
Once you’re done with each object, you can use the Shape tool to smooth out the curves.
A little bit of overlap is acceptable with this technique, and you can always go in and
make adjustments later.
When I’m finished with all of my basic shapes, the design looks as shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4
Step 3: Basic objects / adding color
Adding the color is where the fun begins. As a screen printer, I must plan ahead for
when I print my separations, so now is the time to select the PANTONE colors I will
be using to fill in all of my objects. This design also uses halftones to simulate multiple
colors, even though we will be printing only three top colors.
I choose a PANTONE color palette by clicking Window ` Color Palettes ` PANTONE
Solid Coated. Then, I open the Color Styles docker and drag the PANTONE colors that
I want to use into the list in the docker. The design is made up of PANTONE 284 C
blue as the base color and two tint colors. I create the tint colors from the base color by
right-clicking the base color and selecting Create a Child Color from the list box
(alternatively, you can click the New Child Color(s) button on the Color Styles palette).
I create one tint color at 70% and another at 40%. Using the same process, I create a
child color for PANTONE 356 C green and set it at 50% tint. Before filling the objects
with color, I turn off the wire-frame view. (Don’t be afraid to toggle back and forth
between wire-frame view and your normal enhanced view to compare your image with
the original.) Then, I drag the colors into the objects, filling each object with the color
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I’ll need for printing later (see Figure 5). The end result for the blue and green objects
is shown in Figure 6.
Figure 5
Figure 6
Notice that I have turned off the outline color for the objects that represent the water
to provide a smooth transition of color between the different tint colors. (To turn off the
outline, select the object, and choose None from the Outline Width list box on the
property bar.)
Before moving on to the next step, I want to add a few pointers. As I did in Figures 5
and 6, turning off the JPG layer in the Object Manager makes it easier to see your work.
Also, Corel has brought back the PANTONE Transparent White color in version X3.
It’s almost a must for us screen printers when we create spot-color designs to have the
colors separated with CorelDRAW. Having the Transparent White helps us create a
design that looks correct on the screen and then separates so it can be printed.
Make sure that all of the colors in the Color Styles docker are PANTONE colors. If they
are not, open your PANTONE color palette and drag the corresponding PANTONE
color on top of the non-PANTONE color in the Color Styles docker. As your work
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becomes more complex, continue to check that only PANTONE colors are used in the
Color Styles docker.
Step 4: Text and markings
It’s time to insert the text and markings. I set the screen view to wire-frame mode, and
then go back to the Object Manager and select the Text & Markings layer. Now I just
insert text by overlaying the writing on the JPG file. I use the Rectangle tool as well as
the Freehand tool to create some of the highlight lines (see Figure 7). When the text is
complete, it looks like the image in Figure 8.
Figure 7
Figure 8
The design is coming to life. By using the Object Manager’s layering function, along
with the wire-frame view, I have been able to create an excellent copy of the original
JPG file. There is still more work ahead with some of the more complex elements of the
design — the boats and the compass. To re-create them, I use more of the great features
of CorelDRAW X3 and Corel PHOTO-PAINT® X3.
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Step 5: Boats and compass
Re-creating the two boats and the compass is the most complex part of this design job.
Because all I originally had to work with was a design on a t-shirt, the digital picture
still does not have the clarity needed to do a standard trace for a nice clean image. But
I can crop the elements out, using Corel PHOTO-PAINT. First, I open the digital
photo in Corel PHOTO-PAINT and crop out the sailboat (see Figure 9).
Figure 9
Using the Magic Wand selection tool and the eraser, I remove as much of the
background as possible (see Figure 10).
Figure 10
The next step is to print out a hard copy of the boat. Then, I use tracing paper to trace
a nice clean copy and scan it into CorelDRAW. Once I have the scanned image in
CorelDRAW, I use the trace function (Bitmaps ` Trace Bitmap) to create a nice, clean,
and smooth vector image of the boat (see Figure 11) that will allow me to convert the
colors to PANTONE colors.
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Figure 11
Once the trace is complete, I switch back into wire-frame view and place the boat on
the Boat & Compass layer, resizing as necessary to make an exact fit (see Figure 12).
Figure 12
I repeat this process for both boats and for the compass. See Figure 13 for the results.
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Figure 13
Step 6: Name drop
To finish the design, I select the Name Drop layer, draw a circle with the Ellipse tool,
and then type out the text “LITTLE HARBOR” above the circle (see Figure 14).
Figure 14
The new Fit Text to Path feature lets me move and adjust the text to follow the
curvature of the circle. I select Text ` Fit Text to Path, and then move the arrow pointer
toward the circle until the text snaps to the path (see Figure 15).
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Figure 15
I am then able to expand or contract my path radius to get the text to fit the design
perfectly (see Figure 16).
Figure 16
The design work is now done. Every element has been re-created and placed to match
the original digital picture (see Figure 17).
Figure 17
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There is still one more step needed to finish the job, and that is creating the underbase
plate.
Step 7: Underbase plate
This design is going to be printed on white and yellow t-shirts, so I need to create an
underbase white plate. To do this, I select the whole image and copy and paste it into a
new page. The next step is to draw a rectangle the size of the whole page and place it
behind the image. I then fill the rectangle with CMYK black (see Figure 18).
Figure 18
With the Pick tool, I select all of the objects, and I convert the selection to a bitmap by
using the Grayscale 8-bit option, making sure that Anti-aliasing is turned off (see
Figure 19). After the selection is converted to a bitmap, the image appears as in Figure
19.
Figure 19
To finish, I select Effects ` Transform ` Invert. This process creates a nice underbase
print that prints only under the lighter colors that need it, not under the black plate (see
Figure 20).
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Figure 20
Step 8: The finished shirt printed
To the white underbase, I add the blue and green plates (see Figure 21). The black plate
is the last to complete the shirt (see Figure 22).
Figure 21
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Figure 22
About the author
Michael Ploch’s inspiration to be a screen
printer came from being exposed to screen
printing in a ninth-grade shop class. After high
school, he headed off to the Navy, but he never
lost his desire to become a graphic artist. In
1994, when computers were just becoming
strong enough to support graphic art
programs, he purchased his first version of
CorelDRAW. Shortly thereafter, he formed his
own company, Caleb’s Creations, Inc. He
purchased his own screen printing equipment
and started printing t-shirts. His 12-year-old
daughter is now learning CorelDRAW and has
produced some awesome designs for t-shirts.
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