Mock T-Shirt Design: Illustrator Guide For Beginners

Whether you're a designer or a soon-to-be clothing brand owner, knowing how to create a T-shirt mockup in Adobe Illustrator is a valuable skill. Mockups are essential in the design world, giving clients a realistic idea of what your design will look like in real life. This introduction will guide you through the process of creating a T-shirt mockup in Adobe Illustrator, from finding the right image to the final touches that bring your design to life. You'll learn how to use the Mesh Tool to create a vector template and recolour it, as well as some tips and tricks to make your mockup look professional. So, let's dive into the world of T-shirt design and explore the power of Adobe Illustrator in bringing your creative visions to life.

Using the Mesh Tool

The Mesh Tool in Adobe Illustrator is a powerful feature that can make your vector illustrations look more 3D and photorealistic. It does so by adding a mesh, or grid, of intersecting lines over a closed shape, onto which different colours can be applied to create a vectorised image.

To start using the Mesh Tool, you must first sketch a normal vector object. You cannot create a mesh object from scratch in Illustrator; you must transform existing vector forms into mesh objects. Once you have your vector object selected, select 'Object' and then 'Create Gradient Mesh' from the menu bar. This will open a dialogue box that lets you define the number of rows and columns in your grid. You can always add or delete mesh points later.

Next, choose the Mesh Tool from the toolbar and click anywhere within your vector path. Each click with the Mesh Tool adds mesh points to the grid object. You will notice that as you add points, the paths joining the points will complement the contours of the object.

Once you have defined all the mesh points, you can move on to the Direct Selection Tool. With this tool, you can select each mesh point individually to change its position, as well as its colour. To delete a mesh point, hold 'Alt' while clicking the point with the Mesh Tool.

The Mesh Tool is not the simplest to grasp for beginners, as it requires regular practice and learning to master it completely. However, it is a valuable tool for creating photorealistic vector illustrations.

Recolor the template

To recolor your T-shirt mockup template, you can use the Recolor Artwork tool in Adobe Illustrator. This tool allows you to explore different color options for your design and easily change the colors in your template. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do it:

• Open your T-shirt mockup template file in Adobe Illustrator.
• Select the "Recolor" option in the "Properties" panel on the right. This will open the "Recolor Artwork" dialog box.
• In the dialog box, you will see all the colors in your document, and the program will recommend a color palette based on the selected color. You can also view the colors in your artwork on a color wheel by selecting the "Edit" tab.
• To change the colors, you can either manually select and edit each color or use the "Link Harmony Colors" button to edit all colors together.
• Drag the individual colors on the color wheel to edit and adjust their values. You can also use the sliders below the color wheel to adjust the saturation, hue, brightness, and brightness and hue together.
• If you want to restore the original colors, click the "Eyedropper" button to get the colors from the artwork again.
• Once you are happy with the new colors, click "OK" to apply the changes to the selected artwork.

Additionally, you can use the Generative Recolor AI tool in Adobe Illustrator to recolor your template. This tool allows you to experiment with different color themes and ideas by using text prompts. Here's how you can use it:

• Open your T-shirt mockup template file in Adobe Illustrator.
• Select your design and go to the top menu. Choose "Edit" > "Edit Colors" > "Generative Recolor".
• You can either choose from the sample prompts or type your own color palette ideas in the prompt box. The tool will then generate several variations based on your prompt.
• Continue experimenting with different themes, adjectives, and colors until you find the perfect combination for your T-shirt mockup template.

Using Photoshop

First, find an image of a plain t-shirt. It can be worn by a person or laid flat on a table. The flatter the shirt, the easier it will be to create the mock-up. This tutorial will only work with a white or light-coloured shirt. For more advanced Photoshop users, you can experiment with other colours by using an image with a transparent background.

Next, open your Photoshop file and bring the layer with your design to the top of the file. If you have multiple layers, condense them into one layer by merging them. You can always make a copy and hide it in a folder in case you need to edit it later.

Resize your design using the free transform tools. If it is too large or too small, use the command + T keys on a Mac (or ctrl+T on a PC) to open the free transform tools and adjust the size.

Now, drag your design onto the t-shirt image. If it still appears too large or too small, use the same shortcut to open the free transform tools and drag the design until it is the correct size. Once you are happy with the size, press enter.

To give your design a realistic texture, remove any background colours by changing the blending mode of the "design" layer to "multiply". This step is especially important if you are using a .png with a transparent background or a .jpeg with a white background. Changing the blending mode will allow the contours of the shirt to shine through your design, creating a realistic effect.

And there you have it! A simple mock-up of your t-shirt design using Photoshop.

Using InDesign

To create a mock t-shirt design in Adobe InDesign, you can follow a similar process to that of Adobe Photoshop.

Firstly, find an image of a plain t-shirt. This can be one that a person is wearing, or a flat t-shirt on a table. The flatter the t-shirt, the easier the mock-up will be to create. This process will only work with a white or light-coloured shirt, but more advanced users can experiment with other colours by using an image with a transparent background.

Next, bring your design layer to the top of the file and resize it using the free transform tools. If you have multiple layers, condense them into one layer by merging them. You can always make a copy and hide them in a folder in case you need to edit later. Drag your design so that it is on top of the t-shirt image and resize it to fit using the free transform tools.

Now, remove any background colours from your design by changing the blending mode of the "design" layer to "multiply". This will give your design a realistic texture, making it appear as if it's on the shirt. This step is especially important if you are using a .jpeg with a white background, as it will remove the white parts of the image. The blending mode can be found in the layer window, under the opacity options.

By changing the blending mode to "multiply", you allow any contours of the shirt to shine through your design, creating a realistic effect.

Using Illustrator

To create a mock t-shirt design in Adobe Illustrator, you will need to follow these steps:

Firstly, find an image of a plain t-shirt. This can be an image of a person wearing a t-shirt or a flat t-shirt on a table. Using a flat t-shirt will make the mock-up easier to create. For this tutorial, the final image will only work with a white or light-coloured shirt. If you are more advanced, you can experiment with other colours using an image with a transparent background.

Next, bring your Photoshop layer with your design to the top of the file and resize it using the free transform tools. If you have multiple layers, condense them into one layer by merging them. You can always make a copy and hide them in a folder in case you need to edit later. Drag the design so that it is on top of the t-shirt image. Use the command + T keys on a Mac or ctrl + T on a PC to open the free transform tools and resize the design if necessary.

Now, remove any background colours from your design by changing the blending mode of the "design" layer to "multiply". This will give your design a realistic texture, making it appear as if it is on the shirt. This step is especially important if you are using a .jpeg with a white background.

Finally, you can experiment with colours. To get all the colours you can see in the thumbnail, create three more copies of the white shirt template. Grab a copy and proceed to Edit > Edit Colours > Adjust Colours. Change the tab to Greyscale and apply 32% Black. Don't forget to tick the Convert box. Repeat this process to create a set of colourful t-shirt mockup templates.

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