How to Achieve a Vintage Look in Custom Prints
Published by: Siobhan Ingram
Date: 05-31-2025
Everybody loves a good vintage tee.
The soft fabric. The cracked ink. The faded graphics that look like they’ve been through a few epic concerts or road trips.
But getting that authentic vintage vibe—on purpose—takes some real strategy.
At FCE, we’ve perfected the art of making brand-new merch look perfectly broken-in. And the secret starts with two things: fabric and ink.
First, you need the right shirt.
Vintage-feel prints work best on soft, lightweight cotton or blends that already feel like an old favorite. Heavy, stiff shirts don’t move the right way—and the best vintage looks come with a little natural drape.
Next is the printing technique.
Using thinner ink layers (what we call “distressed” or “waterbase-style” printing) creates that soft, worn-in appearance. It allows the texture of the shirt to show through slightly, just like a shirt that’s been washed and loved for years.
And then there’s design.
True vintage designs are often simple. Faded team logos. Retro brand badges. Old-school color palettes. Think navy, maroon, mustard—not neon green or ultra-glossy metallics.
One college alumni group we worked with wanted reunion shirts that felt like they could have been pulled from an ‘80s yearbook photo.
We used a dusty navy ink on a heathered gray tri-blend, with a cracked, intentionally imperfect logo.
The result? A shirt that felt less like a souvenir—and more like a time machine.
Vintage isn’t just a style. It’s a feeling.
And when you get it right, your merch doesn’t just get worn.
It gets lived in.