Distress Lab User Guide
Distress Lab helps you add transparent worn, cracked, speckled, and faded distress effects to image batches for print-ready artwork.
Quick Start
- Open Distress Lab.
- Add images by choosing files, choosing a folder, or dragging images into the upload area.
- Select one or more distress masks.
- Adjust opacity reduction or brightness reduction if needed.
- Choose an output format.
- Select Process & Download to download a ZIP file of the finished images.
Adding Images
Distress Lab can process one image or many images at once.
- Use Choose files to select individual images.
- Use Choose folder to add a full folder of images.
- Drag and drop multiple images into the upload area.
After images are added, they appear in the queue with thumbnails, filenames, and file sizes. Select any image in the queue to preview it.
Choosing Distress Masks
Distress masks control where transparent cutouts are created. Black marks in a mask become transparent worn-away areas in the final image.
- Select a mask to turn it on.
- Select multiple masks to combine them.
- Use All to select every mask at once.
- Select an active mask again to turn it off.
Previewing Results
The preview area shows the selected queue image before and after the current settings are applied.
- The Before preview shows the original image.
- The After preview shows opacity, brightness, and distress mask settings.
- The checkerboard background helps reveal transparent cutout areas.
Adjusting the Look
Fades the whole image evenly. Use this for a softer, more washed-out print effect.
Darkens the image colors before distressing. Use this when the artwork needs a stronger aged or muted look.
Opacity reduction and brightness reduction are separate controls. You can use either one by itself or combine them.
Choosing Output
Use the output format menu to choose the file type for processed images.
- PNG is recommended for crisp transparent artwork.
- WEBP supports transparency and includes a quality slider.
Processing and Downloading
- Review the selected masks and preview.
- Choose the output format.
- Select Process & Download.
- Wait for the progress bar to finish.
- Open the downloaded ZIP file to access the processed images.
Finished files keep their original names with a distressed suffix added.
Tips for Best Results
- Try one mask first, then add more masks if the artwork needs heavier distressing.
- Use subtle opacity reduction for vintage shirt graphics.
- Use brightness reduction when artwork feels too bright after distressing.
- Preview several images from the queue before processing a large batch.
- Use PNG when the final image needs the cleanest transparent edges.