Vintage/faded look

[Pangea]

Have a client wanting to get a print that has more of a vintage faded look to it. Would using less activator in DC work for something like this or am I wasting time?

[Dottonedan]

I'll say up front, I'm no expert on Discharge and % of activator.  Having said that, I don't think that is your best approach.  Most people approach it from the art side. There are several ways to achieve a aged or distressed look just using mesh selection.
A few examples:
1, based out ink, on a tri blend or textured shirt, on high mesh with light colored ink to let a lot of the shirt show through the print.
2, Google the words Free distressed textures. Also Aged or vintage distressed texture patterns and use those to knock out of the art (straight to shirt color).  You can also randomize this pattern distress by knocking out of the colors...and only 50% of the base...and then use another texture to knockout 100% from under the base. This gives the print/colors some variations you might see in some more authentic vintage looks.  If you need guidance on how you knock those out of the seps is another post.

[ABuffington]

Discharge, all you can do is distress the base and colors.  Inconsistent results when you mess with activator. Distress art and use S mesh with greater open area to prevent dry in. 180s - 225S. Brighter colors? move down to 135S to 150S.

You can also use a clear plastisol base under thinned out plastisol colors  Knock out more distressed texture in the base.  This will give you a chipped paint look where in some places there is opacity and in other small areas it is faded due to no base.  For a different look you can distress all plates with same distress pattern and put puff under the corners of chips of ink (but not the whole chip to create a lifted paint look. Use dark puffs to match shirt colors.

Al