Kitmaking 101

So, you want to know how to make a kit?
Well you’ve come to the right place

I assume you already have a template but if not CLICK

Open the kit style you wish to use (for the tutorial I am using Puma)

The Do-nots of Kitmaking
1. Use the paint bucket tool, it gets rid of anything that has an opacity of under 100% so it looks really sharp
2. Put on too many templates
3. Have more than one collar
4. Have more than one kit-logo (Adidas, Nike, etc) logo, except sleeves and collars
5. Remove the shadow and/or texture layers
6. Put anything over the texture layers
7. Colour in the texture layers
8. Do not, EVER use #000000 as black on your kit

Alright then, you’ve learnt what NOT to do, now to learn what to do
1. Use colour-overlays to change the colours of the base or individual parts
2. Use a small arch warp on kit sponsers (between 1 and 10% is best)
3. Add your own touches, make stripes or hoops for a template that has none, or if you like, create a whole new part to the kit to make it unique
4. Add a small stroke on the outside of logos (about 10-25%, black opacity) but this is not needed, it also works well on some template pieces and creates a bit of a seam
5. Add bits from other templates, it makes kits unique, maybe use a different collar than the normal one for that template
6. Add a mesh pattern to bits that you feel need one, bits underarms possibly
7. Place logos carefully, try to make the sponser in line with the arms
8. Use a dark grey for any black you want (except on low-opacity strokes) I use #101010, #151515 or sometimes #202020

An example of following these guidelines:

Alright then, now to tell you how to do these things as you might not know
Mesh:
To create a mesh pattern open up a new photoshop document, give it a transparent background with the dimensions of 4×4
Zoom in to about 1500% so you can see what you are doing, grab the pencil tool and draw 4 dots like this

Then go onto “Edit, Define Pattern” and call it Mesh
Now, to put it on your kit

Create another layer and make sure it is above the layer you want meshed
Hold down the Ctrl button and click the little icon of the layer you want meshed, this will select the layer
Now click, “Edit, Fill” choose pattern and then find the mesh pattern
Make sure it is set to normal and 100%
Click ok, select the layer and change the opacity, I reccommend about 10-15% on white/lighter kits and 15-25% on darker kits

Colour overlay:
Select the layer you want to change colour to
Right click next to where the icon is (but not on the icon) and choose “Blending Options”
You will see (down the left) “Colour Overlay”, click it, select the colour you want and make sure the opacity is 100%, not you click OK, job done

Adding stripes or hoops:
Select the rectangular marquee tool
Where it says Style at the top, choose fixed size
For stripes: Make the height 450px (or higher if you like, doesn’t make any difference) and put anything you like for width, it’s your choice but make sure you remember it
Click anywhere to make a selection
Now to center it, click “Select, Transform Selection” make the X 225.0 px, the Y doesn’t matter, now click on the tick towards to top right of your screen
Fill in your selection with any colour you like (100% opacity)
You now have a single stripe through the middle
Now you need to move your selection, but don’t just drag it along, again go onto “Select, Transform Selection” but this time instead of putting the X as 225.0, remember your width? Double whatever it is and add it onto the X, on mine this would make it 275.0 px, keep doing this until it goes off of the kit
Now you need the other side, center your selection again and do the same as above, but this time take it off instead of adding it on
For hoops: Make the width 450px or more, make the height anything you like and remember what it is
Click anywhere to make a selection
You don’t really need to center stripes, but I reccommend either starting towards the top or bottom of your kit
Fill in your selection with any colour you like so you now have a single hoop going through your kit
Go onto “select, transform selection” this is where you need to remember your height, whatever your height is, double it and take it off (if you start at the bottom) or add it on (if you start at the top) keep filling in as you go along and eventually you have perfect stripes
For both: Now you’re wondering how to get the stripes/hoops that aren’t on the kit away?
Simple, Ctrl and click on the base icon, go onto “Select, Inverse” change back to your stripe/hoop layer and press the delete button, this will remove the stripes/hoops that you don’t want