How to Fix Common Issues with Dead by Daylight Apparel: Shrinkage, Fading, and More

Quick answer

Most Dead by Daylight apparel problems come from heat and agitation: hot water shrinks cotton, high dryer heat sets in wrinkles and cracks prints, and repeated washing fades dark dyes. Wash graphic tees inside out in cold water, tumble dry low or hang dry, and treat each symptom before it becomes permanent. If a print is already cracked or flaking, no wash method will reverse it—that shirt becomes a display or lounge piece.

You bought a Dead by Daylight tee because the design meant something. Then the wash happened, and now it fits like a crop top or the logo looks like it survived a Trial. Most of these problems are predictable, and most are fixable if you catch them early.

This guide breaks down the five issues we see most often—shrinkage, fading, cracked prints, pilling, and collar warp—by symptom, cause, and the exact corrective step. Where a fix stops working, we'll tell you so you can stop wasting effort and decide whether to repurpose the piece or replace it.

Symptom: The shirt shrank after one wash

Cotton and cotton-blend tees can shrink 3–5% in the first few hot washes. The cause is heat plus agitation: hot water opens cotton fibers, the dryer's heat contracts them, and the fit you bought is gone. The fix is prevention—wash cold and dry low from day one. If shrinkage already happened, soak the shirt in cold water with a capful of hair conditioner for 30 minutes, then gently stretch it back to shape while damp and lay it flat to dry. This buys back maybe half an inch.

Once a shirt has been through multiple hot dryer cycles, the fibers have permanently compacted. At that point, stretching won't hold. If the length is the problem, wear it tucked or layered under an open hoodie. If the width is gone, it becomes a sleep shirt. Don't keep re-washing it hoping it relaxes—cotton doesn't work that way.

• Wash cold (30°C / 85°F or lower) and turn the shirt inside out before every wash.
• Skip the dryer entirely for the first three washes; hang dry or lay flat.
• If you must use a dryer, choose the lowest heat setting and remove the shirt while slightly damp.

Symptom: The graphic is fading or looks washed out

Fading usually starts at the print edges and works inward. The cause is abrasive washing—zippers, velcro, and other garments rubbing against the print—plus detergent residue and UV exposure. To prevent t-shirt fading, wash graphic tees in a mesh laundry bag with like colors, use liquid detergent (powder can leave residue that dulls prints), and dry away from direct sunlight. A Dead by Daylight tee like the Screams In The Dark tee, which carries a detailed replica design, benefits most from this routine because fine print detail is the first thing to go.

If the fade is mild and even, you can't restore the ink, but you can slow it down. Stop using fabric softener—it coats fibers and traps dulling residue. Switch to a gentle cycle and add an extra rinse. If the print is already patchy and the shirt is a favorite, consider retiring it from regular rotation and wearing it for indoor events where lighting is controlled.

• Wash inside out in a mesh bag to reduce friction on the print.
• Use liquid detergent and skip fabric softener entirely.
• Air dry in shade; direct sun breaks down pigment over time.

Symptom: The print is cracked, peeling, or stuck to itself

Cracked prints come from heat and pressure. A hot dryer softens the plastisol ink, and when the shirt folds in the drum, the print sticks to itself and pulls apart as it cools. If you catch a print stuck to itself before it tears, lay the shirt flat, place a clean cotton cloth over the print, and press with a warm—not hot—iron for 10 seconds. Let it cool completely before moving it. This can re-adhere minor lifts.

For a print that's already cracked across the design, no home method restores it. Ironing can make it worse by spreading the crack. This is the point to stop: the shirt becomes a display piece, a gym shirt, or a candidate for a framed shadow box. Don't buy specialty repair kits for a $15 tee; the cost outweighs the result.

• Iron inside out or with a pressing cloth—never directly on the print.
• Store graphic tees folded, not hung, to avoid stress lines across the design.
• If cracks run through the main logo, stop repairing and repurpose the shirt.

Symptom: Pilling, rough texture, or a warped collar

Pilling on the shoulders and underarms comes from friction—backpacks, seatbelts, and dryer tumbling. A fabric shaver removes the pills, but the underlying fiber damage is permanent. To prevent it, air dry and avoid washing with heavy items like jeans or towels. Collar warp is a different problem: it happens when a wet shirt is hung by the collar or dried on high heat, stretching the neckline. Once a collar is stretched, you can shrink it slightly by dipping just the collar in hot water for 30 seconds, then drying flat—but results are inconsistent.

A piqué polo like the Dead by Daylight – Logo Piqué Polo Shirt has a structured collar and two-button placket, which makes it more resistant to warp than a basic tee, but the same rules apply: cold wash, low dry, and never hang it wet by the collar. If the collar is already floppy, the shirt is better suited to casual wear than anything resembling an office.

• Use a fabric shaver on pills, then wash inside out to slow new ones.
• Dry collared shirts flat or on a low setting to protect the structure.
• Never hang a wet tee by the collar—it stretches the neckline permanently.

When to stop fixing and replace instead

There's a point where care becomes more expensive than replacement. If a shirt has shrunk two sizes, the print is cracked through the main design, or the collar is stretched beyond wearing in public, you're past the fixable stage. Dead by Daylight graphic tees like the Gather Round the Campfire T-Shirt are built for regular wear, and with cold washing and air drying they hold up well—but they're not indestructible. Treat the first sign of damage as a signal to change your routine, not just that one shirt.

If you're replacing a shirt, use the failure as a buying lesson. Shirts that shrank were probably dried on high heat; shirts that faded were washed with harsh detergent or dried in sun. Fix the habit before you buy the replacement, or the next one will end up the same way.

• Replace when the print is cracked through the logo or the fit is unwearable.
• Change your wash routine before buying a replacement, or the new shirt will fail too.
• Consider a different fabric or cut if the same issue keeps happening.

Diagnosis: match the symptom to the fix

• Shrank after washing: Cause: hot water and dryer heat compacted the cotton fibers. Fix: soak in cold water with hair conditioner, stretch gently while damp, and lay flat to dry. If it has been through multiple hot dryer cycles, stop—the fibers are permanently set.
• Print is fading: Cause: friction from other garments, powder detergent residue, or UV exposure. Fix: wash inside out in a mesh bag with liquid detergent and air dry in shade. If the print is already patchy, you can slow it but not reverse it.
• Print is cracked or peeling: Cause: high dryer heat softened the ink and the shirt folded onto itself. Fix: press with a warm iron over a cloth for minor lifts only. If cracks run through the main logo, stop repairing—repurpose the shirt.
• Collar is warped or stretched: Cause: hanging a wet shirt by the collar or drying on high heat. Fix: dip just the collar in hot water for 30 seconds and dry flat. Results are inconsistent; if the collar is floppy, wear it casually or replace it.
• Fabric is pilling: Cause: friction from backpacks, seatbelts, and dryer tumbling. Fix: use a fabric shaver, then wash inside out with lighter items. Pilling indicates fiber damage—prevention is the only real solution.

Product care notes from the catalog

• Dead by Daylight – Logo Piqué Polo Shirt: Cut from breathable piqué cotton with a classic collar and two-button placket, with the iconic Dead by Daylight logo printed on the chest. Piqué cotton has a slightly more structured weave than basic jersey, so it resists collar warp better—but the printed logo still needs cold washing and inside-out drying to prevent fading.
• Screams In The Dark tee: An official replica tee featuring a detailed design from The Fog. Detailed print work is the first thing to fade or crack, so this shirt benefits most from a mesh laundry bag, liquid detergent, and air drying.
• Gather Round the Campfire T-Shirt: A graphic tee capturing the campfire meeting spot from Dead by Daylight. Large graphic tees are prone to print cracking if dried on high heat; fold rather than hang to avoid stress lines across the design.

Most Dead by Daylight apparel problems start with heat and agitation, and most are preventable with cold washing, low drying, and a mesh bag. Fix what you can early, stop when the damage is structural, and adjust your routine before you replace the shirt—otherwise the next one follows the same path.