This work reports on the results of the experimental observation of development and evolution of material damage during loading processes in aluminium alloy flat specimens with different pre-crack configurations by means of the new "X-ray Dynamic Defectoscopy" technique and by plastic strain increments identified by the optical Method of Interpolated Ellipses on the its surface. We have acquired good knowledge about the evolution of damage zone during loading. The dependence of intensity and shape of damage zone on the crack configuration, part of the field previously little investigated experimentally, has been determined.