Alpine Stream Stonefly Trucker Hat

A whole valley folded into its wings.

An illustrated stonefly with snowy peaks and a stream inside its wings, on a lavender and mint sunburst, for days spent on mountain water.

A stonefly spreads its wings over a lavender and mint sunburst, with a snowy mountain range and a winding stream inside them. Tan wings, an umber brown body and a forest green ground carry the colour.

Stonefly with mountains inside its wings
Lavender and mint sunburst rays
Ice blue glow behind the insect
Snowy peaks and a winding stream
Umber brown segmented body

The cap

One design, four caps. The front panel is what the paint or the dye sits on, so it changes the hat.

Trucker
The house cap — structured mid profile, foam-and-mesh back, snapback.
Specs
Profile
Mid profile
Build
6-panel · Structured — buckram behind the front
Crown
3½ in (8.9 cm)
Visor
Pre-curved, 2¾ in (7 cm)
Closure
Snapback
Adjusts to
21½–24 in (54.5–61 cm)
Airbrushed on
Natural cotton twill
Sublimated on
White polyester foam
Rope cap
Structured five-panel with a near-flat brim and a cord across it.
Specs
Profile
Mid-high profile
Build
5-panel · Structured
Crown
4 in (10.2 cm)
Visor
Near-flat, 2⅞ in (7.3 cm), contrast rope
Closure
Snapback
Adjusts to
21½–23¾ in (54.5–60.5 cm)
Airbrushed on
Stone cotton twill
Sublimated on
White polyester twill
Dad hat
Soft, low and unstructured — washed cotton with a strap back.
Specs
Profile
Low profile
Build
6-panel · Unstructured — soft front
Crown
3¼ in (8.3 cm)
Visor
Curved, 2¾ in (7 cm)
Closure
Strap back, brass buckle
Adjusts to
21–23½ in (53.5–59.5 cm)
Airbrushed on
Washed khaki cotton
Sublimated on
White polyester twill
Five-panel camp
Flat brim, low crown, packs flat in a vest pocket.
Specs
Profile
Low profile
Build
5-panel · Unstructured
Crown
3¼ in (8.3 cm)
Visor
Flat, 2½ in (6.4 cm)
Closure
Strap back, side-release clip
Adjusts to
21½–23½ in (54.5–59.5 cm)
Airbrushed on
Field olive nylon-cotton
Sublimated on
White polyester

Fit

A cloth tape measure around the crown of a blank cap

Cap	Profile	Crown height	Visor	Adjusts to
Trucker	Mid profile	3½ in (8.9 cm)	Pre-curved, 2¾ in (7 cm)	21½–24 in (54.5–61 cm)
Rope cap	Mid-high profile	4 in (10.2 cm)	Near-flat, 2⅞ in (7.3 cm), contrast rope	21½–23¾ in (54.5–60.5 cm)
Dad hat	Low profile	3¼ in (8.3 cm)	Curved, 2¾ in (7 cm)	21–23½ in (53.5–59.5 cm)
Five-panel camp	Low profile	3¼ in (8.3 cm)	Flat, 2½ in (6.4 cm)	21½–23½ in (54.5–59.5 cm)

One size per cap. Run a tape around your head just above the ears, keeping it level — anything inside the range above will close on it.

Two finishes

The same design, made two ways. Pick one in the panel; the cap and the quantity are yours to choose too.

Hand airbrushed
$85 for one hat, on a trucker
Painted to order — would ship in about 2 weeks
How it is made
How it is made
Sprayed by hand through this design's own stencils, one layer at a time, each left to dry before the next mask goes down.
How it looks
Soft gradients and hand-cut stencil edges. Every cap is a little different.
What it sits on
On a natural cotton twill front.
Durability and care
Water-based paint, heat set and sealed. It takes rain and a season on a boat; spot clean with cool water, never a washing machine.
Sublimation printed
$32 for one hat, on a trucker
Printed to order — would ship in 5–7 business days
How it is made
How it is made
The design is printed in dye onto transfer paper, then pressed with heat so the dye soaks into the polyester fibres.
How it looks
Full colour edge to edge, and identical every time.
What it sits on
On a white polyester foam front — sublimation only takes on white polyester.
Durability and care
The dye is in the fibre, not on it, so it will not crack or peel. Gentle wash, air dry.

The artwork

A stonefly sits dead centre, legs splayed, antennae reaching. Its tan wings hold a small world: grey peaks capped in snow, moss green slopes and a bright stream running down the middle. Behind it, lavender and mint rays burst out from an ice blue glow.

Wear it on the trail to a high lake or on the drive up to the river. From across the parking lot it reads as a bold burst of light. Up close, people lean in to find the mountains.

What arrives

The hat
A care card
On a hand airbrushed hat, a numbered tag naming the water it was painted from, when the design names one

A cap being spot-cleaned with a soft brush

Looking after it

Hand airbrushed

Spot clean with cool water and a soft brush. Never a washing machine.
Keep it out of a hot car for long stretches — heat-set paint is tough, but a dashboard in July is not a test worth running.
Reshape the brim by hand while damp.

Sublimation printed

Spot clean, or gently hand wash in cool water. No bleach.
Air dry. Do not iron the print.
Reshape the brim by hand while damp.
The dye is in the fibre, so the print will not crack or peel.

Details

Airbrush palette

Colours: forest green, ice blue, lavender, mint green, tan, slate grey, moss green, umber brown, black, snow white

Details

Subject: stonefly
Style: illustrative sunburst

Make it yourself

A hat-painting bench with a blank cap, stencils and an airbrush

AdvancedAbout 4½ hours at the bench, plus curing10 layersYou'll need an airbrush, a cap jig and 10 colours

The palette

Forest green
Ice blue
Lavender
Mint green
Tan
Slate grey
Moss green
Umber brown
Black
Snow white

The layers

10 layers, in this order. Each mask comes off and the paint has to dry before the next one goes down.

Ground
Glow
Rays
Rays
Wings
Wing peaks
Wing valley
Body
Linework
Highlights

The kit's stencil set is cut from these layers; with the cutter (12 hats and up) you cut your own from this design's layer files.

How to mix each colour

Forest green
2 parts green, 1 part black, a drop of blue to cool it
Ice blue
Primary blue, a drop of white to lighten it, a drop of black to deepen it; build it in thin coats
Lavender
Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
Mint green
1 part yellow to 1 part blue; more yellow for a warm green, more blue for a cool one
Tan
3 parts white, 2 parts yellow, 1 part brown
Slate grey
White with blue and a touch of black, about 4 : 1 : ½
Moss green
2 parts yellow, 1 part green, a drop of black to deaden it
Umber brown
Equal parts red, yellow and blue, then a drop of black to deepen it; or burnt umber straight from the bottle
Black
Black from the bottle, sprayed in light passes; a heavy coat bleeds
Snow white
Opaque white from the bottle; two thin coats cover better than one thick one

Setup

Ventilation or a spray booth. Water-based paint still throws a fine mist, and you will be breathing it for hours.
A half-mask respirator rated for paint mists. A dust mask is not one.
A compressor with a moisture trap, set and tested on a card before you start: wet air spits water into the paint.
Reducer and a cleaning pot within reach, so a clog is a ten-second fix instead of a ruined panel.
Spray a test card for every colour before it touches the cap. Colour reads differently wet, dry and on twill.

Prep

Lint-roll the front panel. Every fibre left on it prints as a speck in the paint.
Mask the mesh, any seams you want clean and the whole visor, underside included, with low-tack tape and paper.
Stretch the crown over the cap jig so the front panel is taut and curved the way it will be worn. Spraying a slack panel flat distorts the design when it is worn.
Spray one light coat of transparent base so the colour sits on the fabric instead of soaking into it.

Layer by layer

1 · Ground — 0.5 mm · 25–30 PSI
forest green — a deep, even field across the whole panel
Mask None on the panel itself: the mesh and the visor are already masked from the prep.
Colour Forest green — 2 parts green, 1 part black, a drop of blue to cool it
Needle
0.5 mm (a 0.35 mm works, it just takes longer)
Pressure
25–30 PSI
Distance
6–8 in from the panel
Passes
3–4 light passes, building the colour
Dry
10 minutes, or 60–90 seconds with a heat gun on low, before the next mask goes down
Tip Fade wet to dry and never lay one heavy coat: twill wicks paint sideways and the edge blooms.
2 · Glow — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
ice blue — a soft burst at the centre where the insect sits
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Ice blue — Primary blue, a drop of white to lighten it, a drop of black to deepen it; build it in thin coats
Needle
0.35 mm
Pressure
20–25 PSI
Distance
4–6 in from the panel
Passes
2–3 passes
Dry
10 minutes before lifting the stencil
Tip Spray away from the stencil edge, not into it, so the air does not push paint underneath.
3 · Rays — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
lavender — long alternating rays fanning out from the glow
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Lavender — Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
Needle
0.35 mm
Pressure
20–25 PSI
Distance
4–6 in from the panel
Passes
2–3 passes
Dry
10 minutes before lifting the stencil
Tip Spray away from the stencil edge, not into it, so the air does not push paint underneath.
4 · Rays — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
mint green — the rays between the lavender, fading toward the edges
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Mint green — 1 part yellow to 1 part blue; more yellow for a warm green, more blue for a cool one
Needle
0.35 mm
Pressure
20–25 PSI
Distance
4–6 in from the panel
Passes
2–3 passes
Dry
10 minutes before lifting the stencil
Tip Spray away from the stencil edge, not into it, so the air does not push paint underneath.
5 · Wings — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
tan — four long wing shapes, two raised and two swept back
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Tan — 3 parts white, 2 parts yellow, 1 part brown
Needle
0.35 mm
Pressure
20–25 PSI
Distance
4–6 in from the panel
Passes
2–3 passes
Dry
10 minutes before lifting the stencil
Tip Spray away from the stencil edge, not into it, so the air does not push paint underneath.
6 · Wing peaks — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
slate grey — a jagged mountain range inside the upper wings
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Slate grey — White with blue and a touch of black, about 4 : 1 : ½
Needle
0.35 mm
Pressure
20–25 PSI
Distance
4–6 in from the panel
Passes
2–3 passes
Dry
10 minutes before lifting the stencil
Tip Spray away from the stencil edge, not into it, so the air does not push paint underneath.
7 · Wing valley — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
moss green — the valley slopes below the peaks
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Moss green — 2 parts yellow, 1 part green, a drop of black to deaden it
Needle
0.35 mm
Pressure
20–25 PSI
Distance
4–6 in from the panel
Passes
2–3 passes
Dry
10 minutes before lifting the stencil
Tip Spray away from the stencil edge, not into it, so the air does not push paint underneath.
8 · Body — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
umber brown — the segmented abdomen, thorax, head and six legs
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Umber brown — Equal parts red, yellow and blue, then a drop of black to deepen it; or burnt umber straight from the bottle
Needle
0.35 mm
Pressure
20–25 PSI
Distance
4–6 in from the panel
Passes
2–3 passes
Dry
10 minutes before lifting the stencil
Tip Spray away from the stencil edge, not into it, so the air does not push paint underneath.
9 · Linework — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
black — wing veins, body segments, eye, antennae and leg edges
Mask The hand-cut subject stencil, inner pieces first, then the outline piece.
Colour Black — Black from the bottle, sprayed in light passes; a heavy coat bleeds
Needle
0.3 mm
Pressure
18–22 PSI
Distance
3–4 in from the panel
Passes
2–3 passes per tone, light to dark
Dry
10 minutes between tones
Tip Light tones first: a light colour over a dark one needs many coats, a dark one over a light one needs two.
10 · Highlights — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
snow white — snow on the peaks, the bright stream and a glint in the eye
Mask None: freehand, with a shield card held against any hard edge.
Colour Snow white — Opaque white from the bottle; two thin coats cover better than one thick one
Needle
0.2–0.3 mm
Pressure
12–15 PSI
Distance
1–2 in from the panel
Passes
Freehand, in short controlled strokes
Dry
10 minutes, then check it before you cure
Tip Low pressure, close in and moving: stop the stroke before you release the trigger.

Step by step

Cover the panel edges with tape and spray the whole field forest green. Starting point: 25 PSI, 0.5 mm needle, 15 cm distance. Let it dry fully.
Place a circular mask with soft edges at the centre and mist ice blue in light passes at 20 PSI, 0.35 mm needle, 10 cm, building the glow slowly.
Lay the ray stencil with the lavender slots open. Spray lavender at 20 PSI, 0.35 mm needle, 8 cm, heavier near the glow and lighter at the tips.
Swap to the mint green ray slots and repeat at the same settings, letting the rays fade out toward the edges.
Mask everything but the four wings and spray tan at 18 PSI, 0.35 mm needle, 8 cm. Keep the coat even so the scene inside reads clearly.
Open the peak cut-out inside the upper wings and spray slate grey at 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 5 cm.
Use the valley mask and spray moss green at the same fine settings, leaving a gap down the middle for the stream.
Mask the body, head and legs and spray umber brown at 18 PSI, 0.35 mm needle, 6 cm, darker along the underside of the abdomen.
With the linework stencil, spray black for veins, body segments, eye, antennae and leg edges at 12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 3 to 4 cm.
Finish with snow white on the peaks, the stream and the eye glint at 12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 3 cm. All settings are a starting point; test on scrap first.
Let the piece cure for 24 hours, then heat set if your paint calls for it.
Seal with two thin coats of a fabric-safe clear sealer, drying between coats.

Cure

Heat set at 300°F / 150°C. Water-based textile paint is not wash-fast until it is heat set.
Cap press: 3–5 minutes with a teflon sheet over the design.
Or heat gun: 2–3 minutes per panel, keeping it moving 2–3 in off the fabric so it does not scorch.
If you have neither, air cure for 72 hours before the cap touches water.

Seal

Two light coats of matte fabric sealer, UV-resistant, from 8–10 in, 15 minutes apart.
Leave it 24 hours before the cap is worn.
Never a gloss sealer on cotton twill: it shines, cracks along the creases and looks like a sticker.

Clean-up

Flush the brush with water, then airbrush cleaner, until it sprays clear.
Strip the needle and wipe it toward the tip, never away from it.
Never soak the brush body overnight.

Common mistakes

Flooding the wing scene so the peaks blur. Use low pressure and build colour in several dry passes.
Letting lavender and mint green overlap into muddy grey. Mask each set of rays fully before spraying the other.
Spraying black linework too heavy and losing the wing veins. Drop pressure and move closer with short strokes.
Sealing before the paint has cured. Wait the full 24 hours.

Tips

Spray the stream highlight last and in one confident line; it pulls the eye straight into the wing scene.
Keep the ray tips soft by lifting the airbrush slightly as you reach the outer edge.
Burn the stencil registration marks into tape at the panel corners so the ten layers line up.
Shade the abdomen segments with a touch more umber brown at each joint for depth.

An airbrush, compressor, moisture trap, six colour bottles and a cleaning pot. — The kit

Every kit size

Trucker · kit for 1 hat

$229

Bought separately $255 · you save $26

Includes Starter airbrush set · Cap jig · and 7 more

Every item in this kit · 9 items

Blanks

Trucker blank, natural cotton twill front$91

Stencils

Pre-cut mylar stencil set for this design — 10 layers$181

Paint & masks

Water-based textile airbrush colour, 2 oz — one per colour in this design$482 oz × 8
Transparent base and reducer, 4 oz$71
Low-tack masking film and ¼ in tape$81
Matte fabric sealer, 4 oz$121

Equipment

Starter airbrush set — 0.3 mm dual-action gravity brush, mini compressor, braided hose$1291
Cap jig — holds the crown taut while you spray$241

Guide

Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded1

Trucker · kit for 12 hats

$1,085

$90.42 a hat

Bought separately $1,234 · you save $149

Includes Dual-action gravity-feed airbrush · Quiet compressor with tank and moisture trap · Cap jig and two spare crown forms · Tabletop spray booth with exhaust fan · and 11 more

Every item in this kit · 15 items

Blanks

Trucker blank, natural cotton twill front$7812

Stencils

Desktop stencil cutter, 12 in — the "stencil printer": cuts mylar from this design's layer files$2991
Stencil mylar, 7 mil, 12 × 12 in$2210 sheets
This design's layer files, every layer (SVG)Included1

Paint & masks

Water-based textile airbrush colour, 4 oz — one per colour in this design$1124 oz × 8
Transparent base and reducer, 16 oz$161
Low-tack masking film$181 roll
Matte fabric sealer, 16 oz$281

Equipment

Dual-action gravity-feed airbrush, 0.3 mm$1351
Quiet compressor with tank and moisture trap$1791
Cap jig and two spare crown forms$641
Tabletop spray booth with exhaust fan$1491
Cleaning pot, brushes and a half-mask respirator$991
Heat gun for curing$351

Guide

Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded1

Trucker · kit for 12 × 12 hats

$3,165

$21.98 a hat

Bought separately $3,724 · you save $559

Includes Two dual-action gravity-feed airbrushes · Production airbrush · Twin-piston compressor with tank and two regulators · Production spray booth · and 13 more

Every item in this kit · 17 items

Blanks

Trucker blank, natural cotton twill front$756144

Stencils

Stencil cutter-plotter, 24 in — the production "stencil printer"$6491
Stencil mylar, 7 mil, 12 × 12 in$8550 sheets
This design's layer files, every layer (SVG)Included1

Paint & masks

Water-based textile airbrush colour, 32 oz — one per colour in this design$38432 oz × 8
Transparent base and reducer$491 gal
Low-tack masking film$543 rolls
Matte fabric sealer$891 gal

Equipment