Bighorn Rainbow Trout Trucker Hat

Out of the riffle, into the evening light

A rainbow trout leaping a canyon river at dusk, in teal, ochre and dusty rose, for days on the water and the drive home.

A rainbow trout leaps clear of a teal canyon river below ochre bluffs and a slate blue peak. A lavender and dusty rose sky, sage green cottonwoods and bright white spray fill the rest of the scene.

Rainbow trout mid-leap above teal water
Lavender and dusty rose dusk sky
Ochre canyon bluffs and a blue peak
Sage green cottonwoods on the far bank
White spray trailing off the tail

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 rainbow trout bends out of the current, dusty rose band flashing, white spray breaking off its tail. Behind it the river curls past cottonwoods and ochre bluffs toward one blue peak under a pink and lavender sky.

Wear it to the put-in, the fly shop or the diner after. People see the trout first, then lean in for the river running behind it.

The white spray layer goes last and goes light. A few loose flecks around the tail sell the jump; too many and the fish sinks into fog.

The water it was painted from

Bighorn RiverSouth-central Montana · MT

River: Bighorn River, South-central Montana
States: MT
Fish: Brown trout, Rainbow trout
Water type: Tailwater

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: lavender, dusty rose, slate blue, canyon ochre, sage green, teal, deep navy, olive, golden yellow, black, white

Details

Subject: rainbow trout
Style: scenic illustration

Make it yourself

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

AdvancedAbout 5½ hours at the bench, plus curing12 layersYou'll need an airbrush, a cap jig and 11 colours

The palette

Lavender
Dusty rose
Slate blue
Canyon ochre
Sage green
Teal
Deep navy
Olive
Golden yellow
Black
White

The layers

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

Sky
Sky glow
Mountain
Canyon
Trees
River
Depths
Trout back
Belly
Side band
Spots and lines
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

Lavender
Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
Dusty rose
1 part red to 4 parts white, a drop of blue if it looks salmon
Slate blue
White with blue and a touch of black, about 4 : 1 : ½
Canyon ochre
2 parts yellow, 1 part brown, a drop of black
Sage green
2 parts green, 1 part white, a drop of black to dull it
Teal
2 parts blue, 1 part green, a touch of white to lift it
Deep navy
3 parts blue, 1 part black; mix it, do not use black straight, which goes flat
Olive
2 parts yellow, 1 part black, a drop of red to warm it
Golden yellow
Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
Black
Black from the bottle, sprayed in light passes; a heavy coat bleeds
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 · Sky — 0.5 mm · 25–30 PSI
lavender — a soft fade across the top of the scene
Mask None on the panel itself: the mesh and the visor are already masked from the prep.
Colour Lavender — Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
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 · Sky glow — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
dusty rose — warm bands drifting through the lavender
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Dusty rose — 1 part red to 4 parts white, a drop of blue if it looks salmon
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 · Mountain — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
slate blue — one distant peak at the centre
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Slate blue — 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.
4 · Canyon — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
canyon ochre — layered bluffs on the right and the far riverbanks
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Canyon ochre — 2 parts yellow, 1 part brown, a drop of black
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 · Trees — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
sage green — cottonwoods on the left bank and shrubs on the bluffs
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Sage green — 2 parts green, 1 part white, a drop of black to dull 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.
6 · River — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
teal — the river curving through the lower half
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Teal — 2 parts blue, 1 part green, a touch of white to lift 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.
7 · Depths — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
deep navy — shadows and current lines in the water
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Deep navy — 3 parts blue, 1 part black; mix it, do not use black straight, which goes flat
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 · Trout back — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
olive — the leaping fish's back, head and fins
Mask The hand-cut subject stencil, inner pieces first, then the outline piece.
Colour Olive — 2 parts yellow, 1 part black, a drop of red to warm it
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.
9 · Belly — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
golden yellow — the trout's underside
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Golden yellow — 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.
10 · Side band — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
dusty rose — the stripe running nose to tail
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Dusty rose — 1 part red to 4 parts white, a drop of blue if it looks salmon
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.
11 · Spots and lines — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
black — spots, eye, gill line and outlines
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Black — Black from the bottle, sprayed in light passes; a heavy coat bleeds
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.
12 · Highlights — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
white — splash, spray and glints on the water
Mask None: freehand, with a shield card held against any hard edge.
Colour 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

Mask the panel edges and spray lavender across the whole sky area at about 20 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 15 cm away. These settings are a starting point; adjust to your paint and brush.
Free-hand dusty rose bands into the lavender sky at 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 12 cm, letting the edges blur softly.
Place the mountain mask and spray slate blue for the distant peak at 20 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 10 cm, darker at the ridge.
Mask the bluffs and banks and lay canyon ochre at 20 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 10 cm, building stripes in two passes for depth.
Use a loose tree mask and dab sage green cottonwoods and shrubs at 18 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 6 cm.
Mask the river shape and fill it with teal at 22 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 15 cm, keeping coverage even.
Spray deep navy current lines and shadows into the teal at 16 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 5 cm, following the river's curve.
Place the trout silhouette mask and spray olive over back, head and fins at 18 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 8 cm.
Cover the back and spray golden yellow along the belly at 18 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 6 cm, fading upward into the olive.
Mask a thin strip and spray the dusty rose side band nose to tail at 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 4 cm.
Add black spots, eye, gill line and outlines at 12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 2–3 cm, with short controlled bursts.
Finish with white spray, splash and water glints at 14 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 3–8 cm, keeping flecks sparse.
Let the panel cure at room temperature for at least 24 hours before handling.
Seal with two thin coats of a flexible fabric-safe clear sealer, drying fully 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 white spray turns the splash chalky; build it in light flecks and stop early.
Black spots placed too evenly look stamped; scatter them, heavier toward the tail.
Lifting masks before paint dries smears edges; wait until each layer is touch-dry.
Spraying the deep navy too close leaves blotches; back off and use short passes.

Tips

Test each colour on scrap fabric first; teal and olive shift darker once dry.
Spray the sky and river before any detail so the trout sits crisp on top.
Keep the side band slightly translucent so the olive and gold glow through it.
Draw the river curve lightly first so the current lines follow one direction.

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 — 12 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

Two dual-action gravity-feed airbrushes, 0.3 mm$2702
Production airbrush, 0.5 mm, for base fades$951
Twin-piston compressor with tank and two regulators$3291
Production spray booth, two fans$2891
Three cap jigs$1923
Cleaning station, respirator and spare cartridges$1391
Cap heat press for curing$2791
Drying rack, 24 caps$651

Guide

Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded1

The creator

Dekasso

@dekasso

Wherever the truck rolls to a stop.

See everything by @dekasso

Remixes

No remixes yet — make your own version.

Where this came from

trucker hat · made September 16, 2026

0 — nothing entered the score yet, at the Derby's published weights, since September 16, 2026. Views are not counted.

rainbow trout
trout
fly fishing
trucker hat
bighorn
canyon river
leaping trout
dusk
teal
dusty rose
mountains
river scene

The cap

Trucker

Rope cap

Dad hat

Five-panel camp

Fit

Two finishes

Hand airbrushed

Sublimation printed

The artwork

The water it was painted from

What arrives

Looking after it

Hand airbrushed

Sublimation printed

Details

Airbrush palette

Details

Make it yourself

The palette

The layers

How to mix each colour

Setup

Prep

Layer by layer

1 · Sky — 0.5 mm · 25–30 PSI

2 · Sky glow — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI

3 · Mountain — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI

4 · Canyon — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI

5 · Trees — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI

6 · River — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI

7 · Depths — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI

8 · Trout back — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI

9 · Belly — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI

10 · Side band — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI

11 · Spots and lines — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI

12 · Highlights — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI

Step by step

Cure

Seal

Clean-up

Common mistakes

Tips

Every kit size

Trucker · kit for 1 hat

Trucker · kit for 12 hats

Trucker · kit for 12 × 12 hats

The creator

Remixes

Where this came from