Frying Pan Rainbow Trucker Hat
by @dekasso
Two rainbows, one canyon, all air.
A rainbow trout pair leaping over a red canyon river in fall colour, a full-panel scene for days on the water.
Two rainbow trout leap face to face above a river running through a red rock canyon in autumn. The scene is coloured with rust red cliffs, orange and gold leaves, river teal water and rose pink stripes on olive-backed fish.
- Two rainbow trout leaping face to face
- Rust red canyon walls on both sides
- Orange and gold autumn trees
- Cream white splash on river teal water
- Rose pink stripes, charcoal spots
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
| 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
Two rainbow trout clear the water at the same moment, jaws open, tails still flicking spray. Behind them the canyon walls glow rust red, autumn trees burn orange and gold on the ledges, and a blue ridge sits far off where the river bends out of sight.
It wears like a postcard from a good day. On the bank or at the fly shop counter, people tend to lean in and find the second fish, then the little pines, then the white splash under both tails.
Rose pink over olive is the part to get right. Lay the stripe soft and narrow along the flank so the olive back and golden belly still read on either side, then add the charcoal spots last.
The water it was painted from
Frying Pan RiverRoaring Fork Valley, Colorado · CO
- River
- Frying Pan River, Roaring Fork Valley, Colorado
- States
- CO
- Fish
- Rainbow trout, Brown 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
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
- sky blue, slate blue, rust red, sandstone tan, autumn orange, golden yellow, pine green, river teal, olive, rose pink, charcoal, cream white
Details
- Subject
- rainbow trout
- Style
- painted landscape scene
Make it yourself
The palette
- Sky blue
- Slate blue
- Rust red
- Sandstone tan
- Autumn orange
- Golden yellow
- Pine green
- River teal
- Olive
- Rose pink
- Charcoal
- Cream 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
- Far ridges
- Canyon walls
- Ledges
- Autumn trees
- Leaf glow
- Pines
- River
- Trout backs
- Red band
- Spots and lines
- Splash
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
Sky blue
1 part blue to 4 parts white, a drop of green so it does not drift purple
Slate blue
White with blue and a touch of black, about 4 : 1 : ½
Rust red
2 parts orange, 1 part brown, a drop of red
Sandstone tan
3 parts white, 2 parts yellow, 1 part brown
Autumn orange
1 part red to 2 parts yellow
Golden yellow
Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
Pine green
2 parts green, 1 part black, a drop of blue to cool it
River teal
2 parts blue, 1 part green, a touch of white to lift it
Olive
2 parts yellow, 1 part black, a drop of red to warm it
Rose pink
1 part red to 4 parts white, a drop of blue if it looks salmon
Charcoal
1 part white to 3 parts black, a drop of blue
Cream white
White with a drop of yellow and the smallest touch of brown
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
sky blue — a pale fade across the top behind the peaks
Mask None on the panel itself: the mesh and the visor are already masked from the prep.
Colour Sky blue — 1 part blue to 4 parts white, a drop of green so it does not drift purple
- 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 · Far ridges — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
slate blue — distant mountains in the gap between the canyon walls
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.
3 · Canyon walls — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
rust red — sandstone cliffs rising on both sides
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Rust red — 2 parts orange, 1 part brown, a drop of red
- 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 · Ledges — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
sandstone tan — lit rock faces, ledges and boulder tops
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Sandstone 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.
5 · Autumn trees — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
autumn orange — leafy clumps clinging to the cliffs
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Autumn orange — 1 part red to 2 parts yellow
- 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 · Leaf glow — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
golden yellow — bright edges on the foliage and the trout flanks
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.
7 · Pines — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
pine green — conifers on the upper left and low shrubs along the banks
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Pine green — 2 parts green, 1 part black, a drop of blue to cool 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 · River — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
river teal — the run of water down the middle
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour River 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.
9 · Trout backs — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
olive — the backs and tails of both fish
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.
10 · Red band — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
rose pink — the lateral stripe and gill plates on each trout
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Rose pink — 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
charcoal — spots, eyes, mouths and rock cracks
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Charcoal — 1 part white to 3 parts black, a drop of blue
- 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 · Splash — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
cream white — spray and foam under the fish, glints on the water
Mask None: freehand, with a shield card held against any hard edge.
Colour Cream white — White with a drop of yellow and the smallest touch of brown
- 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 off the panel edges. Sky blue across the top as a soft fade, about 20 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 6 to 8 inches away. Treat all settings here as a starting point.
Ridge stencil in the center gap, slate blue at 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 4 to 5 inches out, keeping the far mountains light.
Canyon wall masks on both sides, rust red at 20 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 4 to 6 inches away. Build the color in two light coats.
Ledge stencil, sandstone tan at 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 3 to 4 inches out, catching the tops of rocks and lit faces.
Foliage stencil, autumn orange at 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 3 to 4 inches away in short dabs for leafy clumps.
Golden yellow freehand over leaf edges and the lower trout flanks, 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 2 to 3 inches away.
Pine stencil, pine green at 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 3 inches out for the conifers and bank shrubs.
River mask down the middle, river teal at 20 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 4 to 5 inches away, darker near the rocks.
Trout body masks, olive on backs and tails at 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 2 to 3 inches out, fading into the gold below.
Stripe stencil, rose pink along each lateral line and gill plate, 12 to 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 2 inches away.
Charcoal for spots, eyes, mouths and rock cracks, 12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 1 to 2 inches out, with a dot stencil for the spots.
Cream white splash and water glints freehand, 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 2 to 3 inches away, flicked upward from the tails.
Let everything dry fully, then heat-set per your paint maker and finish with two thin coats of fabric-safe clear sealer.
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
- Spraying the splash too early buries it under later coats. Save cream white for the very last color.
- Heavy orange on the trees can bleed into the cliffs. Use short bursts and lift the airbrush between dabs.
- Pressure too high on the spots makes spidery blots. Drop to 12 PSI and move in close.
- Skipping the cure lets colors wash out. Give the paint its full dry and heat-set time before sealing.
Tips
- Spray the canyon walls slightly darker at the base so the river reads as the brightest strip.
- Keep the two trout mirror images in pose but vary the spots so they feel like two different fish.
- Test the rose pink over olive on scrap first; a thin pass keeps the stripe from going muddy.
- Leave tiny gaps of untouched sky blue between the cliffs so the far ridge has room to breathe.
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$9
Stencils
- Pre-cut mylar stencil set for this design — 12 layers$18
Paint & masks
- Water-based textile airbrush colour, 2 oz — one per colour in this design$48
- Transparent base and reducer, 4 oz$7
- Low-tack masking film and ¼ in tape$8
- Matte fabric sealer, 4 oz$12
Equipment
- Starter airbrush set — 0.3 mm dual-action gravity brush, mini compressor, braided hose$129
- Cap jig — holds the crown taut while you spray$24
Guide
- Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded
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$78
Stencils
- Desktop stencil cutter, 12 in — the "stencil printer": cuts mylar from this design's layer files$299
- Stencil mylar, 7 mil, 12 × 12 in$22
- This design's layer files, every layer (SVG)Included
Paint & masks
- Water-based textile airbrush colour, 4 oz — one per colour in this design$112
- Transparent base and reducer, 16 oz$16
- Low-tack masking film$18
- Matte fabric sealer, 16 oz$28
Equipment
- Dual-action gravity-feed airbrush, 0.3 mm$135
- Quiet compressor with tank and moisture trap$179
- Cap jig and two spare crown forms$64
- Tabletop spray booth with exhaust fan$149
- Cleaning pot, brushes and a half-mask respirator$99
- Heat gun for curing$35
Guide
- Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded
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$756
Stencils
- Stencil cutter-plotter, 24 in — the production "stencil printer"$649
- Stencil mylar, 7 mil, 12 × 12 in$85
- This design's layer files, every layer (SVG)Included
Paint & masks
- Water-based textile airbrush colour, 32 oz — one per colour in this design$384
- Transparent base and reducer$49
- Low-tack masking film$54
- Matte fabric sealer$89
Equipment
- Two dual-action gravity-feed airbrushes, 0.3 mm$270
- Production airbrush, 0.5 mm, for base fades$95
- Twin-piston compressor with tank and two regulators$329
- Production spray booth, two fans$289
- Three cap jigs$192
- Cleaning station, respirator and spare cartridges$139
- Cap heat press for curing$279
- Drying rack, 24 caps$65
Guide
- Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded
The creator
Remixes
No remixes yet — make your own version.
Where this came from
trucker hat · made
0 — nothing entered the score yet, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.
- rainbow trout
- frying pan
- trout
- fly fishing
- canyon
- red rock
- autumn
- river
- leaping trout
- trucker hat
- landscape
- fall colors