Madison Sunburst Mayfly Trucker Hat

A whole valley caught in one wing.

A mayfly dun over a mountain river valley under teal and gold sunrays, an illustrated landscape for a trucker hat worn on the water.

A mayfly dun stands over a winding mountain river, with a rainbow trout showing through its upright wing. Teal sky, golden sunrays, slate blue peaks and straw gold meadows fill the scene behind it.

Mayfly dun with a trout in its wing
Teal and golden yellow sunburst sky
Winding sky blue river through gold meadows
Snow-capped slate blue mountain range
Thirteen layers, twelve paint colours

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 mayfly dun stands tall, its amber body ringed in segments and its tails trailing low. The wing is clear enough to hold a rainbow trout, rose stripe and all. Behind it, a blue river bends through gold grass toward snowy peaks, and the sun fans out in teal and yellow.

It suits a long day on a valley river, the kind that might be the Madison in late summer. From across the bank people see the sunburst first. Up close they find the trout hiding in the wing.

Charcoal black linework does the heavy lifting here. Keep the wing veins thin and even, so the smoke grey wing stays light and the trout reads clearly underneath.

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: teal, golden yellow, slate blue, snow white, straw gold, pine green, sky blue, amber, smoke grey, sage green, rose pink, charcoal black

Details

Subject: mayfly dun
Style: illustrated landscape

Make it yourself

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

AdvancedAbout 6 hours at the bench, plus curing13 layersYou'll need an airbrush, a cap jig and 12 colours

The palette

Teal
Golden yellow
Slate blue
Snow white
Straw gold
Pine green
Sky blue
Amber
Smoke grey
Sage green
Rose pink
Charcoal black

The layers

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

Sky
Sunburst
Mountains
Snowcaps
Valley floor
Trees and banks
River
Mayfly body
Wings
Trout back
Trout band
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

Teal
2 parts blue, 1 part green, a touch of white to lift it
Golden yellow
Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
Slate blue
White with blue and a touch of black, about 4 : 1 : ½
Snow white
Opaque white from the bottle; two thin coats cover better than one thick one
Straw gold
3 parts yellow, 1 part brown, a touch of white so it stays opaque
Pine green
2 parts green, 1 part black, a drop of blue to cool it
Sky blue
1 part blue to 4 parts white, a drop of green so it does not drift purple
Amber
3 parts yellow, 1 part red, a drop of black to deepen it
Smoke grey
4 parts white, 1 part black; a drop of blue for cool grey, a drop of brown for warm stone
Sage green
2 parts green, 1 part white, a drop of black to dull it
Rose pink
1 part red to 4 parts white, a drop of blue if it looks salmon
Charcoal black
1 part white to 3 parts black, a drop of blue

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
teal — a smooth wash across the whole top of the panel
Mask None on the panel itself: the mesh and the visor are already masked from the prep.
Colour Teal — 2 parts blue, 1 part green, a touch of white to lift 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 · Sunburst — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
golden yellow — broad rays fanning up from behind the peaks
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.
3 · Mountains — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
slate blue — a jagged range along the horizon
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 · Snowcaps — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
snow white — snow on the highest peaks and ridgelines
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Snow white — Opaque white from the bottle; two thin coats cover better than one thick 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 · Valley floor — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
straw gold — grassy meadows rolling down to the water
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Straw gold — 3 parts yellow, 1 part brown, a touch of white so it stays opaque
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 · Trees and banks — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
pine green — conifers on both sides and darker grass in the foreground
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.
7 · River — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
sky blue — a winding river from the mountains to the bottom edge
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Sky blue — 1 part blue to 4 parts white, a drop of green so it does not drift purple
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 · Mayfly body — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
amber — segmented abdomen, thorax, legs and two long tails
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Amber — 3 parts yellow, 1 part red, a drop of black to deepen 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 · Wings — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
smoke grey — two tall, upright, see-through wings
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Smoke grey — 4 parts white, 1 part black; a drop of blue for cool grey, a drop of brown for warm stone
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 · Trout back — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
sage green — the trout's back and spots inside the wing
Mask The hand-cut subject stencil, inner pieces first, then the outline piece.
Colour Sage green — 2 parts green, 1 part white, a drop of black to dull 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.
11 · Trout band — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
rose pink — the stripe along the trout's flank
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.
12 · Linework — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
charcoal black — wing veins, body segments, the eye and leg joints
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Charcoal black — 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.
13 · Highlights — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
snow white — glints on the river and shine on the wings
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

Mask the full panel outline and spray teal as an even base across the sky. Starting point: 20 PSI, 0.5 mm needle, about 15 cm away.
Cut a ray mask fanning from the horizon and spray golden yellow in light passes, heaviest near the peaks. Start around 18 PSI, 0.4 mm needle, 10–12 cm.
Mask the mountain silhouette and spray slate blue along the horizon. Start at 18 PSI, 0.4 mm needle, 10 cm.
Lay a snowcap mask over the peaks and mist snow white on the summits and ridgelines. Start at 15 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 8 cm.
Mask the valley floor and spray straw gold over the meadows, leaving the river channel bare. Start at 20 PSI, 0.5 mm needle, 12–15 cm.
Mask the tree line and foreground banks, then spray pine green for conifers and darker grass. Start at 18 PSI, 0.4 mm needle, 8–10 cm.
Cut the winding river mask and spray sky blue from the mountains down to the bottom edge. Start at 18 PSI, 0.4 mm needle, 10 cm.
Mask the mayfly body, legs and tails, then spray amber, a touch heavier on each segment's lower edge. Start at 15 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 6–8 cm.
Mask both wings and mist smoke grey very lightly so the landscape still shows through. Start at 15 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 12 cm.
Mask the trout inside the wing and spray sage green on the back and spots. Start at 12–15 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 5–6 cm.
Mask the flank band and spray rose pink along the trout's side. Start at 12 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 5 cm.
Use a fine detail mask for charcoal black wing veins, body segments, eye and leg joints. Start at 12 PSI, 0.2–0.3 mm needle, 3–5 cm.
Finish with snow white glints on the river and wing shine through small dot masks. Start at 12 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 5 cm. All settings are a starting point; adjust to your paint and airbrush.
Let the paint cure for 24 hours, heat-set as your paint maker directs, then seal with a thin, even coat of clear topcoat.

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

Over-spraying the wing hides the trout and valley. Build it in two or three faint passes instead.
Wide, wobbly vein lines make the wing heavy. Use the finest needle and low pressure, close in.
Lifting masks too soon smears layers. Let each colour go touch-dry before the next mask goes down.
A river that runs one flat blue looks painted on. Add the snow white glints to give it movement.

Tips

Test the smoke grey wing on scrap first. It should look like a tint, not a solid shape.
Spray the sunburst rays from the horizon outward so they fade naturally into the teal.
Keep the trout small and crisp; a sharp rose pink band is what makes it read from a distance.
Clean the needle between amber and charcoal black so the body segments stay clean.

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 — 13 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