Redrock Rainbow Trout Trucker Hat

Line tight, fish airborne, sun going down.

A rainbow trout leaping from a teal river below rust-red cliffs at sunset, in a painted scenic style, for days on and off the water.

A rainbow trout leaps clear of a teal river, a fly line arcing from its jaw, with tall red rock walls rising behind. The scene is coloured in a violet and sunset orange sky, rust red cliffs, sage green banks and a white burst of spray.

Rainbow trout mid-leap with fly line
Violet sky fading to sunset orange
Rust red cliffs with deep umber shadow
Teal river under a white splash
Ten colour layers, sky to spray

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 twists out of the river, rose pink stripe catching the last light. White spray fans out beneath it. Behind, rust red cliffs step back toward a violet sky that burns orange at the horizon, and a thin white line curves from the fish's mouth up into the glow.

It reads from across a parking lot at the trailhead and holds up close at the tailgate, where people lean in to find the line. Wear it on the drive in, on the bank, or at the counter afterwards telling the story yourself.

Layering the white last is what makes this one. The spray, the wave crests and that thin fly line all sit on top of the teal and the trout, so they need a clean, sharp mask and a light hand to stay bright.

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: violet, sunset orange, rust red, deep umber, sage green, teal, slate green, rose pink, charcoal, white

Details

Subject: rainbow trout
Style: painted scenic illustration

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

Violet
Sunset orange
Rust red
Deep umber
Sage green
Teal
Slate green
Rose pink
Charcoal
White

The layers

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

Sky
Sunset glow
Cliffs
Cliff shadow
Banks
River
Trout body
Stripe
Spots and outline
Splash and line

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

Violet
2 parts blue, 1 part red, a drop of white to keep it from going muddy
Sunset orange
1 part red to 2 parts yellow
Rust red
2 parts orange, 1 part brown, a drop of red
Deep umber
Equal parts red, yellow and blue, then a drop of black to deepen it; or burnt umber straight from the bottle
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
Slate green
White with blue and a touch of black, about 4 : 1 : ½
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
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
violet — a deep fade across the top edge
Mask None on the panel itself: the mesh and the visor are already masked from the prep.
Colour Violet — 2 parts blue, 1 part red, a drop of white to keep it from going muddy
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 · Sunset glow — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
sunset orange — a warm burst low in the sky, between the cliffs
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Sunset 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.
3 · Cliffs — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
rust red — the tall rock walls on both sides of the river
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 · Cliff shadow — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
deep umber — ledges, cracks and shaded faces of the rock
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Deep umber — 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.
5 · Banks — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
sage green — shrubs, small trees and grassy slopes along the water
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 moving water and its reflections
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 · Trout body — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
slate green — the back and flanks of the leaping fish
Mask The hand-cut subject stencil, inner pieces first, then the outline piece.
Colour Slate green — White with blue and a touch of black, about 4 : 1 : ½
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.
8 · Stripe — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
rose pink — the lateral band and gill plate
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.
9 · Spots and outline — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
charcoal — trout spots, fin edges and eye
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.
10 · Splash and line — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
white — the spray, wave crests, fly line and small highlights
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 everything outside the art panel. Spray violet across the top in a soft fade. Starting point: 20–25 PSI, 0.35 mm needle, 15–20 cm away. Adjust for your paint and fabric.
Spray sunset orange low in the sky between the cliff lines, blending up into the violet. Same starting settings, a little closer at 12–15 cm for the brightest centre.
Lay the cliff mask and fill the rock walls in rust red. Start at 20 PSI, 0.35 mm needle, about 10–15 cm away, in light passes.
With the cliff mask still down, add deep umber to ledges, cracks and the shaded faces. Drop to 15–18 PSI and 8–10 cm for crisper edges.
Mask the banks and spray sage green shrubs and slopes on both sides of the river. Start at 18–20 PSI, 0.35 mm needle, 10 cm away.
Mask the river shape and spray teal, deeper at the bottom and lighter toward the far bank. 20 PSI, 0.35 mm needle, 15 cm as a starting point.
Lay the trout mask and fill the body in slate green, darkest along the back. Start at 15–18 PSI, 0.2–0.35 mm needle, 8–10 cm away.
Mask the lateral band and gill plate and spray rose pink in soft passes so it glows. 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 8 cm to start.
Add charcoal spots, fin edges and the eye through a fine detail stencil. Start at 12–15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 5–8 cm away.
Finish with white: the splash, wave crests, fly line and small highlights on rock and fish. 15–20 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 5–10 cm as a starting point.
Let the piece dry fully, then heat-set it as your paint label directs.
Seal with a clear topcoat in two thin coats once cured, letting each dry before the next.

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

Muddy sky: violet and orange turn brown if overlapped wet. Let the violet flash dry before the orange goes on.
Fuzzy cliff edges from spraying too far away. Move in to 10 cm and lower the pressure for the umber shadows.
Pink stripe going chalky from heavy coats. Build it in several light passes instead of one wet one.
White bleeding under the line stencil. Press the mask edge down firmly and spray across it, never into it.

Tips

Test each colour on a scrap first. Fabric drinks paint, so the same settings can look lighter on the panel.
Keep the sunset orange slightly off-centre so the trout's head sits against the brightest part of the sky.
Spray the fly line with the needle nearly touching the stencil edge and short bursts to keep it thin.
Let the teal show through the white splash in places so the spray looks wet, not solid.

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