Streambed Rainbow Trout Trucker Hat

Two fish holding over clear gravel.

Two rainbow trout over a pebble streambed under rippled water, in forest green, olive and rose pink, for days on the river.

Two rainbow trout cruise over a bed of rounded pebbles beneath a rippling surface. The scene is coloured in forest green, olive, rose pink and stone tan, with golden yellow leaves resting among the stones.

Two rainbow trout over pebble gravel
Rippling surface rings with cream light
Rose pink bands on olive flanks
Golden yellow leaves among the stones
Deep forest green water

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

Two rainbow trout hang in deep green water. One rises toward rings of slate blue and cream light at the surface. The other noses along a bed of tan and ochre pebbles, where a few golden leaves have settled.

It suits a morning on the river, a fly shop counter or the drive home with wet boots in the back. People see the pink band on each fish first, then the stones, then the leaves.

Rose pink over olive takes patience. Lay the band light and build it slowly so the olive still glows at the edges, the way a real trout's stripe fades into its flank.

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, slate blue, cream white, stone tan, ochre, charcoal black, olive, rose pink, golden yellow

Details

Subject: rainbow trout
Style: realistic illustration

Make it yourself

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

AdvancedAbout 5 hours at the bench, plus curing11 layersYou'll need an airbrush, a cap jig and 9 colours

The palette

Forest green
Slate blue
Cream white
Stone tan
Ochre
Charcoal black
Olive
Rose pink
Golden yellow

The layers

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

Deep water
Surface
Glints
Pebbles
Warm stones
Gaps
Trout bodies
Bands
Bellies
Spots
Leaves

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
Slate blue
White with blue and a touch of black, about 4 : 1 : ½
Cream white
White with a drop of yellow and the smallest touch of brown
Stone tan
3 parts white, 2 parts yellow, 1 part brown
Ochre
2 parts yellow, 1 part brown, a drop of black
Charcoal black
1 part white to 3 parts black, a drop of blue
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
Golden yellow
Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first

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 · Deep water — 0.5 mm · 25–30 PSI
forest green — a dark green field filling 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 · Surface — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
slate blue — rippling rings spreading across the top
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 · Glints — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
cream white — bright streaks of light on the ripples
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Cream white — White with a drop of yellow and the smallest touch of 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.
4 · Pebbles — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
stone tan — rounded stones packed along the bottom
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Stone 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 · Warm stones — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
ochre — sun-warmed tops on scattered pebbles
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour 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.
6 · Gaps — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
charcoal black — shadows between the stones
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.
7 · Trout bodies — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
olive — backs and flanks of two trout
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.
8 · Bands — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
rose pink — the lateral stripe and gill plates
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 · Bellies — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
cream white — pale undersides and fin tips
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Cream white — White with a drop of yellow and the smallest touch of 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.
10 · Spots — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
charcoal black — spots, eyes and fin edges
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.
11 · Leaves — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
golden yellow — small fallen leaves among the pebbles
Mask None: freehand, with a shield card held against any hard edge.
Colour Golden yellow — Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
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

Fill the full panel with forest green, no mask. Start around 25 PSI, 0.5 mm needle, 15 cm away. These are starting points; adjust to your paint and fabric.
Mask the lower half and spray slate blue ripple rings across the top using a ring stencil. Try 20 PSI, 0.35 mm needle, 8 cm away.
Add cream white glints along the ripple crests freehand or with a streak stencil. Try 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 4 cm away.
Lay the pebble stencil along the bottom and spray stone tan. Try 20 PSI, 0.35 mm needle, 10 cm away.
Keep the pebble stencil on and dust ochre onto the tops of scattered stones. Try 15 PSI, 0.35 mm needle, 8 cm away.
Shift the stencil slightly and spray charcoal black into the gaps between stones. Try 18 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 5 cm away.
Mask both trout silhouettes and spray olive across backs and flanks. Try 20 PSI, 0.35 mm needle, 8 cm away.
Use the band mask to lay rose pink along each lateral line and gill plate in thin passes. Try 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 5 cm away.
Mask the bellies and spray cream white on undersides and fin tips. Try 15 PSI, 0.35 mm needle, 6 cm away.
Use the spot stencil for charcoal black spots, eyes and fin edges. Try 12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 3 cm away.
Place the leaf stencil among the pebbles and spray golden yellow. Try 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 4 cm away.
Let the paint cure at least 24 hours, then heat-set if your paint calls for it and finish with a clear fabric-safe topcoat in two light 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

Spraying cream white glints too heavy makes the surface chalky. Use low pressure and stop early.
Shifting the trout mask between olive and rose pink blurs the fish. Tape it down firmly at every corner.
Packing too many black spots flattens the trout. Space them and keep them smaller toward the belly.
Sealing before the paint cures traps tackiness. Wait the full cure time before the topcoat.

Tips

Spray the ripple rings with a slight wobble in your wrist so they read as moving water, not perfect circles.
Keep the ochre on stone tops only; it sells the light coming down through the water.
Test the rose pink on a scrap over olive first to judge how many passes you need.
Leave a sliver of forest green showing between pebbles to keep depth in the gravel.

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 — 11 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