Sunset Canyon Trout Trucker Hat

Gold light, red rock, one trout airborne.

A trout leaping a turquoise canyon river at sunset, framed by red cliffs and silver sage, in a painterly landscape style for days on the water.

A trout leaps from a turquoise river winding between red rock canyon walls at sunset. Silver sage, yellow brush and a sky fading from sunset gold to blue fill the rest of the scene.

A trout leaping mid-river at sunset
Red canyon cliffs under a gold sky
Turquoise water bending through the scene
Silver sage and yellow brush on banks
Eleven colour layers, background to highlight

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

Red cliffs catch the last of the sun while the sky slides from gold to blue. Below them a turquoise river bends through silver sage and yellow brush. One trout clears the surface, spotted back curved, orange belly lit.

Wear it to the put-in, the campsite or the gas station at dawn. People see the canyon first, then spot the fish and ask where that river is.

Sage silver over juniper green is what makes the banks feel real. Lay the green first, then dust the silver in loose, broken clumps so the darker shrubs still show through.

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: sky blue, sunset gold, canyon red, burnt umber, river turquoise, juniper green, sage silver, rabbitbrush yellow, trout orange, cream

Details

Subject: trout
Style: painterly landscape

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 10 colours

The palette

Sky blue
Sunset gold
Canyon red
Burnt umber
River turquoise
Juniper green
Sage silver
Rabbitbrush yellow
Trout orange
Cream

The layers

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

Sky
Sunset glow
Canyon walls
Rock shadow
River
Bank shrubs
Sagebrush
Flowering brush
Trout body
Trout detail
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

Sky blue
1 part blue to 4 parts white, a drop of green so it does not drift purple
Sunset gold
3 parts yellow, 1 part brown, a touch of white so it stays opaque
Canyon red
Primary red from the bottle; a drop of yellow warms it, a drop of blue cools it
Burnt umber
Equal parts red, yellow and blue, then a drop of black to deepen it; or burnt umber straight from the bottle
River turquoise
1 part blue, 1 part green, 2 parts white; a drop of yellow if it looks too cold
Juniper green
1 part yellow to 1 part blue; more yellow for a warm green, more blue for a cool one
Sage silver
2 parts green, 1 part white, a drop of black to dull it
Rabbitbrush yellow
Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
Trout orange
1 part red to 2 parts yellow
Cream
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 — clear upper sky across the top
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 · Sunset glow — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
sunset gold — warm glow low on the left horizon, fading into the blue
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Sunset 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.
3 · Canyon walls — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
canyon red — cliffs and buttes rising on both sides and the far mesa
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Canyon red — Primary red from the bottle; a drop of yellow warms it, a drop of blue cools 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.
4 · Rock shadow — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
burnt umber — shaded faces, ledges and cracks in the cliffs
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Burnt 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 · River — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
river turquoise — the water bending from the canyon toward the foreground
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour River turquoise — 1 part blue, 1 part green, 2 parts white; a drop of yellow if it looks too cold
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 · Bank shrubs — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
juniper green — rounded bushes along the far bank
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Juniper green — 1 part yellow to 1 part blue; more yellow for a warm green, more blue for a cool 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.
7 · Sagebrush — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
sage silver — silvery clumps lining both banks
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Sage silver — 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.
8 · Flowering brush — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
rabbitbrush yellow — yellow-tipped brush in the foreground and along the shore
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Rabbitbrush 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.
9 · Trout body — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
trout orange — the leaping trout's flank, belly and fins
Mask The hand-cut subject stencil, inner pieces first, then the outline piece.
Colour Trout orange — 1 part red to 2 parts yellow
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 · Trout detail — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
burnt umber — back, spots, eye and fin edges
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Burnt 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.
11 · Highlights — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
cream — sun glints on the water, rock rims and the trout's belly
Mask None: freehand, with a shield card held against any hard edge.
Colour Cream — 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 the sky area and spray sky blue across the top. Start around 20 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 15 cm away; treat every setting here as a starting point and adjust to your paint.
Keep the sky mask, then fade sunset gold along the lower left horizon at 15–18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 15–20 cm, blending softly up into the blue.
Place the cliff and mesa mask and spray canyon red at 20 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, about 10 cm, building colour in two or three light passes.
With a loose rock-shadow stencil, add burnt umber to ledges, cracks and shaded faces at 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 5–8 cm for crisp edges.
Mask the river shape and spray river turquoise at 20 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 12 cm, slightly darker near the banks and lighter in the middle.
Use a rounded-shrub stencil and spray juniper green along the far bank at 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 8–10 cm.
Switch to a ragged sagebrush stencil and dust sage silver over and around the greens at 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 8 cm, leaving gaps.
With a fine branching stencil, add rabbitbrush yellow to the foreground and shore clumps at 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 6–8 cm.
Mask the leaping trout and spray trout orange over flank, belly and fins at 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 6 cm.
Using the trout detail stencil, paint the back, spots, eye and fin edges in burnt umber at 12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 4–5 cm.
Finish with cream highlights on water glints, rock rims and the trout's belly at 12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 4–6 cm, in short taps.
Let the paint cure for at least 24 hours at room temperature, or heat-set following your paint maker's directions.
Seal with two thin coats of a flexible, matte fabric topcoat, letting each dry fully 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

Hard line between gold and blue sky: lower pressure and back off further, crossing the join with light overlapping passes.
Muddy sage: let juniper green dry fully before dusting sage silver over it.
Trout spots bleeding: drop pressure and move closer with a fine needle, and keep the stencil pressed flat.
Over-sprayed highlights: cream goes in last and sparingly, only where the sun would hit.

Tips

Test each colour on a scrap first; turquoise and canyon red shift a lot depending on what sits beneath them.
Keep the sagebrush stencil lifted a few millimetres for a soft, feathered edge that reads as foliage.
Spray the trout before the highlights so the cream glint on its belly lands crisp on top.
Thin, misty passes build the sunset fade better than one heavy coat.

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