Teal Eddy Caddis Trucker Hat

A quiet rest on a wet stone.

An adult caddis perched on a smooth river stone in a teal eddy, in tan, slate blue and moss green, on a trucker hat for anglers.

An adult caddis rests on a mottled river stone while teal eddy water curls around its base. The colours run slate blue, moss green and umber under a tan wing with cream highlights.

Adult caddis with tented tan wing
Slate blue and moss-green river stone
Teal eddy rings around the stone
Long dark brown antennae and legs
Cream glints on wing, stone and 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

A caddis sits on top of a round river stone, wings folded into a tan tent, antennae sweeping far ahead. The stone is slate blue with moss-green mottling and a dark umber underside. Teal water rings the base like a slow eddy.

It suits a day on rocky water, a canyon run, or the drive home with the fly box still open. People notice the long antennae first, then the stone, then the water curling around it.

Cream highlights do the heavy lifting here. Keep them thin and few: one line down the wing, one glint on the stone, a few crests on the water. Too many and the stone loses its wet look.

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, slate blue, moss green, umber, tan, dark brown, cream

Details

Subject: caddisfly
Style: realistic wildlife illustration

Make it yourself

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

IntermediateAbout 3½ hours at the bench, plus curing7 layersYou'll need an airbrush, a cap jig and 7 colours

The palette

Teal
Slate blue
Moss green
Umber
Tan
Dark brown
Cream

The layers

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

Eddy
Stone
Stone mottling
Shadow
Wings
Body and fine lines
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
Slate blue
White with blue and a touch of black, about 4 : 1 : ½
Moss green
2 parts yellow, 1 part green, a drop of black to deaden it
Umber
Equal parts red, yellow and blue, then a drop of black to deepen it; or burnt umber straight from the bottle
Tan
3 parts white, 2 parts yellow, 1 part brown
Dark brown
Equal parts red, yellow and blue, then a drop of black to deepen it; or burnt umber straight from the bottle
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 · Eddy — 0.5 mm · 25–30 PSI
teal — curling water rings that wrap around the base of the stone
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 · Stone — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
slate blue — a smooth, rounded river stone filling the lower half
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 · Stone mottling — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
moss green — soft patches and speckles across the stone's face
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Moss green — 2 parts yellow, 1 part green, a drop of black to deaden 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 · Shadow — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
umber — the stone's dark underside and the caddis's shadow on its crown
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour 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 · Wings — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
tan — the long tented wing folded over the back
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour 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.
6 · Body and fine lines — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
dark brown — head, body, six thin legs, long antennae and wing veins
Mask The hand-cut subject stencil, inner pieces first, then the outline piece.
Colour Dark brown — Equal parts red, yellow and blue, then a drop of black to deepen it; or burnt umber straight from the bottle
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.
7 · Highlights — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
cream — sheen along the wing, a glint on the stone, crests on the water
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 eddy shape. Spray teal at about 20 PSI with a 0.3 mm needle from 10–12 cm, building the curls in light passes. Treat all settings as a starting point and test on scrap first.
Mask the round stone. Spray slate blue at 20–22 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 10 cm, laying an even base with slightly softer edges toward the water.
Use a loose speckle mask or freehand dots for the mottling. Spray moss green at 15–18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 8–10 cm, keeping patches uneven.
Shield the top of the stone. Spray umber at 18 PSI, 0.2–0.3 mm needle, 8 cm along the underside, then add a small soft shadow where the caddis will sit.
Mask the wing outline. Spray tan at 18–20 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 8–10 cm, slightly darker at the trailing edge for a folded look.
Switch to a fine detail mask. Spray dark brown at 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 4–6 cm for the head, body, legs, wing veins and the two long antennae.
Spray cream at 12–15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 4–5 cm for a single wing sheen line, one glint on the stone and a few water crests.
Let the paint cure fully, at least 24 hours at room temperature, then heat set or seal with a flexible fabric sealer following the product's directions.

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 too heavily washes out the stone. Use short bursts and stop early.
Too much pressure on fine lines causes spidering. Drop the PSI and move the brush closer instead.
Lifting masks while paint is wet smears edges. Wait until each layer is touch-dry.
Skipping the cure lets colour crack or fade. Give it the full 24 hours before sealing.

Tips

Run the antennae in one smooth pass each; stopping halfway leaves a blob.
Let the teal dry before masking the stone so the edge stays crisp where the water meets rock.
Keep the mottling random. Even spacing makes the stone look like a pattern instead of rock.
Lay the shadow under the caddis before the wing so the insect looks like it is sitting, not floating.

An airbrush, compressor, moisture trap, six colour bottles and a cleaning pot. — The kit

Every kit size

Trucker · kit for 1 hat

$224

Bought separately $249 · you save $25

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 — 7 layers$181

Paint & masks

Water-based textile airbrush colour, 2 oz — one per colour in this design$422 oz × 7
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

$1,073

$89.42 a hat

Bought separately $1,220 · you save $147

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$984 oz × 7
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

$3,124

$21.69 a hat

Bought separately $3,676 · you save $552

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$33632 oz × 7
Transparent base and reducer$491 gal
Low-tack masking film$543 rolls
Matte fabric sealer$891 gal

Equipment