Canyon Mayfly Hatch Trucker Hat
by @dekasso
The hatch comes off as the canyon lights up.
A mayfly with a trout in its wing over a canyon river, in a retro sunburst of rust, marigold, sage green and turquoise.
A mayfly rises over a red-walled canyon, with a trout tucked inside its upright wing and a river winding below. Rust, marigold and sage green rays burst behind it, while turquoise and deep teal carry the water, the wing and the insect.
- Mayfly with a trout inside its wing
- Turquoise river through red canyon walls
- Rust, marigold and sage green sunburst rays
- Seven colour layers, background to highlight
- Fine deep teal tails and legs
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
| 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 hangs in the air with its tails trailing and its wing held high. Inside that wing, a trout swims through the glass. Below, a turquoise river bends between red cliffs, and rays of rust and marigold spread out like late sun over the rim.
It reads from across a parking lot at the trailhead and holds up close at the tailgate. People see the trout first, then the river, then realise the whole canyon sits under one insect. It suits a long evening on the water, waiting for the bugs.
Deep teal does the hard work here: the tails, the legs, the wing veins and the trout outline all live in that one layer. Cut it clean and keep the lines thin, because the whole piece depends on that fine, dark drawing sitting crisp over the bright rays.
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
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
- rust, marigold, sage green, canyon red, turquoise, deep teal, pale cream
Details
- Subject
- mayfly
- Style
- retro sunburst illustration
Make it yourself
The palette
- Rust
- Marigold
- Sage green
- Canyon red
- Turquoise
- Deep teal
- Pale cream
The layers
7 layers, in this order. Each mask comes off and the paint has to dry before the next one goes down.
- Sunburst rays
- Warm glow
- Cool rays
- Canyon walls
- River and wing
- Mayfly and trout
- 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
Rust
2 parts orange, 1 part brown, a drop of red
Marigold
Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
Sage green
2 parts green, 1 part white, a drop of black to dull it
Canyon red
Primary red from the bottle; a drop of yellow warms it, a drop of blue cools it
Turquoise
1 part blue, 1 part green, 2 parts white; a drop of yellow if it looks too cold
Deep teal
2 parts blue, 1 part green, a touch of white to lift it
Pale 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 · Sunburst rays — 0.5 mm · 25–30 PSI
rust — long rays fanning out from behind the mayfly to the edges
Mask None on the panel itself: the mesh and the visor are already masked from the prep.
Colour Rust — 2 parts orange, 1 part brown, a drop of red
- 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 · Warm glow — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
marigold — brighter rays and a soft haze close to the centre
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Marigold — 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 · Cool rays — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
sage green — rays set between the warm ones, deepest along the lower edge
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.
4 · Canyon walls — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
canyon red — stepped cliffs and flat-topped mesas framing the river
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.
5 · River and wing — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
turquoise — the winding river on the canyon floor and the clear panes of the wing
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour 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 · Mayfly and trout — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
deep teal — segmented body, legs, long tails, wing veins and the trout inside the wing
Mask The hand-cut subject stencil, inner pieces first, then the outline piece.
Colour Deep teal — 2 parts blue, 1 part green, a touch of white to lift 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.
7 · Highlights — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
pale cream — glints on the wing veins, shine on the river, the trout's belly
Mask None: freehand, with a shield card held against any hard edge.
Colour Pale 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 outer edge of the design, then spray rust through the sunburst ray stencil at about 20 PSI, 0.5 mm needle, 15 cm away. These settings are a starting point; test on scrap first.
Shift to the warm-glow mask and lay marigold rays and a soft haze near the centre, around 18 PSI, 0.5 mm needle, 12 to 15 cm away.
Use the cool-ray mask for sage green between the warm rays, deepening along the lower edge, at about 18 PSI, 0.5 mm needle, 12 cm away.
Place the canyon mask and spray canyon red for the cliffs and mesas, around 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 10 cm away, building the wall shadows in two light passes.
Mask for the river and wing panes and spray turquoise at about 15 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 8 to 10 cm away, keeping the wing panes slightly lighter than the water.
Lay the detail stencil and spray deep teal for the body segments, legs, tails, wing veins and trout, at about 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 5 to 8 cm away. Go slowly on the tails.
Finish with pale cream highlights on the wing veins, river shine and trout belly at 12 to 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 5 cm away, in short taps.
Let the paint cure for at least 24 hours, then heat-set and seal following the directions for your paint.
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
- Flooding the deep teal layer blurs the legs and tails. Drop the pressure, move closer and build it in light passes.
- Letting marigold creep over the canyon muddies the cliffs. Keep the canyon area masked during the ray layers.
- Skipping the cure time leads to smudged detail. Wait the full day before sealing or handling much.
- Over-spraying pale cream turns highlights into blotches. Use quick taps and stop early.
Tips
- Let each layer dry to the touch before laying the next mask, so nothing lifts when you peel it.
- Spray the ray layers from the centre outward so the glow stays strongest behind the mayfly.
- Keep the trout a touch darker than the wing panes so it reads clearly through the wing.
- Practise the deep teal tails on scrap until you can pull a thin, even line in one pass.
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$9
Stencils
- Pre-cut mylar stencil set for this design — 7 layers$18
Paint & masks
- Water-based textile airbrush colour, 2 oz — one per colour in this design$42
- Transparent base and reducer, 4 oz$7
- Low-tack masking film and ¼ in tape$8
- Matte fabric sealer, 4 oz$12
Equipment
- Starter airbrush set — 0.3 mm dual-action gravity brush, mini compressor, braided hose$129
- Cap jig — holds the crown taut while you spray$24
Guide
- Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded
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$78
Stencils
- Desktop stencil cutter, 12 in — the "stencil printer": cuts mylar from this design's layer files$299
- Stencil mylar, 7 mil, 12 × 12 in$22
- This design's layer files, every layer (SVG)Included
Paint & masks
- Water-based textile airbrush colour, 4 oz — one per colour in this design$98
- Transparent base and reducer, 16 oz$16
- Low-tack masking film$18
- Matte fabric sealer, 16 oz$28
Equipment
- Dual-action gravity-feed airbrush, 0.3 mm$135
- Quiet compressor with tank and moisture trap$179
- Cap jig and two spare crown forms$64
- Tabletop spray booth with exhaust fan$149
- Cleaning pot, brushes and a half-mask respirator$99
- Heat gun for curing$35
Guide
- Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded
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$756
Stencils
- Stencil cutter-plotter, 24 in — the production "stencil printer"$649
- Stencil mylar, 7 mil, 12 × 12 in$85
- This design's layer files, every layer (SVG)Included
Paint & masks
- Water-based textile airbrush colour, 32 oz — one per colour in this design$336
- Transparent base and reducer$49
- Low-tack masking film$54
- Matte fabric sealer$89
Equipment
- Two dual-action gravity-feed airbrushes, 0.3 mm$270
- Production airbrush, 0.5 mm, for base fades$95
- Twin-piston compressor with tank and two regulators$329
- Production spray booth, two fans$289
- Three cap jigs$192
- Cleaning station, respirator and spare cartridges$139
- Cap heat press for curing$279
- Drying rack, 24 caps$65
Guide
- Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded
The creator
Where this came from
trucker hat · made
4 remixes
100 — from 4 remixes, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.
- mayfly
- trout
- hatch
- canyon
- river
- sunburst
- fly fishing
- trucker hat
- retro
- turquoise
- rust
- marigold