Whitewater Rainbow Trout Trucker Hat

Clear of the water, just for a second.

A rainbow trout leaping from white water on a dark field, in olive green, rose pink and bone white, for days spent on the river.

A rainbow trout leaps clear of churning water, body bent and fins flared against a dark field. Olive green, rose pink and crimson carry the fish, while bone white spray bursts around it.

Rainbow trout caught mid-leap
Rose pink stripe down the flank
Black spots over olive green back
Bone white spray and droplets
Deep teal water on a black field

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 hangs in mid-air, tail still in the foam. Its back is olive green and peppered with black spots. A rose pink stripe runs the length of the flank, and white spray flies off in every direction.

Wear it on the drive to the river, at the boat ramp, or at the diner after. The dark ground keeps the fish bright from across a parking lot, and the pink stripe is the first thing people notice.

Speckling decides whether this trout looks alive. Keep the black spots small and uneven, thick on the back and tail, sparse toward the belly, and never let them land on the pink stripe.

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: black, deep teal, olive green, slate gray, rose pink, crimson, bone white

Details

Category: Leaping Rainbow
Subject: rainbow trout
Style: realistic wildlife

Make it yourself

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

IntermediateAbout 4 hours at the bench, plus curing8 layersYou'll need an airbrush, a cap jig and 7 colours

The palette

Black
Deep teal
Olive green
Slate gray
Rose pink
Crimson
Bone white

The layers

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

Background
Water and glow
Back
Lower flank
Stripe
Gill and fins
Spots
Splash

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

Black
Black from the bottle, sprayed in light passes; a heavy coat bleeds
Deep teal
2 parts blue, 1 part green, a touch of white to lift it
Olive green
2 parts yellow, 1 part black, a drop of red to warm it
Slate gray
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
Crimson
3 parts red, 1 part blue, a drop of black to deepen it
Bone 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 · Background — 0.5 mm · 25–30 PSI
black — a dark field filling the whole panel
Mask None on the panel itself: the mesh and the visor are already masked from the prep.
Colour Black — Black from the bottle, sprayed in light passes; a heavy coat bleeds
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 · Water and glow — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
deep teal — rolling water along the bottom and a soft haze behind the fish
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Deep 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.
3 · Back — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
olive green — the trout's back, upper flank and tail
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Olive green — 2 parts yellow, 1 part black, a drop of red to warm 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 · Lower flank — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
slate gray — silver shading along the belly and lower fins
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Slate gray — 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.
5 · Stripe — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
rose pink — the long band down the flank and the cheek
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.
6 · Gill and fins — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
crimson — the gill plate edge, the mouth and the fin rays
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Crimson — 3 parts red, 1 part blue, a drop of black to deepen 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 · Spots — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
black — fine speckling over the back, tail and fins
Mask The hand-cut subject stencil, inner pieces first, then the outline piece.
Colour Black — Black from the bottle, sprayed in light passes; a heavy coat bleeds
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 · Splash — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
bone white — spray, droplets, wave crests, belly and the glint in the eye
Mask None: freehand, with a shield card held against any hard edge.
Colour Bone 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

Clean the panel with isopropyl alcohol and let it dry. Settings below are a starting point; adjust to your paint and airbrush.
Fill the panel with black using a 0.5 mm needle at about 25 PSI, 15 cm away. Build it in thin, even passes.
Mask the fish silhouette. Spray deep teal along the bottom for water and a soft haze behind the fish, 0.35 mm needle, 20 PSI, 10 cm.
Lift the fish mask and cover the water. Lay olive green over the back, upper flank and tail, 0.35 mm needle, 20 PSI, 8 cm.
Shade the belly and lower fins with slate gray freehand, 0.3 mm needle, 18 PSI, 6 cm, fading upward into the green.
Place the stripe mask and spray rose pink down the flank and across the cheek, 0.3 mm needle, 18 PSI, 6 cm.
Mask the gill plate and fins. Add crimson to the gill edge, mouth and fin rays, 0.2 mm needle, 15 PSI, 4 cm.
Spot the back, tail and fins with black, 0.2 mm needle, 12–15 PSI, 2–3 cm, short bursts only.
Spray bone white for spray, wave crests, belly and the eye glint, 0.2 mm needle, 15 PSI. Spatter droplets by dropping pressure to 8 PSI.
Let the paint cure for 24 hours, then heat-set if your paint calls for it.
Seal with two light coats of matte or satin fabric topcoat, letting each dry fully.

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

Spotting too evenly makes a polka-dot fish. Cluster spots on the back and let them thin out below.
Overspraying pink onto the green turns the flank muddy. Mask tightly and keep the airbrush close.
Too much white spray hides the tail. Leave part of the tail and lower fin visible through the foam.
Rushing the topcoat traps solvent and leaves a tacky finish. Wait the full cure time first.

Tips

Spray the teal haze darker at the edges so the fish seems to glow from the middle.
Cut the stripe mask with a gentle curve that follows the body bend; a straight stripe flattens the leap.
Test the low-pressure spatter on scrap first so the droplets land as dots, not blobs.
Leave a hairline of dark between the white splash and the green back to keep the fish crisp.

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 — 8 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