Bluewater Marlin Yellowfin Trucker Hat

Two fast fish, one patch of blue.

A marlin and a yellowfin tuna squaring up under a broken ocean surface, in navy, teal, cobalt and lemon yellow, for days offshore.

A marlin and a yellowfin tuna face off just under a breaking ocean surface, the marlin's bill angled toward the tuna. The scene is coloured in navy, ocean teal and cobalt, with lemon yellow fins and white spray along the top.

Marlin and yellowfin tuna, nose to nose
Lemon yellow finlets on deep cobalt
Breaking white surface along the top
Light shafts fading from teal to navy
Eight 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

A yellowfin swims in from the left, finlets bright lemon. A striped marlin turns in from the right, sail raised, bill pointed down at it. Above them the surface breaks white, and pale light slants into teal water that darkens to navy at the edges.

It belongs on the deck, at the fuel dock and on the drive home with salt still drying. From across a cockpit people see the yellow first, then the bill, then the two fish sizing each other up.

White spatter along the top line is what turns flat colour into a breaking surface. Keep the drops loose and uneven, and let teal show between them so the wave reads as water, not a 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: navy, ocean teal, cobalt, lemon yellow, silver grey, white

Details

Subject: marlin and yellowfin tuna
Style: illustrated underwater scene

Make it yourself

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

AdvancedAbout 4 hours at the bench, plus curing8 layersYou'll need an airbrush, a cap jig and 6 colours

The palette

Navy
Ocean teal
Cobalt
Lemon yellow
Silver grey
White

The layers

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

Deep water
Open water
Light shafts
Fish bellies
Backs and bars
Yellow
Detail
Surface and spray

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

Navy
3 parts blue, 1 part black; mix it, do not use black straight, which goes flat
Ocean teal
2 parts blue, 1 part green, a touch of white to lift it
Cobalt
Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
Lemon yellow
Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
Silver grey
Metallic silver, or 6 parts white to 1 part black in a pearl or metallic medium
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 · Deep water — 0.5 mm · 25–30 PSI
navy — a dark fade along the bottom edge and both sides
Mask None on the panel itself: the mesh and the visor are already masked from the prep.
Colour Navy — 3 parts blue, 1 part black; mix it, do not use black straight, which goes flat
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 · Open water — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
ocean teal — the lit water body, brightest just under the surface
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Ocean 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 · Light shafts — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
silver grey — faint rays slanting down from the surface
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Silver grey — Metallic silver, or 6 parts white to 1 part black in a pearl or metallic medium
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 · Fish bellies — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
silver grey — the pale flanks and bellies of the tuna and the marlin
Mask The hand-cut subject stencil, inner pieces first, then the outline piece.
Colour Silver grey — Metallic silver, or 6 parts white to 1 part black in a pearl or metallic medium
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.
5 · Backs and bars — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
cobalt — the tuna's back, the marlin's back, dorsal sail and vertical bars
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Cobalt — 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.
6 · Yellow — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
lemon yellow — the tuna's finlets, side stripe and fins, plus a warm sheen on the marlin's flank
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Lemon 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.
7 · Detail — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
navy — fin edges, gill lines, mouths and pupils
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Navy — 3 parts blue, 1 part black; mix it, do not use black straight, which goes flat
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 · Surface and spray — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
white — the breaking wave line along the top, splash, bubbles and eye glints
Mask None: freehand, with a shield card held against any hard edge.
Colour 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

Mask the whole artwork panel and spray navy along the bottom and both sides in a soft fade. Start around 20 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 15 cm away; treat all settings here as a starting point.
Spray ocean teal over the centre and top, building it brightest just under where the surface will sit. Same 20 PSI and 0.3 mm needle, 15–20 cm out for an even blend into the navy.
Lay thin strip masks at a slant and mist silver grey for the light shafts. Drop to about 15 PSI and hold 20 cm away so the rays stay faint.
Cut the tuna and marlin body masks and fill the bellies and flanks with silver grey at 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 10 cm away.
Mask the bellies and spray cobalt on both backs, the marlin's dorsal sail and its vertical bars. Use 18 PSI and come in to 8 cm for crisp bar edges.
Mask for the tuna's finlets, side stripe and fins and spray lemon yellow at 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 8 cm. Mist a light yellow sheen along the marlin's flank from 12 cm.
Switch to navy for fin edges, gill lines, mouths and pupils. A 0.2 mm needle at 12–15 PSI from 3–5 cm gives fine lines.
Spray the white wave line across the top, then spatter at 10–12 PSI from 15 cm for spray and bubbles. Finish with a tiny white glint in each eye.
Let the layers dry for at least 24 hours at room temperature before handling.
Seal with a clear flexible fabric-safe topcoat in two light passes, 15 minutes apart, then leave it to cure for 72 hours.

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

Over-wetting the yellow so it bleeds into the cobalt. Hold back, use light passes and let each one flash off.
Spraying the light shafts too strongly so they look like stripes. Keep pressure low and distance long.
Lifting masks before the paint is touch-dry and tearing edges. Wait a few minutes between layers.
Skipping the cure before sealing, which can leave the topcoat cloudy. Give the paint a full day first.

Tips

Test the spatter on scrap first. Lower pressure gives bigger drops; adjust until it looks like spray, not mist.
Keep the marlin's bill one clean line. Cut that mask edge with a fresh blade so the point stays sharp.
Build the teal in thin passes. Several light coats blend into the navy far more smoothly than one heavy one.
Leave a hair of silver grey between the cobalt bars so the stripes read clearly.

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

Every kit size

Trucker · kit for 1 hat

$218

Bought separately $243 · 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$362 oz × 6
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

$1,061

$88.42 a hat

Bought separately $1,206 · you save $145

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$844 oz × 6
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

$3,083

$21.41 a hat

Bought separately $3,628 · you save $545

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$28832 oz × 6
Transparent base and reducer$491 gal
Low-tack masking film$543 rolls
Matte fabric sealer$891 gal

Equipment