South Platte Rainbows Trucker Hat
by @john
Two trout, one cold bright river.
An illustrated mountain river scene with two rainbow trout leaping over turquoise water, in olive, rose pink and slate gray, for days on the river.
Two rainbow trout leap toward each other over a turquoise river that winds between pines and snowy peaks. The scene is coloured in olive, rose pink, slate gray and pale sky blue, with warm tan stones along the banks.
- Two rainbow trout leaping face to face
- Rose pink stripes on olive bodies
- Turquoise river through pines and boulders
- Snowy slate gray peaks under pale sky
- Ten colour layers, sky 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
| 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
Two rainbow trout arc out of the water, facing each other across a turquoise river. Rose pink bands run down their olive sides. Behind them, dark pines climb toward slate gray peaks dusted with snow, under a pale sky blue morning.
It wears well on a cold walk to the water, at the fly shop counter, or on a tailgate after the hatch is done. People notice the pink stripes first, then spot the second fish.
Rose pink is the colour to get right. Keep it soft and narrow along the lateral line, then let a few charcoal spots sit over it so the trout read as fish, not candy.
The water it was painted from
South Platte RiverColorado Front Range · CO
- River
- South Platte River, Colorado Front Range
- States
- CO
- Fish
- Rainbow trout, Brown trout, Cutbow
- Water type
- Tailwater
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
- pale sky blue, slate gray, snow white, pine green, turquoise, warm tan, olive, rose pink, charcoal
Details
- Subject
- rainbow trout
- Style
- illustrated mountain river scene
Make it yourself
The palette
- Pale sky blue
- Slate gray
- Snow white
- Pine green
- Turquoise
- Warm tan
- Olive
- Rose pink
- Charcoal
The layers
10 layers, in this order. Each mask comes off and the paint has to dry before the next one goes down.
- Sky
- Mountains
- Snowcaps
- Pines
- River
- Banks
- Trout backs
- Stripes
- 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
Pale sky blue
1 part blue to 4 parts white, a drop of green so it does not drift purple
Slate gray
White with blue and a touch of black, about 4 : 1 : ½
Snow white
Opaque white from the bottle; two thin coats cover better than one thick one
Pine green
2 parts green, 1 part black, a drop of blue to cool it
Turquoise
1 part blue, 1 part green, 2 parts white; a drop of yellow if it looks too cold
Warm tan
3 parts white, 2 parts yellow, 1 part brown
Olive
2 parts yellow, 1 part black, a drop of red to warm it
Rose pink
1 part red to 4 parts white, a drop of blue if it looks salmon
Charcoal
1 part white to 3 parts black, a drop of blue
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
pale sky blue — a soft wash behind the peaks
Mask None on the panel itself: the mesh and the visor are already masked from the prep.
Colour Pale 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 · Mountains — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
slate gray — a jagged range across the middle distance
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.
3 · Snowcaps — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
snow white — snow on the peaks and white water in the river
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Snow white — Opaque white from the bottle; two thin coats cover better than one thick 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.
4 · Pines — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
pine green — tall tree clusters framing both sides
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Pine green — 2 parts green, 1 part black, a drop of blue to cool 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 — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
turquoise — the river winding down through the centre
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 · Banks — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
warm tan — boulders, river stones and dry grasses
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Warm 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.
7 · Trout backs — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
olive — the bodies of both leaping trout
Mask The hand-cut subject stencil, inner pieces first, then the outline piece.
Colour Olive — 2 parts yellow, 1 part black, a drop of red to warm 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.
8 · Stripes — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
rose pink — the lateral band and gill plates on each fish
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.
9 · Detail — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
charcoal — spots, fins, eyes and rock edges
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Charcoal — 1 part white to 3 parts black, a drop of blue
- 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.
10 · Highlights — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
snow white — glints on the water, bellies and stones
Mask None: freehand, with a shield card held against any hard edge.
Colour Snow 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 and mask the outer edge of the design area. All settings below are a starting point; test on scrap first.
Sky: leave the whole area open and spray pale sky blue in light passes, fading toward the horizon. Around 20 PSI, 0.35 mm needle, 15 cm distance.
Mountains: cut the ridge line mask and lay slate gray across the middle distance. 20 PSI, 0.35 mm needle, 10–12 cm.
Snowcaps: mask the slopes and mist snow white onto the peaks, then onto the white water in the river. 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 10 cm.
Pines: use a tree-cluster stencil on each side and spray pine green, darker at the base. 20 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 8–10 cm.
River: mask the banks and fill the winding channel with turquoise, leaving small gaps for stones. 20 PSI, 0.35 mm needle, 10 cm.
Banks: spray warm tan through the boulder and grass masks, building shape with a second lighter pass. 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 8 cm.
Trout backs: place both fish masks and spray olive, heaviest along the backs. 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 8 cm.
Stripes: mask a narrow band along each lateral line and the gill plates, then mist rose pink. 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 5–6 cm.
Detail: freehand or stencil the spots, fins, eyes and rock edges in charcoal. 12–15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 3–5 cm.
Highlights: tap snow white glints onto the water, the fish bellies and the tops of stones. 12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 4 cm.
Cure for 24 hours at room temperature, then seal with two light coats of clear 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
- Flooding the rose pink band: drop the pressure and build it in three thin passes.
- Losing the fish against the river: give the olive backs a darker edge where they meet turquoise.
- Charcoal spots too big and even: vary the size and keep most of them on the upper body.
- Sealing too soon: wait the full cure time or the topcoat can lift fine detail.
Tips
- Spray the second trout from the same mask flipped, so the pair mirrors without looking copied.
- Keep the turquoise lighter in the middle of the river to suggest depth at the edges.
- Let each layer flash dry for a few minutes before laying the next mask on top.
- Warm the paint slightly on a cold day so it atomises evenly at low pressure.
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$9
Stencils
- Pre-cut mylar stencil set for this design — 10 layers$18
Paint & masks
- Water-based textile airbrush colour, 2 oz — one per colour in this design$48
- 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
$1,085
$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$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$112
- 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
$3,165
$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$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$384
- 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
Remixes
No remixes yet — make your own version.
Where this came from
trucker hat · made
0 — nothing entered the score yet, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.
- rainbow trout
- south platte
- trout
- fly fishing
- mountain river
- pine trees
- snowy peaks
- turquoise
- rose pink
- trucker hat