Splashdown Rainbow Trout Trucker Hat

Out of the river, all at once.

A realistic rainbow trout leaping from teal whitewater, red band and black spots sharp, for days spent on or near moving water.

A rainbow trout bursts clear of churning whitewater, jaw open and body arched mid-air. It is coloured in olive green, rose red and silver white over deep teal water and bright white spray.

Rainbow trout caught mid-leap
Rose red band on a silver flank
Black spots over olive back and tail
Bright white spray on deep teal water
Realistic illustration, eight colour layers

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 above the current, mouth open, tail still in the water. A rose red band runs the length of its silver flank, and black spots scatter across an olive back. White spray curls up around it in a ring.

Wear it to the river, the boat ramp or the campfire after. From across a parking lot the red stripe and white splash read first; up close, people find the spots and the glint in the eye.

Soft edges on the rose red band make or break this one. Keep the stripe feathered into the olive above and the silver below, so the fish looks round rather than painted in strips.

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: deep teal, olive green, silver white, rose red, dusty peach, charcoal black, bright white

Details

Subject: rainbow trout
Style: realistic illustration

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

Deep teal
Olive green
Silver white
Rose red
Dusty peach
Charcoal black
Bright white

The layers

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

Water
Back
Belly
Band
Fins
Spots
Spray
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

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
Silver white
Metallic silver, or 6 parts white to 1 part black in a pearl or metallic medium
Rose red
1 part red to 4 parts white, a drop of blue if it looks salmon
Dusty peach
Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
Charcoal black
1 part white to 3 parts black, a drop of blue
Bright 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 · Water — 0.5 mm · 25–30 PSI
deep teal — dark swirling water under the fish
Mask None on the panel itself: the mesh and the visor are already masked from the prep.
Colour Deep 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 · Back — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
olive green — the trout's back and upper flank
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.
3 · Belly — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
silver white — the lower flank and belly
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Silver white — 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 · Band — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
rose red — the stripe along the flank and the gill plate
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Rose red — 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.
5 · Fins — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
dusty peach — pectoral, dorsal, anal fins and tail
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Dusty peach — 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 · Spots — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
charcoal black — scattered spots over back, fins and tail, plus the eye
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Charcoal black — 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.
7 · Spray — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
bright white — whitewater and droplets bursting around the tail and belly
Mask The hand-cut subject stencil, inner pieces first, then the outline piece.
Colour Bright white — Opaque white from the bottle; two thin coats cover better than one thick one
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 · Highlights — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
bright white — glint in the eye, shine on the scales and jaw
Mask None: freehand, with a shield card held against any hard edge.
Colour Bright 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 and degrease the panel, then tape off the artwork area. All settings below are starting points; test on scrap first.
Water mask: spray deep teal in loose swirls under the fish at 20 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, about 10 cm away.
Cut the full trout silhouette mask. Spray olive green along the back and upper flank at 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 8 cm away.
With the back masked, fade silver white into the belly and lower flank at 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 8 cm away.
Band mask: lay rose red along the flank and onto the gill plate at 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 5 cm away, feathering both edges freehand.
Fin masks: fill pectoral, dorsal, anal fins and tail with dusty peach at 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 6 cm away.
Spots and eye: dot charcoal black freehand or through a spot stencil at 12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 3 to 4 cm away. Add fin ray lines in the same colour.
Spray mask: lift the fish mask and spatter bright white around the tail and belly at 25 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 10 to 15 cm away, then tighten droplets closer in.
Highlights: tap bright white into the eye, along the jaw and over a few scales at 12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 3 cm away.
Let the paint air-dry for an hour, then heat-set per your paint's directions.
Seal with two light coats of a flexible fabric topcoat, letting each flash off before the next.

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

Hard edges on the red band flatten the fish. Feather it with light passes instead of one heavy coat.
Too much white spray hides the tail. Build it up in short bursts and step back often.
Spotting before the base colours dry causes bleeding. Wait until each layer is dry to the touch.
Skipping the heat-set leaves paint that cracks or fades. Cure fully before sealing.

Tips

Keep a scrap swatch of the same fabric beside you and test every colour there before it touches the panel.
Spray the white droplets last and from farther away at first; closer passes make bigger, heavier drops.
Let the deep teal stay a little uneven. Patchy water reads as motion behind the fish.
Thin charcoal black slightly for the spots so they sit crisp without blobbing.

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