Sunsplash Rainbow Trout Trucker Hat

Half out of the water, all sun.

A realistic painterly rainbow trout leaping through white spray at sunset, in olive, crimson and orange, for anglers who love the jump.

A rainbow trout leaps clear of the water, tail still in the spray, with a low sun burning behind it. The scene is coloured in olive green, crimson and pearl white against a midnight navy sky and a sunset orange glow.

Rainbow trout caught mid-leap
Low orange sun on the left
Crimson stripe on an olive back
White spray bursting off the tail
Midnight navy sky fading overhead

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 bends out of the river, mouth open, fins flared. A crimson stripe runs down its side. Behind it, the sun sits low and orange, and white spray flies off its tail into a navy sky.

Wear it to the river, the boat ramp or the coffee line after. From across the room people catch the orange glow first, then the red stripe, then the fish mid-jump.

The crimson stripe needs a soft edge. Lay it in light passes over the olive and pearl white so it melts into the flank, then add the black spots last so they sit on top of everything.

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: midnight navy, sunset orange, golden yellow, steel blue, olive green, pearl white, crimson, black

Details

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

Make it yourself

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

AdvancedAbout 4½ hours at the bench, plus curing10 layersYou'll need an airbrush, a cap jig and 8 colours

The palette

Midnight navy
Sunset orange
Golden yellow
Steel blue
Olive green
Pearl white
Crimson
Black

The layers

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

Sky
Sun glow
Sun core
Water
Trout body
Belly
Stripe
Spots
Splash
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

Midnight navy
3 parts blue, 1 part black; mix it, do not use black straight, which goes flat
Sunset orange
1 part red to 2 parts yellow
Golden yellow
Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
Steel blue
Primary blue, a drop of white to lighten it, a drop of black to deepen it; build it in thin coats
Olive green
2 parts yellow, 1 part black, a drop of red to warm it
Pearl white
Opaque white from the bottle; two thin coats cover better than one thick one
Crimson
3 parts red, 1 part blue, a drop of black to deepen it
Black
Black from the bottle, sprayed in light passes; a heavy coat bleeds

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
midnight navy — a deep fade across the top, darkest at the upper corners
Mask None on the panel itself: the mesh and the visor are already masked from the prep.
Colour Midnight 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 · Sun glow — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
sunset orange — a warm burst on the left, spreading behind the fish
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Sunset orange — 1 part red to 2 parts yellow
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 · Sun core — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
golden yellow — a small bright sun low on the left and its streak on the water
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Golden 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.
4 · Water — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
steel blue — a rippled surface across the bottom, shading darker toward the right
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Steel blue — Primary blue, a drop of white to lighten it, a drop of black to deepen it; build it in thin coats
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 · Trout body — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
olive green — the head, back and fins of a trout arching upward
Mask The hand-cut subject stencil, inner pieces first, then the outline piece.
Colour Olive green — 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.
6 · Belly — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
pearl white — the pale silver belly and lower flank
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Pearl 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.
7 · Stripe — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
crimson — the red band along the side and the blush on the gill plate
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.
8 · Spots — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
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 Black — Black from the bottle, sprayed in light passes; a heavy coat bleeds
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 · Splash — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
pearl white — spray and droplets bursting up around the tail
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Pearl 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.
10 · Highlights — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
golden yellow — glints on the fins, the eye and the brightest droplets
Mask None: freehand, with a shield card held against any hard edge.
Colour Golden yellow — Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
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 off everything outside the artwork panel. Spray midnight navy across the top as a soft fade, darkest at the corners. Starting point: 20 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 15 cm distance.
Cover the top third of the sky with a curved mask. Mist sunset orange over the left side and behind where the fish will sit. Starting point: 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 12 cm.
Place a small round mask for the sun's halo and spray golden yellow into the centre and as a streak across the water. Starting point: 15 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 8 cm.
Mask the sky edge along the horizon. Spray steel blue across the bottom in short sideways strokes for ripples, darker toward the right. Starting point: 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 10 cm.
Lay the trout silhouette mask with the body cut out. Spray olive green over the head, back and fins. Starting point: 18 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 10 cm.
Mask the back and spray pearl white along the belly and lower flank, feathering up into the olive. Starting point: 15 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 8 cm.
Use a loose stripe mask and spray crimson along the side and onto the gill plate in thin passes. Starting point: 12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 6 cm.
Stipple black spots freehand or through a spot stencil over the back, fins and tail, and paint the eye. Starting point: 12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 4 cm.
Use a torn-edge splash mask around the tail. Spray pearl white spray and flick droplets upward. Starting point: 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 5 cm.
Add golden yellow glints on the fin edges, the eye and the brightest droplets. Starting point: 10 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 3 cm.
Remove all masks and let the paint cure for at least 24 hours in a dry, dust-free spot.
Seal with two light coats of a flexible clear topcoat suited to fabric, letting the first coat dry before the second.

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

Spraying the orange too far right muddies the navy. Keep a curved mask over the sky and fade gently.
Black spots that bleed into blobs. Lower the pressure, move closer and let each spot dry before the next.
Hard edges between olive and pearl white. Feather the belly upward in short, light strokes.
Sealing too soon traps solvent and clouds the colours. Give the paint a full day before topcoat.

Tips

Work the sky and sun before any fish detail. The background glow should sit behind the trout, not on top of it.
Keep the crimson thin. Several light passes give a stripe that glows instead of one that sits like tape.
Test spot size on scrap first. Spots should get smaller toward the belly and head.
Leave a few tiny gaps in the white splash so the orange shows through like backlit water.

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

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$91

Stencils

Pre-cut mylar stencil set for this design — 10 layers$181

Paint & masks

Water-based textile airbrush colour, 2 oz — one per colour in this design$482 oz × 8
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

$1,085

$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$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$1124 oz × 8
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

$3,165

$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$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$38432 oz × 8
Transparent base and reducer$491 gal
Low-tack masking film$543 rolls
Matte fabric sealer$891 gal

Equipment