How to Screen Print Hats: Cap Attachments & Tips

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Quick answer: Yes, you can screen print hats. Mount a curved cap attachment on your press, pull the cap tight over a cap pallet that matches its front panel, and print with a small curved-frame screen, a short squeegee and a medium-high mesh (around 156–160). Flash each color, then cure the ink through a dryer or with a flash. On Vastex presses the cap base attachment is $172–$183, cap pallets are $80, and the cap screen holder kit is $152 at Buckets of Ink.

What you need to screen print hats

Part	What it does	Buckets of Ink item
Cap base attachment	Bolts to the press in place of a shirt pallet and holds the cap pallet	Vastex V1C-CPB cap base attachment for V-1000 presses (pallet not included) ($172.00) or Vastex V2C-CPB cap base attachment for V-2000 presses (pallet not included) ($183.00)
Cap pallet	Matches the shape of the cap front so the print area is firm	Vastex VP-H1 cap pallet, 5.125" x 3" — trucker caps ($80.00), Vastex VP-H2 cap pallet, 4.875" x 3" — structured baseball caps ($80.00), Vastex VP-H3 cap pallet, 3.563" x 2.5" — unstructured caps ($80.00)
Cap screen & squeegee	Small screen and squeegee sized for the curved front panel	Vastex VC-CPS cap screen holder, squeegee & screen ($152.00)
Mesh	Medium-high mesh holds detail on the small, textured panel	20" x 28" aluminum screen, 160 mesh ($35.50) for shirt-style jobs; see the mesh count chart
Flash	Sets each color before the next	Vastex F-100 flash cure unit, 16" square ($1,007.00)

Vastex lists its cap package details in the cap/hat package manual (PDF). Match the base attachment to your press series (V1C for V-1000, V2C for V-2000) — call 480-229-7806 with your press model if you are not sure.

Which cap pallet fits your hats?

Cap style	Pallet	Print area (Vastex)
Trucker caps, rectangular front	VP-H1	5.125" x 3" (13 x 8 cm)
Structured baseball caps, rounded front	VP-H2	4.875" x 3" (12 x 8 cm)
Unstructured / floppy caps	VP-H3	3.563" x 2.5" (9 x 6 cm)

How to screen print a hat, step by step

Prep the art no wider than the pallet's print area, and keep fine lines a little heavier than on shirts — cap fabric and seams eat detail.
Burn the cap screen and tape the edges. See how to make a screen.
Load the cap: pull it over the cap pallet, flatten the front panel and lock it so it cannot shift. Unstructured caps are easiest; tall structured caps with a center seam are hardest.
Set off-contact low and print with a short squeegee in one smooth, firm stroke. Use a medium-firm blade on the curved surface.
Flash between colors just until the ink is tack-free; for light inks on dark caps, print a white underbase, flash, then print the top colors.
Cure the ink at the ink maker's temperature through the whole ink film — check the plastisol cure temperature chart. Watch the brim and sweatband near the heat.

Screen printing vs a hat heat press

For runs of a few dozen and up of the same design, screen printing caps directly is the cheapest per piece. For one-offs, full-color art or many different designs, many shops print transfers and apply them with a CobraFlex hat heat press ($950.00) instead — see hat heat press machines and how to apply DTF transfers to hats.

Frequently asked questions

Can you screen print on hats?

Yes. With a cap attachment and cap pallet on your press, you can screen print the front panel of trucker, structured and unstructured caps. Unstructured and trucker caps are the easiest.

What do I need to screen print hats on a Vastex press?

A cap base attachment for your press series (V1C-CPB for V-1000, V2C-CPB for V-2000), a cap pallet that matches your cap style (VP-H1, VP-H2 or VP-H3), and the VC-CPS cap screen holder, squeegee and screen.

What mesh count is best for printing caps?

Most shops use a medium-high mesh around 156–160 for caps so detail holds on the small, textured panel without laying down too much ink. Use a lower mesh for heavy white underbases on dark caps.

How do you cure screen printed hats?

Run them through a conveyor dryer or hold them under a flash until the whole ink film reaches the cure temperature the ink maker lists, keeping the brim and sweatband clear of direct heat.

Is it better to screen print or heat press hats?

Screen printing is cheaper per hat on larger runs of one design. A hat heat press with transfers is faster to set up for one-offs, full-color art and many different designs.

Want to add cap printing to your press?
Buckets of Ink is a screen printing supply house and equipment dealer in Tempe, Arizona. Ask about our discounts, starter packages and great financing on equipment — we'll help you get into your next machine.
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Call 480-229-7806 · Showroom & pickup: 906 S Priest Dr, Suite 101, Tempe AZ 85281 · In-stock orders placed by 2:30 PM Arizona time ship the same day · Free ground shipping on orders over $500 (equipment excluded; see shipping and returns).