How to Decorate Hats | Step-by-Step Guide for Hat Customization

Woman wearing a black hoodie featuring a vibrant peacock design and a decorated black cap, customized with heat transfer vinyl materials.

How to Heat Press Hats

Step 1: Learn How to Size Designs for Hats

Whether you decorate T-shirts, team uniforms, corporate wear, or fashion apparel, heat applying to hats is a great way to create add-on sales.

Decorating hats with a cap press is a fast and easy process that will make your business profit. To maximize your production, learn the best sizes for the most common hat types.

High Profile Hat

Front - 2.25"H x 5"W
Side - 1"H x 3.25"W
Back - 1"H x 2.75"W
Bill - 2"H x 5.50"W

Mid Profile Hat

Front - 2"H x 5"W
Side - 1"H x 2.50"W
Back - 1"H x 2.75"W
Bill - 2"H x 5.50"W

Low Profile Hat

Front - 1.75"H x 4"W
Side - 1"H x 2.50"W
Back - 1"H x 2.75"W
Bill - 1.75"H x 5.50"W

Low Crown Hat

Front - 1.75"H x 4"W
Side - 1"H x 2.25"W
Back - 1"H x 2.75"W
Bill - 2"H x 5.50"W

Visor

Front - 1.50"H x 5"W
Side - 1"H x 4"W
Bill - 2"H x 5.50"W

Step 2: Choose a Type of Hat to Decorate

Heat pressing hats goes beyond applying a design on the front of a basic cap. You can heat apply almost any area on the hat, including the back, sides, and brim. Decorate different types of headwear to expand your product offering, wow customers, and increase profit. My Table

- Knit Hat	- Bucket Hat
- Beret	- Skull Cap
- Kufi:	- Visor
- Ball Cap	- Straw Hat
- Fedora	- Newsboy
- Military Hat	- Cowboy Hat
- Beanie	- Safari Hat
- Headband Earmuffs

Step 3: Choose What to Heat Apply to Hats

How do you choose which product to heat apply to a hat? Start by considering your decorating market and blank headwear choice. Next, determine what type of heat transfer you’d like to use. We provide custom heat transfers depending on your desired finish and overall budget. Offer good, better, best options to your customers to help clarify costs and showcase your decorating potential.

Black cap featuring a "STAY TRUE" graphic design, customized with UltraColor Max heat transfer material for headwear decoration.

UltraColour™ MAX Direct to Film Heat Transfers

High-quality, Direct to Film transfers at one low cost. Order finely detailed, unlimited colors, and no outlines at one low cost. These direct to film transfers are available by the sheet with no minimum order quantity.

Navy cap featuring a genuine leather "Mountain Apparel" patch, customized for headwear decoration.

Leather Patches

Available as genuine or faux leather, help build brand recognition with these custom laser-etched patches. Featuring a rustic yet refined look, choose from a selection of color, shape, and finish options.

Gray cap featuring a vibrant "25th Anniversary" FlexStyle custom emblem, perfect for headwear decoration.

FlexStyle® Custom Emblems

Offer premium embossed emblems with FlexStyle. Choose from four texture and dimensional options with full color, high-quality finishes.

White mesh cap featuring a vibrant yellow and black "xtreme" 3D embroidered patch, perfect for headwear decoration.

3D Embroidered Patches

Elevate cap decoration with these dimensional embroidered patches. Choose up to 6 thread colors and create bold, high-end looks that stand out on any hat.

CAD-PRINTZ® Full Color Digital Logos

You can quickly create high-end looks on virtually any fabric or hard-to-decorate item with only a heat press. Forget the limitations of screen printing or embroidery and delve into detailed digital logos!

SimStitch® Letters & Numbers

Gives the appearance of being sewn with a simulated stitch. Choose 2" letters or numbers.

Pre-Spaced Text

Available in a variety of CAD-CUT® materials, comes pre-aligned on a carrier for easy placement. Choose 5/8" or 1" letters.

Team Perfect™

Combine school names or player numbers with sport-specific images. Order cap designs up to 3.5" in length and up to 2.5" in height.

ZIPP Weed™ Text

Available in six Thermo-FILM® and Thermo-GRIP® colors , 5/8" and 1" ZIPP Weed letters are affordable and easy to weed.