How To Print Our Hat Burning Designs

One of the questions we're asked most often is, "How do I print and use your hat burning designs?"

In this article, I'll walk you through the process step-by-step. I've also included photos to help you better see the process. Please read all the way to the end. At the end of the article, we'll give you tips on making sure the images fit your hat.

STEP 1 - DOWNLOAD THE FILES

Download the files into your computer's downloads folder.

STEP 2 - OPEN YOUR EDITING SOFTWARE

Open the software you'll use to work with the files. We'll use Canva for these examples. Everything we do can be done in Canva's free version. Because most of our customers use Canva, we used Canva for our screenshots.

Canva workspace showing a hat burning design ready for layout.

STEP 3 - SET YOUR PAGE SIZE

Set your software page size to 8-1/2" x 11".

STEP 4 - UPLOAD YOUR FILE INTO YOUR EDITING SOFTWARE

Upload the JPG or PNG from your downloads folder (either file type will work). We're showing the image centered on the page. This is for illustration only. In the next steps, we'll show you how to set up the image for printing.

This is the image we'll be laying out in the next steps

STEPS 5-8 - PRINT YOUR IMAGE INTO QUARTERS

This is the step that makes our designs fit hats. The first step is to use your software to resize the design. The second step is to create four separate pages. On each page, position the design so that only one quarter of the entire image is visible and ready to print. Print all four pages at the same scale. When you have finished printing, you should have 4 printed pages that look like the images below.

IMPORTANT: For this to work properly, you must resize the image only once. By "resizing," we mean making the entire design larger or smaller before printing. Resize the design once, then print all four quarters from that version. Do not resize individual quarters separately. If the design still doesn't fit, you will need to resize the entire image again.

CREATIVE NOTE: We do not look for a 100% accurate fit. Some of the design may "flow" off the hat's brim. In other areas, it may extend onto the hat's crown. That's ok. We trim off the excess when the design is too close to the crown, or we allow the image to flow off the hat. This is part of the creative process. We often will take parts of this design or other designs to fill in voids that we don't like. Every hat is a custom creative project, so it's okay if every part doesn't fit perfectly.

STEP 9 - ASSEMBLE THE TEMPLATE

Trim the edges of the printed pages as needed and tape the four quarters together. When assembled correctly, the four pages will recreate the full design at the size you selected before printing.

STEP 10 - FITTING THE TEMPLATE TO THE HAT

Cut out the center opening where the hat crown will pass through. This allows the template to sit flat on the brim.

Place the template on the hat and check the fit. We create our designs on a typical hat blank, so the printed version should be very close to the size you need. If the sizing is wrong, you'll need to print again all four sheets larger or smaller to get the right fit. You may have to do this a couple of times to get a good fit on the hat.

You have now completed the most difficult part of working with the design.

STEP 11 - TRACE THE PATTERN

There are several methods of transferring a design. We prefer carbon paper because it is inexpensive, accurate, and easy for beginners. In this method, place a piece of carbon paper between the printed hat pattern and the hat brim or crown. Using an ink pen or stylus, trace the pattern onto the hat. Don't rush it. The tracing will be what you work with when burning the hat, so you want to get it right the first time.

STEP 12 - BURN THE HAT

YEAH! Congratulations, you are ready to do the fun stuff. If you've never burned a hat before, you should practice first. You can use an old hat, buy a piece of stiff felt, buy a cheap hat, or similar material to practice upon. If you don't have a burning tool, we recommend buying one that has heat adjustments. A very hot tool can burn deeper than you expect, very quickly. So be careful. The best safeguard is to practice on something you can throw away.

FAQ

Why can't I print the design on one sheet of paper?

Most hat designs are larger than a standard 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper. Printing in quarters allows you to create a full-size template that can be assembled and fitted to your hat.

What if the design doesn't fit my hat?

Before laying out the design, measure your hat. Pay attention to how big the crown is in width and length. You'll also want to measure the brim's outside dimensions and the area where the brim joins the crown. Once you have these measurements, adjust your image on your computer prior to printing. Images that are continuous around the hat take more adjustments to get them right than individual pieces of artwork that can be randomly placed and are not integrated into other designs.

Can I make the design bigger or smaller?

Yes. All of our designs can be resized. When resizing, do not change the scale from quarter to quarter. When you drag the image to make it larger or smaller, use the new scaled image for the entire hat. If you rescale one or more quarters, they won't overlap properly.

Do I have to use the design as is?

No. In fact, we encourage you to use our designs as a starting place in creating your own unique design. Many of our customers buy 2 or more designs then merge them together to create something new. With our designs you have virtually unlimited possibilities and you don't have to be a graphic designer. We've done that part for you.

Can I use the designs for commercial applications?

Yes and no.

Yes, you can use the designs to create hats or other items for resale. Many of our customers use them to begin or build upon their design portfolio.

No, you can't claim the designs as your own. And you can't resell the designs as stand-alone products, even modified. As a rule of thumb, if you put the design on a hat, purse, belt, shoes, or use it for wood burning, that is all perfectly acceptable as long as you are selling the finished product as a completed unit. But if you sell the design, even if you modify it, that is not allowed and infringes on our copyright protection. We want all of our customers to succeed in making something for themselves or creating a product to sell. All we ask is that you respect our creative talent and not claim you created the design or sell the design itself.