Structured crowns drift if you punch left-to-right like a flat hoop. Center-out still wins, even on two-color wordmarks. We reduce stitch count on the front panels and keep travel on the center seam.
Why a shirt file fails on a hat
A left-chest DST is built for a flatter hoop and knit pull. On a cap, that same path walks toward the seam and the design looks off-center after the first dozen. Cap and hat digitizing starts in the middle of the mark so the crown stabilizes as it sews.
Height, puff, and the second file
Front-panel height is limited. Tiny legal lines rarely survive. If the brand also wants foam, that is a third ticket: 3D puff digitizing, not a machine toggle on the flat cap file. Size notes live in the cap embroidery size and placement guide.