Custom Woven and Embroidered Patches

There are many ways to create a custom patch. Embroidery, woven, printed, PVC and sublimation just to name a few. With so many options we try and consider any limitations created by the art, environment and garment type the patch will be applied to. If it’s going on a hat there are size limitations. If it’s going on a knit you would want the patch to be pliable and lightweight. There’s a lot to think about and that’s why we’re here to help.

Custom Patch Minimums

Patches are sold by construction type, size and quantity. You will find that the price per unit comes down drastically when higher quantities are produced. This is because so much of the invested resource in making them is time and equipment, not necessarily material. Knowing this you may want to order 100 patches even though your current order is only say 50 hats with patches applied. This will put you at an advantage in overall pricing and future turnaround times. Basic minimus are 50 units but in many instances doing 100 or more can cut the price by as much as 40%.

Turnaround Times on Custom Patches

With that let’s talk about turnaround times. Although most patches are made inhouse with a 2 week turn in some cases we’ll outsource the patch making to a specialized trim factory. We do this for various reasons but the most prevalent is cost to the customer. This is great for savings and quality but it can add about two weeks to standard turnaround so keep that in mind. In short if you want access to all the options for optimum results give yourself a 30 day lead time when patches are required for your project.

Backing Construction on Custom Patches

Now we can cover backing options. The term ‘backing’ refers to the reverse side of the patch and there’s a few construction options to consider here. The most popular is going to be heatseal also known as iron on. Heatseal specialty backing makes it so the patch can be applied with heat and pressure. Heatseal works surprisingly well in DIY scenarios but we always recommend sewing the patches for a permanent bond. Thi is especially important on garments that see regular wash or intense abrasion. Other popular backing options are going to be hook and loop so velcro and peel and stick, basically a sticker that’s a patch.

Custom Patch Borders

There are several ways to put a border on your patch. The most common is called merrow or emblem stitch, this is the chunky piping that you see bordering most custom patches. It’s a great look but it only works on simple patch shapes like circles, squares and rectangles. For more complex contour shapes we’ll use what is called a satin border. This look similar to a merrow stitch but it doesn’t wrap around the edge of the patch like merrow does. With satin borders we laser cut or hot knife the edges to heat seal them from fray.

Custom Patch to Garment Application

This brings us to the last thing I want to touch on and that’s garment application options. The most obvious is going to be sewing and we sew patches onto you name it all day every day. We have an array of specialty sewing machines for applying patches to just about anything you can imagine. The lastly when the situation calls for it we have industrial heat pressed capable of applying the optimum heat, pressure and time to ashere iron-on patches. Here’s a good article if you’d like to try your hand at sewing them yourself. Instructables Craft : Sew a Patch on a Jacket

We encourage you to get in touch with us with questions and we’re happy to help with your next custom patch project.

We offer full service patch application with the advantage of start to finish project management. See us for all your custom patch needs and we’ll make sure you get world class Foundry service every time.

Custom Woven Labels

Custom Embroidered Patches