The process of creating your own premium custom patches is simpler, less expensive, and quicker than you may imagine. Let’s discover how!
Making a personalized patch is a really satisfying experience. High-quality patches can turn a shirt, purse, sash, hat, or other commonplace piece of clothing into an original piece of goods in addition to lasting a lifetime. You and your crew will stand out from the crowd whether you’re a part of a Boy Scout troop, paintball team, biker club, or business conference with the correct unique patches.
Be cautious, though the difference between a quality repair and one that, after a few months of use and abuse, will be hanging by its threads is significant. and a bulletproof patch that you can wear on your clothing and equipment indefinitely.
You will learn everything there is to know about making your own patches in this tutorial.
Avoid DIY Custom Patches
Doing everything by hand is the biggest error you can make when trying to design custom patches. Undoubtedly, a “patch” that will do the trick can be jerry-rigged out of a few strips of fabric, some marker, and some string… If you’re a member of Blackbeard’s crew or a post-apocalyptic biker gang, that is.
Leave patchmaking to the experts if you want a patch that looks beautiful, wears well, and will last a long time.
The finest part of it all is that you design the patch down to the last detail before letting our skilled creation procedure handle all the labor-intensive work (and sewing). It’s that easy.
Don’t do the patch itself, but plan the design. When you receive your patches in the mail, you’ll thank us.
Conduct a Research
Not all patches are created equal, just like with any other merchandise. There are numerous custom patch businesses out there, but before you choose one, it’s crucial to take into account a number of variables. These consist of:
- Price
- Quality
- Hands-On Customer Service
- Quick Turnaround
- Special Options
Top-notch patches are of little use if they take forever to be delivered. If the patches after a few washes on your garment look like they were dropped in a blender, the rock-bottom prices aren’t worth much.
Low-cost, high-quality products are fantastic, but if you have an issue with your order and have to deal with an outsourced customer support representative who has no idea what bespoke patches are, that’s not so great. Not good.
Find a business that can provide you with everything mentioned above and more. You shouldn’t settle for any old custom patch manufacturer.
Choose the Patch Type You Want
Some businesses only sell a single kind of patch. Not us. We have patches manufactured from a variety of materials to suit a variety of uses, including chenille, embroidered, PVC, and woven.
Chenille Patches
With a lofty yarn weave used to create fluffy, cuddly Chenille patches, a design can stand out with color and texture. These patches are frequently seen on vintage “Letterman” coats and are most effective when used with simple designs with just one to three little features. Sports teams, clothing companies seeking an authentically American aesthetic, and any designs with sparse, straightforward detail and color are frequent uses for chenille patches.
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Embroidered Patches
What comes to mind when you think of a “traditional” patch is an embroidered one, which is made with a fabric background and textured threads. These patches, also referred to as “cloth badges,” are our top sellers. They can hold graphics with up to nine distinct colors and are robust and sturdy. Motorcycle clubs, Scout troops, fashion companies, fire departments, and organizations associated with the armed forces and police enforcement all favor embroidered patches.
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PVC Patches
PVC patches are our thickest and most resilient patch alternative, made from premium rubber-like plastic. These patches are waterproof and flexible, making them ideal for high-intensity activities like aquatic brands, airsoft and paintball teams, military organizations, and outdoor groups. They also work well for any patch type needing precise graphics, such as corporate items.
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Woven Patches
Woven patches, which have a cloth backing and flat threading, are excellent for intricate designs. Since they are significantly thinner than an embroidered patch, it is advised to sew them directly onto clothing rather than sell them separately. For airsoft and paintball teams, military groups, outdoor and athleisure firms, and corporate goods, woven patches are popular.
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How to Make Patches (Behind the Scenes)
We use a number of machines to create a variety of patch styles, from Chenille to woven to embroidered and PVC. All of our patches are machine-made. It’s a difficult process that varies greatly depending on the kind of patch being created.
However, before they are finished, many of our most well-liked patches, including embroidered and woven patches, go through two basic processes: digitization and production.
Digitization
Your custom design is recreated by our skilled “digitizers”, thus converted into a DST file, a format that is specifically compatible with embroidery machines. They replicate your computer design line by line and stitch by stitch, turning it into a template that the embroidery machine can imitate. Production can start after you have given your approval for this digitized design and requested any necessary adjustments (usually after you have also given your approval for a prototype).
Production
The main manufacturing stage begins once the DST file and all the components for your custom patch, including fabric, material, and threads, are loaded onto the machine. Each machine has a somewhat different way of working. Woven patch machines can produce up to 800 “threads” per minute, while embroidery machines often produce 600+ stitches per minute.
Whatever the case, all the sewing heads are operating at the same speed, sewing the same material at the same time, and producing various quantities (typically 20 at once, depending on the number of heads). The final sheet is cut using hot-cut knives as it gently rolls out of the machine so that the “rolling” of patches are accessible right away.
The Procedure for Ordering Custom Patches
You have two choices when working with us to create a unique patch. You can design your patch entirely and ask for a free quote, or you can chat directly with one of our Creative Specialists to obtain some pointers before you start.
In any case, follow these instructions to create your first batch of personalized patches.
- Select the type of patch you desire first (see the options above).
- Select the patch’s size.
- Select the backing for your patch.
- Send in your creation. You may submit a design that you have previously created. Otherwise, you can commission one of our artists to make a design for you.
- You will receive a digital mock-up of your patch after your design has been submitted and digitized, and you can approve it or make changes.
- Finally, your bespoke patches will be created based on your feedback. You’ll soon receive your patches in the mail!