The patches can be personalized to suit the user’s style, company logo or to simply give clothes, bags, hats etc. an artistic look. Given that there is embroidery, PVC and other different types of patches, they have their respective characteristics in terms of material, touch and usage. In this article, you will learn about the different patch types to ensure you know where to look if you want to add a personal touch or brand identification.
Here’s an overview of the most popular types of custom patches available:
1. Embroidered Patches
Embellished labels are traditional and belong to the most common types; they are created by using a needle and threads on the chosen cloth material. These patches are usually multimensional with a rough surface whose color can range from fabric and are usually stitched. They can be accurately controlled in terms of color and they are best suited to logos and badges or any design that needs a conventional cut.
Pros:
Durable and long-lasting
Organic and businesslike look
High level of customization
Ideal For:
Tactical patches, club insignia and sport team emblems
2. PVC Patches
PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) patches are of soft, rubber like material which is water proof and stands very high degree of wear and tear. These patches are fine for outdoor use and for any heavy usage because they can easily endure bad weather or blunt force. It is also possible to use custom PVC patches in any color and any shape and the company can even make the patches look like a 3D image.
Pros:
Durable to water and other forms of seaside the elements
3D effect and vibrant colors
Suitable for complex designs
Ideal For:
Tent, bags, and pouches, gun accessories, firearms, apparels, optics, travel and hiking gear, communication, ammo and accessories, camping and related accessories, GPS and related devices, water and sports bottles, bi-annual equipment bags, swim, water and sports wear, branding and promotion merchandise.
3. Custom Chenille Patches
Custom chenille patches are usually made…from yarn material and this give it that soft stuffing characteristic. These patches are known to be of fuzzy surface and is found in varsity jackets, letterman jackets, and sport jerseys. Compared to embroidered patches chenille patches do not boast as much detail and are thicker and more of a bright color.
Pros:
Soft, textured appearance
Vintage and retro appeal
Good for large scale designs with little or no details.
Ideal For:
School letter patches, sports jackets and designs that are inspired by the 80s and 90s.
4. Woven Patches
Woven patches wholesale are as close relatives to the embroidered ones but are made out of woven threads, not sown onto a backing fabric. It enables higher detail and gives them a smoother finish and as such are recommended for use when one is designing a pattern that is complex or has very small text. Woven patches are flat and less raised than the embroidered ones and therefore are recommended for uniforms specifically if your preferred design is sleek.
Pros:
High level of detail
Thin, smooth surface
Great for intricate designs
Ideal For:
Logos with intricate drawings, fine prints and smooth text and word logo designs.
5. Sublimated (Printed) Patches
Sublimated patches refer to printed patches because the design is printed on the fabric as a whole. This method enables very clear pictures with a vast of colors similar to photo-realistic quality. If your design needs anti-aging, has gradient colors, fine lines, or intricate details, then sublimated patches work well.
Pros:
Photo-like quality and detail
Unlimited color options
Great if the design to be printed is detailed especially if it has multiple colors incorporated.
Ideal For:
Pictures, including house brand logos, detailed illustrations, and full-color artwork
6. Custom Leather Patches
Custom leather patches give new stylish and durable outlook to articles of clothing and other accessories. It usually consists of real or artificial leather and can be stamped throughout the use of an embossing technique, debossing approach, or graphic printing. Leather patches are often applied to hats, bags and jeans thus giving a more elegant look to every piece of clothing.
Pros:
Durable and stylish
Adds a premium, rugged look
This feature can be issued with either embossing or debossing.
Ideal For:
Men automatic selects jeans jackets bags hats and branding luxury.
7. Velcro Patches
Talking about the Velcro patches, then these can be fixed easily and removed easily since it has the backing of hooks and loop. Such a patch is most commonly used with tactical equipment, military and work wear because it means one only has to iron on a patch and not sew it on, which would cause a lot of hassle when one needs to replace patches.
Pros:
Easy to attach and remove
Reusable and versatile
Suitable for sporadic and targeted and varied patterns.
Ideal For:
Security forces’ clothing, sports and other physical activities wear, and customized working apparel
8. Bullion Patches
These are patches of the highest quality which can be used on formal clubs, organizations, and other luxury companies. They have a metallic threading and have an even higher surface sheen than the raised fibers. They are typically manually made and can also come with fine work whose incorporation is further enhancing and they are perfect for special events and events or exclusive brand imaging.
Pros:
Affordability and glamorous looks
These products are made by hand while the finer details are well emphasized.
Available in a metallic thread special order
Ideal For:
Formal wear, formal wear, and accessories of luxury fashions.
9. Appliqué Patches
Appliqué is where material parts are joined together in a stitched pattern upon a background material. These patches are unique in terms of the texture and are usually bigger and even bear a more elaborate design when compared to others. Uniform appliqué patches are used in fashion a lot and are applied to the articles of clothing and accessories for decoration.
Pros:
Adds texture and color
Large, decorative designs
Good for fashion uses
Ideal For:
T-shirts printing, bags, and home projects
10. Glow-in-the-Dark Patches
Regular wear patches might have phosphorescent material which gives off a light in dim or a dark area hence suitable for night use. These patches are colorful fun, noticeable and have practical application to help one be seen. They can be attached to safety wears, working uniforms, and any other novelty item.
Pros:
Ability to be clearly seen at night
Fun and unique effect
Durable and versatile
Ideal For:
Safety clothing and accessories, outdoors wear and accessories and other specialty merchandise
How To Select The Right Patch For You
Selecting the right custom patch depends on several factors:
Design Complexity: In cases of intricate design, woven or printed ones are the most appropriate. As mentioned earlier, embroidered patches are suitable for clear, large designs.
Durability Needs: These materials include PVCs, leathers, Velcro patches for parts that require durability for use on a number of articles.
Aesthetic Preference: Select the retro look chenille or bullion badges or get the leather badges for an elegant, rough touch.
Application Method: The kind of patches can be stitched, adhered to using an iron or simply snapped on using Velcro. One must reflect on the frequency with which the patch will be required to be detached and then put on again in the process of selection of the type of backing.
Conclusion
By way of customization, decorative and branding using disc-shaped patches have no end. No matter what your style is and what you want the patch to represent, there is a patch type to match your taste and desire. With the knowledge in your disposal, it becomes very easy for you to select the custom patch of your desire and make your design come through full.
FAQs
Q1: How are they affixed or sewn on?
A: Since custom patches come with backings, the badge can be sewn on, direly applied with an iron or even affixed to Velcro. Some patches also come with adhesive on the other side for temporary use only for a short time.
Q2: What types of patches provide the greatest levels of patch wear and tear?
A: Of course, the PVC and leather patches are among the most popular kinds as they are well protected from weather and rubbing in general.
Q3: What about the shape, is it possible to design a custom patch in any shape that they want?
A: Yes the patches can be made of any shape and sizes depending with the client’s desired design on the patch.
Q4: The question is what patch is the most suitable for detailed patterns?
A: Woven and sublimated patches are preferred in detailed designs to enable high detail, and fine lines.
Q5: Are glow in the dark patches resilient?
A: Indeed, glow-in-the-dark patches are created for utility and should not depreciate with use. But, the glow effect may reduce with washing as the glow day paint wears out with frequent washing.
