How to Turn Your Artwork into Custom Chenille Patches

With letterman-style jackets and other patchwork clothing trends of the 80s and 90s making a comeback, it’s a great time to invest in chenille patches for your artful merchandising needs.

The term “chenille” actually means caterpillar in French. This is derived from the fuzzy, carpet-like feel of the tuft, cord, or chenille fabric—much like a caterpillar’s fur. Chenille has a unique texture that looks smooth, almost printed-like from afar.

You’ve seen Chenille work for years; varsity jacket lettering is a prime example of chenille patchwork. You can find chenille in many popular clothing options at the store. For personalized items, you can order custom chenille patches online.

Chenille Vs. Embroidery: Why Choose Chenille?

Most people confuse embroidery and chenille work. While chenille itself is a type of embroidery—given that it is applied using thread and needles onto fabric—it differs from traditional embroidery. While both traditional and chenille embroidery can be used to design patches, there’s a significant difference in technique, aesthetic, and cost.

Chenille is stitched from the bottom up with special machinery. The yarn takes a raised form, the short lengths of fabric—also called piles—giving the finished piece is distinguished soft look.

Also, chenille embroidery, unlike traditional embroidery, cannot be directly applied to the fabric. The design is first sewn onto felt, cut out precisely, and then applied to the garment. In other words, chenille is made for patchwork.

You can also go for a combination of chenille and traditional embroidery for your custom patches. The main design is applied using chenille, while any embellishments and borders are done using usual thread embroidery.

If you’re looking to turn your artwork into custom chenille patches, you’ve made a great choice. Chenille patches usually have a more refined look than embroidery patches and are a surefire way to make your products stand out from the rest. You can convert any art into chenille, numbers, letters, symbols, mascots, and more. The only limit is your imagination!

Preparing Designs For Custom Chenille Patches

The first question that most people ask before ordering patches is: how do I pick and deliver a design for my custom patch order?

You can get patches made for caps, jackets, bags and even keychains. All you need is the right design to get started. Here are a few features to consider:

Size & Resolution

The first attribute you need to confirm before determining a quote is the size of your patch, which depends on the size of your artwork. The small standard size can be up to 1-inch x 1 inch (width and height). The traditional large chenille patches can be any size larger than 4 inches wide and 3 inches high. Any size larger than this is considered an extra-large patch.

For resolution, it is crucial that you submit hi-res artwork only to get the best final result possible. Anything less than 150 dpi (dots per inch) is not acceptable. We recommend submitting a 300 dpi image file to turn your artwork into custom chenille patches.

Image File & Template

While you can submit your artwork in either .jpeg or .png file formats, we recommend the .png form, which is a vector file type. Vector images can be processed faster and are more scalable, which means that your artwork will be more accurate if any changes are made to adjust the image for a custom patch.

You can find several free templates online or ask for standard templates from your patch manufacturer to turn your artwork into custom chenille patches. These can simplify the design process, but if you have a more complex design in mind than the usual circles, squares, numbers, or letters, put your creativity to work!

Colors & Backgrounds

The key to a great-looking custom chenille patch is a smart mix of colors. While you can choose any number of colors you want, the fewer the colors, the more your design stands out.

Refer to popular logo designs such as those of Nike, Amazon, FedEx, and McDonald’s—these comprise only one or two primary colors and are memorable. When it comes to choosing colors for patch artwork, less is more!

Chenille patches are finished off with chenille or traditionally embroidered border. You can stroke the exterior of your artwork to create that border or work with your patch artist to create one you like.

For chenille patches, contrasting background colors are a winning solution to make an impression. Most primary and pastel colors work well with a white background, some relevant examples being the Starbucks or Pepsi logo.

Pair off yellows, greens, and lighter shades of blue with a black border for a striking look. If you cannot think of the right color combination, take a whirl around the internet to find loads of cool chenille patches ideas for inspiration.

Finalizing Your Artwork

Once you’ve got your image file ready with the right colors and format, you can send it for a quote. Look for two things before choosing your patch makers: free quote and the ease of ordering custom chenille patches – no minimum order limit.

Chenille embroidery patches require more than just great design; the process of stitching, completing the border, and cutting the design without flaw involves a piece of particular machinery and attention to detail.

Elegant Patches – Your One-Stop Shop For Chenille Patches

The expertise to turn your artwork into custom chenille patches, using a high-quality digital format and the top-of-the-line machine—we’ve got it all.

At Elegant Patches, we adept in designing custom patches. We pay attention to your order every step of the way, from choosing superior quality threads and yarn to performing quality assurance checks on the final result.

Our artists have years of experience in all kinds of personalized chenille and embroidery patches and can facilitate any custom order with timely delivery.

Reach out today to get started. If you need to know more about chenille patches, or want a free quote, feel free to contact us. We’re here for all your patch needs!