How To Select Perfect Types Of Custom Patches For You

Whether you’re looking to feature your logo on employee uniforms, add creative designs to your clothing line, or promote your club or team with wearable artwork—what better way to achieve your goal than use custom patches?

Created by experts, custom patches are classy and fun. These can be added to almost any kind of wearable fabric and are also used on a lot of non-wearable items. Knowing different types of custom patches and which one suits your purpose is the first step in making sure that you can display your logo or artwork prominently, with maximum visual appeal.

Types Of Custom Patches – A Brief Guide

Custom patches are an innovative way to express personality—and regardless of the types of custom patches, there are endless possibilities for design. So, what kind of artwork do you have in mind?

Before choosing, take a look at the basic features of these common types of custom patches:

1. Embroidered Patches

Custom embroidered patches are not only one of the classic types of custom patches, but these also allow a ton of creativity to date. The texture and look of embroidered patches are loved by brands and clubs/teams alike, as it goes perfectly with a range of garments as well as accessories like bags, caps and hats, keychains, and more.

These patches are the perfect type of custom patches for you, no matter your purpose. From patches for minimalist logo branding to back patches for motorcycle club jackets, these are versatile. Built with durable materials, embroidered patches can even withstand exposure to the environment—although safety in washing and handling is advised to ensure longevity.

And finally, you can choose from hundreds of colors to match your artwork. You can also include metallic and neon threads in your design for greater appeal.

2. Woven Patches

Woven patches are quite similar to embroidered patches—stitched the same way, use the same threads, and have similar durability. However, these types of custom patches are much, much thinner than traditional embroidered patches. The flatness works in favor of people who want the ease of flexibility to put patches on tricky surfaces or simply prefer patches that create a less “raised” look.

Woven patches not only have a smooth texture but also allow more intricate designs than embroidered patches. The fine lines that may disappear in the thickness of embroidered patches show up neatly on woven patches. The tighter weave that makes the patch flatter also makes it a great choice for complex artwork that you want to be replicated in a patch form.

3. Chenille Patches

Chenille patches are easily recognized by the types of custom patches that you use to see on letterman jackets in school. Earning one of these is a matter of pride, as chenille patches are traditionally used in varsity (letterman) jackets, as well as used for wearable symbols of clubs, teams, and sororities/fraternities.

The texture of chenille patches is distinguishable from embroidered or woven patches, as these feature a rug or towel-like texture. The threads are stitched from the down up and appear a tad more vibrant than they do in embroidered patches. The fuzzy texture means that simple designs visually pop up from the patch.

The only drawback to chenille patches is that complex designs can get jumbled up—details like numbers, letters, and symbols may not show up well. Choose these patches for minimalist designs, particularly for logo artwork.

4. Sublimated Patches

Sublimated patches (also known as heat transfer patches, dye sublimation patches, or printed patches) are known as the “picture perfect” patches. Think of a design printed onto paper using a printer—only the base material is the prepared mesh backing for patches and the printer is a special dye sublimation printer using fabric dyes.

These types of custom patches have no comparison when it comes to the details. Therefore, sublimated patches are the most popular type of patches for artwork that includes photographs of people or pets, or scenery. The dyes are transferred using the heat transfer method within the printer, sealing the colors within the patch backing.

In short, sublimation patches are wearable photos. However, these patches do take longer to make, and most notably, cost a lot more than embroidered or woven patches.

5. Leather Patches

Minimal, classic, subtle yet impactful—that’s leather patches for you. First employed by armed forces in World War II—specifically for printed names, unit no., and other details on aviation jackets—these patches are now used commonly for branding and creative purposes. The durability of leather made these patches ideal for uniforms of naval aviators and air force pilots, which is why these continue to be one of the favored types of custom patches amongst the armed forces to this day.

The advancement of technology has allowed more innovation in the creation of leather patches. You can opt for more than just lettering in leather patches—the patches can be printed (embossed, debossed, or screen-printed for color), and can feature a single or double-line stitched border.

You will commonly find leather patches on all kinds of denim clothing, featuring the brand’s logo, as well as on all-leather goods, shoes, and accessories.

6. PVC Patches

Looking for types of custom patches that are ideal for outdoor, look attractive, and are long-lasting? Well, you’ve got it, with custom PVC patches. Crafted out of soft polyvinyl chloride, PVC patches are extremely flexible and enduring. Plus, you can get these in any color or shape, as the dyes are custom-mixed by experts to achieve the right shade according to your design, and the molds are also custom-made.

These patches come in both 2D and 3D formats, the latter being an appealing option for high-end clothing branding and for accessories. 2D patches are popular amongst brands to feature logo artwork on items manufactured for outdoor use, such as backpacks, tents, car and boat covers, and so on. The rugged, rubberized material is waterproof and holds up well against mud, paint, and other stuff—and is quite simple to clean and maintain.

Elegant Patches – One-Stop Shop For All Types Of Custom Patches

Need to order custom patches online? Just tell us which one, send us your artwork, and let us know the number of patches you need and your preferred way of using (attaching) them—and our patch specialists will get on to it!