Custom Patch Pricing
Every patch is made to order, so there is no fixed price list. Here is exactly what sets the cost — and what you can change to bring it down.
Why there is no fixed price list
Two patches of the same size can differ in price by several times over. One might be a simple two-colour design at 75% coverage in a run of 500. The other might be fully embroidered in eight colours, hook-backed, in a run of 25, needed in two weeks. A single number on a page would be wrong for both.
What we can do is be completely open about what moves the price, so you can shape your order before you ask for a quote rather than after.
Quotes are free, carry no obligation, and come back the same working day.
The six things that set your price
Listed roughly in order of how much they matter.
Size
The single biggest factor. Price is driven by the area the machine has to cover, so a 4-inch patch costs considerably more than a 2-inch one — not double, but not far off. Size is measured as the average of height and width, so an unusual shape is priced on the space it occupies rather than its outline.
Quantity
The second biggest. Setup — digitising the file, threading the machine, running a test — costs the same whether you order 25 patches or 500, so it is spread across the run. This is why the per-patch price falls sharply as quantity rises, and why 25 pieces is our minimum.
Embroidery coverage
50% coverage leaves the twill backing visible as the background colour. 75% covers most of it. 100% means thread across the entire surface. More coverage means more stitches and more thread, so a fully embroidered patch costs more than a partially embroidered one of the same size.
Patch type
Embroidered, woven, PVC rubber, chenille and leather are different manufacturing processes with different costs. PVC requires a mould to be made, which adds a one-off cost that is worth it on larger runs and expensive on small ones. Woven and embroidered price similarly at most sizes.
Backing and border
Plain sew-on is the baseline. Heat seal, plastic and peel-and-stick add a little. Hook-and-loop adds the most, because a second panel is cut and stitched on. A merrowed border and a laser-cut border cost roughly the same — the choice is about shape and durability, not budget.
Turnaround
Standard production runs 20 to 30 days from proof approval. Express production at 10 to 14 days means your job moves ahead of others in the queue, and that carries a premium. If your date is flexible, standard is always the cheaper option.
How quantity changes the per-patch price
This is the part most people underestimate. Because setup cost is fixed, it is spread thinner with every extra piece. The drop is steepest at the low end — the difference between 25 and 100 pieces is far larger, per patch, than the difference between 500 and 1,000.
In practice that means a run of 100 often costs only a little more in total than a run of 50, while giving you twice the patches. If there is any chance you will need more later, it is nearly always cheaper to order them now.
Ask for your quote at two or three quantities at once. We will show you where the price breaks fall for your specific design, and you can decide from there.
Five ways to bring a quote down
None of these compromise the finished patch. They are the adjustments we would suggest ourselves if you told us your budget upfront.
Order in one run, not three
Three orders of 50 pieces cost noticeably more than one order of 150, because you pay setup three times. If you know you will need more within the year, order them together.
Drop the size by half an inch
Going from 4 inches to 3.5 inches is often invisible on the garment and takes a real percentage off the price. Ask us to quote both and compare.
Use 75% coverage instead of 100%
If your background is a single flat colour, twill in that colour looks almost identical to thread in that colour — and costs less. Full coverage earns its money on multi-colour backgrounds, not solid ones.
Simplify the colour count
Every additional thread colour adds a machine change. Eight colours or fewer keeps the price sensible, and simplified artwork usually looks sharper at patch size anyway.
Send usable artwork
A vector file goes straight to digitising. A low-resolution JPG that has to be redrawn adds an artwork charge. Our guide on sending artwork covers exactly what to attach.
Worth reading before you send artwork: how to send artwork for a custom patch and choosing the right patch type.
What is included in every quote
- A free digital proof before production, showing size and thread colours
- Artwork digitising, built into the price rather than billed separately
- Unlimited revisions to the proof until you approve it
- Your choice of backing and border at the quoted specification
- Worldwide shipping options, quoted alongside the patches
Questions About Cost
The things people ask us most before requesting a quote
Get a firm price for your design
Tell us the size, quantity and patch type and we will come back the same working day — free, and with no obligation.