Custom Printed Patches for Photographs and Gradients
No minimum order
- No minimum order. One patch is a real order.
- First digital proof in 24 hours, one revision included
- No setup or digitizing fees
- Rough artwork is fine. We redraw it.
A printed patch is made by dye sublimation, which puts the ink into the fabric rather than on top of it. That is what makes this the only construction we offer that reproduces a photograph, a gradient or a piece of illustration with real shading in it. Color count stops being a constraint here. If your artwork has forty colors in it, that costs no more to print than four.
The thing to get right is resolution at the finished size. We ask for 300 dpi at the size the patch will actually be made, not 300 dpi at whatever size the file happens to open at. A logo exported at 300 dpi for a business card is not 300 dpi on a five-inch back panel, and enlarging it will not put the missing detail back. Send the largest original you have and we will tell you what it supports.
What you give up is thread. A printed patch has a smooth surface with no stitched texture and no relief, and the base fabric is what you feel rather than raised embroidery. The colors are fade resistant, which is not the same as fade proof, and we will not describe them as permanent. Send the artwork, and the proof will show the finished size, the border and the backing before anything is produced.
See the Difference
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Built to last. Made for you.
Specifications
Everything you need to know before ordering your custom printed patches.
- Material
Printed fabric, produced by dye sublimation
- Size range
Set by your artwork and confirmed on the proof
- Colors
No practical color limit. Color count does not change the construction
- Border options
Merrow, laser or hot-cut, hand-cut. The outline decides which is possible
- Backing options
Chosen at order time from the options this construction supports, and confirmed against your garment
- Color handling
Printed color is matched to your reference and shown on the proof. Screen color and printed color are never identical
- No minimum order
- 14–16 Days
- Standard delivery
- Free first proof
- Free US shipping
Order as few or as many as you need.
The figure the quote is written against.
One revision included. Nothing is made until you approve it.
Worldwide shipping quoted per destination.
Quality craftsmanship. Fast turnaround. Zero hidden fees.
Popular Patches
Find the patches that fit your team, your uniform, or your next project.
Motorcycle Patches
Club colors, rocker sets and back patches, made to fit your vest.
Explore patches
Letterman Patches
Chenille letters, mascots and year bars for your varsity jacket.
Explore patches
Logo Patches
Your brand mark, made into a patch for clothing, bags and merchandise.
Explore patches
Uniform Patches
Company badges, name strips and role tags made as a matching set.
Explore patches
Military Patches
Unit insignia, duty strips and morale pieces in full color or subdued tones.
Explore patches
Air Force Patches
Squadron emblems and heritage designs with crisp detail and rim lettering.
Explore patches
Army Patches
Shoulder insignia, tabs and name tapes planned as one set.
Explore patches
Police Patches
Department shields, name tapes and unit patches built from your artwork.
Explore patches
Fire Department Patches
Station shields, company patches and memorial pieces for your crew.
Explore patches
How It Compares
vs. Embroidered patches
Embroidery gives you thread texture and a slight raise, and it holds bold shapes well. It cannot hold a gradient, a photograph or a soft shadow, and every added color is real work. Printing gives you the artwork as drawn with no color penalty, and gives up the texture entirely. If someone will run a thumb over the patch and expect to feel stitching, choose embroidery.
Embroidery for texture and bold marks. Printing for shading, photographs and high color counts.
vs. Woven patches
Woven is the better answer for small solid-color type, because fine threads hold letterforms down to around 2 mm. Printing is the better answer for anything tonal. The two also feel different: woven has a thread surface with a visible weave, printing is smooth. A design that is mostly small text with one photographic element is worth a conversation rather than a guess.
Woven for fine solid detail. Printed for tone, shading and photographic artwork.
vs. Sublimation fade
This is the honest limit of the construction rather than a rival product. Sublimated color is fade resistant because the dye is in the fiber rather than sitting on it, and that is a real advantage over a surface print. It is not fade proof. Sustained sunlight, repeated washing and harsh chemicals all take a toll on any printed textile, and we do not publish a lifespan we cannot stand behind.
Expect fade resistance, not permanence. For heavy outdoor use, ask us about a molded construction instead.
How it attaches
Backing Options
The backing decides how the patch goes on, how easily it comes off, and what it can be applied to. Every one below has a page of its own.
Sew-on
Stitched through the edge
Stitched through the patch edge into the garment.
See sew-on
Iron-on
Heat-activated adhesive film
A heat-activated adhesive film on the back of the patch.
See iron-on
Hook-and-loop
Hook face, mating loop field
A hook face on the patch that mates with a loop field.
See hook-and-loop
Adhesive
Pressure-sensitive layer
A pressure-sensitive layer, peeled and pressed by hand.
See adhesive
Magnetic
Paired magnets
A magnet on the patch paired with a magnet behind the fabric.
See magnetic
Pin back
Pin hardware on the reverse
Pin hardware fixed to the back of the patch.
See pin back
Button loop
Fabric hanging loop
A fabric loop that hangs the patch from an existing button.
See button loopHow the edge is finished
Border Options
The border is where the patch stops. It decides which outlines are possible, how the edge sits against fabric, and how the piece wears. Tap any photograph to see it full size.
Merrow border
Overlocked thread edge
An overlocked thread edge wrapped around the patch outline.
Laser or hot-cut edge
Cut and sealed in one pass
The patch is cut to shape and the edge is sealed as it is cut.
Merrow border: Overlocked thread edge
Laser or hot-cut edge: Cut and sealed in one pass
Our process
The complete order sequence
Six stages. Three need action from you. Liberty Patches handles the rest.
for a brighter
tomorrow.
Before production
Your input helps Liberty Patches get every detail right.
- You
Share the brief
Artwork in whatever state it is in, the quantity, finished size, placement and date needed. There is no minimum.
- Liberty Patches
Review construction
Liberty Patches checks the design against the construction, redraws rough artwork, and includes vector conversion or digitizing with a patch order.
- You
Confirm the quote
The quote confirms size, construction, backing and quantity. Valid for 14 days. A quote is a price, not a commitment.
- You
Approve the proof
A digital proof shows size, colors, border and backing. Nothing is made before approval.
Production starts after this approval.
After approval
Liberty Patches handles the rest.
- Liberty Patches
Produce and inspect
Production follows approval and payment. The first piece is checked before the rest continues, and every piece is inspected afterward.
- Liberty Patches
Dispatch and receive
Finished patches are packed and shipped by UPS or FedEx. Tracking is sent by email or SMS where available.
