Printed patches (Heat Transfer Dye Sublimated Patches) are created through a process called dye sublimation. In one sense, this means that no thread needs to be stitched or woven into place to create the artwork for the design. In another sense, it means that even higher levels of detail can be added to the patches.
custom woven patches and custom sublimation patches
Woven Patches
Woven patches are made (or woven) with thread far thinner than the thread used for embroidered patches. This tighter, denser weave is used to produce a high-resolution design. These lightweight patches offer an insane amount of detail—and are also quite cheap!
Sublimation Patches
Sublimation patches are not made with thread at all. As the name suggests, they are actually made via printing directly onto the fabric. This gives you a photo-realistic, high-fidelity design. Our customized printed patches are a little more expensive than our customized woven patches, but still very affordable
Which Type of Patch Should I Choose?
Both woven patches and sublimation patches are equally great, but deciding which one to choose depends on your design. Woven patches are better suited for highly-detailed designs, and are best used if you plan to sew patches yourself onto your merch (if you’re a retailer) or if you’re a private consumer looking to apply patches to your own clothes—instead of selling or using the patch on it’s own.
Sublimation patches are ideal for depicting photos, and capturing fine-scale gradients and other high-resolution details. Keep in mind that these patches are much thinner than embroidered patches and allow for unlimited color options. If you’re trying to capture the magic of a photograph in a patch—such as a photo of a family member or loved one to give as a gift—printed patches will give you the most accurate depiction.
Still Unsure?
If you are still unsure about which patch you should use, please contact one of our Creative Specialists using the “Chat with Us” box on our homepage. These talented in-house designers can look at your design and tell you whether custom-made woven patches or custom-made printed patches are best for your design.
If you don’t have a design at all, that’s not a problem! Our in-house design team can create a design for you based on your ideas and vision. At that point, they can tell you which patch style will work best. If you already have a design—or just want to poke around and learn more about you can contact us
Post time: Mar-03-2023