Get the Colman Patch-Pro Kit and start making custom patches right away.

Today’s embroidered patches are inspired! Now you will see embroidered patches anywhere: organized groups like businesses, cheer squads scouting troops, sports teams and more. They are certainly less warlike and communicate more of a personal statement, such as patches for motorcycle riding clubs.

Embroidered Patches Are Always In Style

Reproductions of vintage patch designs continue to attract collectors, to both display and share. There are even patches that represented events that occurred well before the creation of embroidered patches! In the commercial embroidery business, even for startups, if you are not offering patches, you are truly missing out on a tremendous growth market, one with no signs of slowing down.

To take advantage of the popularity of the patch, retailers usually need to carry several different colors of premade patches. The amount of guesswork involved could eat up profits; especially by having too much of a slow-selling product and not enough of what your customers actually want to buy.

Make Embroidery Patches Today With the Patch-Kit Pro

With Colman and Company’s Embroidery Patch-Kit Pro, your embroidery business will have everything it needs to make easy one-offs or small production runs. A Patch-Kit Pro allows your embroidery equipment to customize every patch you sell. The Patch-Kit Pro is designed exclusively for embroidery businesses looking to produce larger quantities of patches immediately. The kit is centered on the DK-JP14 Heat Press with a 12 X 14″ platen, end of cycle alarm and an industrial-type clamping system. The Patch-Kit Pro includes:

• DK-JP14 Heat Press
• Hot Knife and Universal Cutting Tip
• Hot Tool Holder
• 5 Yards of White Patch Material
• 5 Yards of Black Patch Material
• 10 Yards of Heat Seal

Using the Colman Patch-Kit Pro and Patch Material to create customized patches is easy, by following these steps:

1.      Create a Design

The three things to keep in mind, when creating custom embroidered patch designs:

• The patch must have a satin running stitch as a border, wider is better than thin.
• The border and shape of the patch should be smooth to allow for easier cutting.
• Choose a Patch Material will be your background color – no stitches needed.
• You must use Polyester embroidery thread, like Madeira Polyneon embroidery thread.

Colman Patch Material is made of 100 percent polyester, with an “embroidered” look to you the time, effort and cost with stitching the background yourself. Patch material comes in 10 different colors, which make it easy to choose a background color for your patch.

2.      Hoop Patch Material

With Colman Patch Material, there is no need for a stabilizer, backing or topping. With Patch Material, there is no adhesive on the back to catch in the bobbin case and mess up your embroidery machine. This makes it necessary to make sure you hoop the fabric straight. Patch Material is unique and we have spent a long time finding the best solution.  It’s completely different from HTV material such as the HTV brand vinyl.

3.      Sew Out the Patch Design

When creating a design with your embroidery machine, always stitch out a little more to accommodate any mistakes.

4.      Trim Excess Patch Material

When sewing a bunch of embroidered patches, keep all patches together when trimming excess material.

5.      Attach Patch Material to Heat Seal Product

• Place Teflon Wrap flat down to protect the Heat Press.
• Place the Patch Material face down your heat press, or if using a hand iron, place it on a worktable.
• Place Heat Seal materials on top of the sewn patches face down with paper side up.
• Use Teflon Sheets on both top and bottom, to make a “sandwich.” The Patch Material has hot melt glue on the backside.
• Heat the patch on a heat press at 320-330° F for about 10-15 seconds, using 40 psi of pressure. On a hand iron, use significant hand weight with no steam.
• Turn the Teflon Wrap/patch “sandwich” over and heat it again.

6.      Cut Out Sealed Patches

Remove extra patch and seal material by roughly cutting out sealed patches. Leave ¼ to ½” of material surrounding the satin stitch border.

7.      Trim Finished Patch

After heating a Hot Knife for 15 minutes, cut out the individual patches. Don’t forget to use a Hot Tool Stand for protection! First, put the patch on a glass surface, and then run the Universal Tip along the edge of the patch directly along the satin stitch. This will form a seal along the edge, to secure the stitch. Wipe excess on the Hot Knife with a dry cloth or paper towel. Use a consistent and pressure and speed for best cutting results with the Hot Knife. Now you have a completed embroidery patch that can be attached by heat or sewing. With a heat press, use 320-330° F for 15-20 seconds, turn over and press from the back of the garment for another 15-20 seconds. This activates the glue on the back of the embroidered patch, making a permanent bond with the fabric, one that is almost impossible to pull off (at least without ripping the fabric first). Custom embroidered patches can be a bargain for the customer that wants high-quality embroidery at a lower cost than direct embroidery. Organizations get considerable pride in showing their distinct character when embroidered patches. Custom patches provide a professional look to uniforms, work outfits and cheer apparel, among others. Colman and Colman can show you how creating custom patches with your commercial embroidery machine can open up new, profitable markets. For more information contact the embroidery experts at ColmanAndCompany.com, or call 800-891-1094.