Patch types
### Embroidered patch A design stitched with polyester thread onto a twill base, giving a raised, textured finish. The most common patch type. See embroidered patches.
Woven patch
A flat patch made on a loom by interlacing very fine threads, holding small text down to about 3 mm. See woven patches.
Chenille patch
A patch of looped, fluffy yarn stitched onto felt, used for varsity letters and large crests. See chenille patches.
PVC patch
A patch moulded from flexible polyvinyl chloride rubber, waterproof and raised in layers. See PVC patches.
Printed patch
A patch with the design printed onto polyester twill by dye sublimation, used for photos and gradients. See printed patches.
Leather patch
A patch cut from genuine or faux leather, branded by debossing, laser engraving or printing. See leather patches.
3D puff embroidery
Embroidery stitched over a foam layer so parts of the design stand up from the surface. See 3D embroidered patches.
Rocker
A curved, banner-shaped patch placed above or below a centre patch, traditional on biker vests. See biker patches.
Name tab or name tape
A small rectangular patch carrying a person's name, used on uniforms and workwear.
Morale patch
A patch with a humorous or team design, usually on Velcro, popular on tactical-style gear.
Materials
### Twill The tightly woven base fabric of embroidered and printed patches. It can be dyed to any colour and left visible when coverage is below 100%.
Felt
The soft non-woven base fabric used under chenille.
Polyester thread
The standard thread for embroidered patches; strong, colourfast and resistant to shrinking.
Metallic thread
Thread with a metallic finish for gold or silver details; less smooth than standard thread and best used for highlights.
Glow-in-the-dark thread
Thread that glows after exposure to light, used for accents.
Reflective material
Material that reflects light from headlights or torches, used for safety and outdoor patches.
See your artwork as a custom Ireland patch before you buy. Free digital mockup in 12 hours — 5-piece minimum per design. We do not produce until you approve.
GET A FREE MOCKUPBorders and edges
### Merrowed border A thick, rounded, overlocked edge stitched around simple shapes such as circles, squares and shields. Classic badge look. More in patch borders explained.
Heat-cut border
An edge cut and sealed with heat, allowing complex shapes that a merrow machine cannot follow.
Laser-cut border
An edge cut by laser for very precise shapes, sealed so it does not fray.
Satin stitch border
An embroidered edge stitched as part of the design, often used with heat-cut patches.
Backings
### Sew-on No backing; the patch is stitched on by hand or machine. Most durable.
Iron-on
A heat-activated adhesive on the back that bonds to cotton and denim with an iron. See how to iron on a patch.
Velcro (hook and loop)
A two-part fastener: hooks on the patch and loops on the garment, so patches can be removed. See Velcro patches explained.
Adhesive (peel-and-stick)
A sticky backing for temporary use on bags and equipment.
Safety pin
A pin attached to the back so the patch can be worn without sewing.
Plastic backing
A thin stiffener that keeps the patch flat and rigid.
All backings are compared in every patch backing explained.
Design and production
### Digitising Converting your artwork into a stitch file that tells the embroidery machine where and how to place every stitch. See preparing artwork for embroidery.
Stitch count
The number of stitches in a design. A higher stitch count usually means more production time.
Coverage
The percentage of the patch surface covered in stitches: commonly 50%, 75% or 100%.
Fill stitch
Rows of stitches used to cover large areas.
Ready to spec type, size, backing, and quantity? Open the quote form for a free 12-hour mockup and Ireland-wide shipping after approval.
GET A FREE MOCKUPSatin stitch
Long, smooth, closely packed stitches used for lettering and outlines.
Vector file
Artwork made of shapes rather than pixels (AI, EPS, SVG, PDF), which scales without blurring and is ideal for digitising.
Raster file
Artwork made of pixels (JPG, PNG); fine for quoting, but must be high resolution for detail.
PMS / Pantone
The Pantone Matching System, a numbered colour reference used to specify exact colours.
Colour count
The number of distinct thread or material colours in a design.
Ordering terms
### Mockup or proof A digital picture of your finished patch, showing size, colours, border and backing, which you approve before production.
MOQ (minimum order quantity)
The smallest number of pieces per design. At Irish Customized Patches it is 5 per design. See minimum order quantities explained.
Design (for pricing)
One unique combination of artwork, size, colours and backing. A change to any of them makes a new design.
Turnaround
The time from written approval to delivery; typically 7 to 12 business days within Ireland.
Rush order
An order produced faster than standard turnaround, subject to capacity.
Setup
The one-off work for a new design: digitising, colour matching and checking. It is shared across the whole run, which is why unit price falls as quantity rises.
What this guide is based on
These definitions are written by Irish Customized Patches to match the terms used on our quotes, mockups and product pages. If a term on your quote is not listed here, ask and we will explain it. Request a free mockup.