School Crest Badges for Irish School Uniforms and Blazers

Who orders school crest badges?

Crest badges for Irish schools are ordered by the school office, the board of management, parents' associations and uniform suppliers. They go on:

• Blazers, usually on the breast pocket
• Jumpers and cardigans, on the left chest
• PE jackets, tracksuits and school sports gear
• School bags and sports bags
• Leavers' jackets and hoodies, covered in our leavers' hoodies and jackets guide

Some schools supply crests separately so parents can buy plain uniform items and add the badge, which keeps uniform costs down.

Woven or embroidered crest?

School crests often contain detail that is hard to stitch: a motto in Irish or Latin, a book, a cross, a tower or a founding year. That is why many schools choose woven.

Our full comparison of embroidered vs woven patches explains the difference in more detail. Large, simple crests for leavers' jackets can also be made in chenille.

What size should a school crest be?

- Blazer breast pocket: 7 to 9 cm tall, sized to sit inside the pocket with a margin - Jumper or cardigan chest: 6 to 8 cm - PE jacket chest: 7 to 9 cm - Sports bag: 8 to 10 cm

Measure an existing blazer pocket before ordering, as pocket sizes vary between uniform suppliers.

Which backing works for school uniforms?

School uniforms are washed every week and worn every day, so sew-on is the right choice for blazers, jumpers and PE gear. Iron-on can work on cotton sports bags and hoodies, but adhesive tends to lift on knitwear and blended fabrics. Blazers should be dry-cleaned or spot-cleaned according to their label; a sewn woven crest handles this well. See iron-on vs sew-on patches for more.

Getting the motto and Irish lettering right

Many Irish school crests carry a motto in Irish, such as a short phrase with fadas, or in Latin. Before approving:

1. Send the clearest version of the crest the school has, ideally the original design file.
2. Check every word and fada on the mockup letter by letter.
3. Ask someone familiar with the crest, such as the principal or a long-serving teacher, to check it too.
4. Confirm colours against an actual blazer or jumper, not only a screen.

How many crests should a school order?

Plan around the September intake:

• Count first-year students, plus transfers in other years
• Add replacements for lost or worn crests, typically a small percentage of the school
• Add stock for the uniform shop or office if crests are sold separately

The minimum order is 5 pieces per design, so small schools can order exactly what they need. Larger orders lower the price per crest, so many schools order a year's stock at once and keep it in the office.

Updating or redrawing an old crest

Many schools have crests that were drawn decades ago and have been copied, scanned and resized so many times that the details have blurred. Before ordering a new batch, it is worth finding the cleanest original you can, or having the crest redrawn as a vector file. A clean file gives sharper badges, makes colours consistent across blazers, jumpers and signage, and saves time on every future order. If you send us a scan or photo, we will show on the mockup how it translates and point out any details that need simplifying.

Name badges and other uniform patches

Some schools also use embroidered name badges for prefects, captains or staff, and house or year-group patches. For inside name labels on uniforms, see our guide to name tags for clothes.

Ordering from anywhere in Ireland

We supply schools across Ireland, including Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick, with free delivery to any address in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

What this guide is based on

This guide reflects how Irish Customized Patches advises schools and parents' associations on crest badges. Measurements are typical and should be checked against your school's own uniform. Request a free crest mockup.