Embroidered patches are great for identifying organisations, signalling membership to a club, promoting brands and adding personality to clothing – but have you ever wondered how they are made?
Keep reading this blog for a step-by-step guide on how embroidered patches are made. Let’s get started!
Step 1: Design
The first thing you need to do when making an embroidered patch is finalise your design. Any hand-drawn designs will need to be digitised using graphic design software and then converted into a format compatible with embroidery machines (usually .DST or .EXP).
At this stage, colour separation is done to determine which threads will be used in different areas of the design. Embroidery software is also used to translate the graphic into a set of instructions for the embroidery machine.
Step 2: Gather Materials
Once the design is complete, you will need to choose your materials. The two main components of an embroidered patch are:
- Thread: The most common threads used for embroidered patches are high-quality polyester, rayon or cotton.
- Backing: This is the fabric that forms the base of the patch. It tends to be either cotton twill, felt or satin depending on what durability, texture and look you are after.
Step 3: Preparing the Embroidery Machine
Firstly, the chosen backing fabric will need to be placed on a cutaway or tear-away stabiliser and then secured in an embroidery hoop, usually using a temporary adhesive. It is important at this stage that the fabric is stretched taut in the embroidery hoop in order to avoid puckering during stitching.
The machine will then need to be loaded with the different thread colours included in the design.
Step 4: Machine Embroidery
Once the machine is set up, you can sit back and let it take over!
The machine needle will move through the fabric, threading the chosen colours into place, one stitch at a time. The machine will work in layers, starting with the outer edges and moving inwards, continuously adjusting the thread tension to ensure smooth and even stitching.
Step 5: Adding a Border
Once the main design is stitched, you can choose whether you would like to give your patch a border for a more finished, clean look. This border can either be a ‘merrowed edge’, i.e. a type of overlock stitch that wraps around the edge of the patch, or it can be laser-cut, leaving a clean, non-frayed edge.
Step 6: Finishing Touches
Once the embroidery is complete, any unnecessary threads (jump stitches) and extra fabric outside the stitched design can be trimmed away. The excess stabiliser can also be removed from the back of the patch and the patch is sometimes pressed with heat to remove any wrinkles.
Step 7: Attaching the Backing
Attaching a backing to your embroidered patch is optional, but for best results adhering the patch to clothing or fabric, you will probably want to apply one. For iron-on patches, a heat-activated adhesive can be applied to the back of the patch, so that when pressed with an iron, it will adhere itself to any clothing or fabric.
Alternatively, the patch can have a fabric backing, allowing it to be sewn onto the garment. Velcro can also be attached for those looking for removable patches.
At Golden Finishes, we have been producing high-quality, custom embroidered badges for over 30 years and we are committed to providing an outstanding service from design to delivery.
If you want to learn more about our patch making process or discuss your custom badge requirements, contact our team using the button below – our specialist badge makers will be happy to help!
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