Custom Printed Patches
Order Full-Color Patches
Printed patches carry your artwork as a full-color print, which makes them the build for photographs, smooth gradients, and richly shaded illustrations that need every tone kept. Event organizers, artists, memorial and reunion planners, schools running art fundraisers, and teams turning a season photo into a keepsake order them when the image itself is the design. Choose sew-on, iron-on, or hook-and-loop backing and order from $3 per patch in volume, with a 10-piece minimum, no setup or digitizing fees, and a free proof before anything is printed.
- ✓ Rush production in 7–10 days
- ✓ Send your deadline and we plan the order around it
- ✓ Quote requests answered 24/7
HOW IT WORKS
Creating a custom printed patch is easy with Owl Badges
Upload your photo or full-color art, place and crop it in the browser, then order online or request event pricing.
Discover full-color printed patch styles
Browse photo rounds, gradient logos, event art, and illustrated designs, and see how full-color artwork looks once it is framed as a patch.
Browse Printed Patch Styles
Customize your printed patch in real time
Open your artwork in the Owl Badges TruePatch Designer: position and crop the image, add lettering, choose a shape and backing, and preview the full-color patch live.
Try the TruePatch Designer
Order instantly or request a quote
Order printed patches straight from the designer, or request pricing for an event, school, or club run. Purchase orders accepted.
Get Team PricingWhat You Get With Every Printed Patch
Full-color printing for artwork that depends on the image itself.
Design your custom printed patch with the Owl Badges TruePatch Designer™
The Owl Badges TruePatch Designer is the in-browser custom printed patch designer from Owl Badges. Officers, departments, and law enforcement agencies design their printed patch — shape, finish, seal, rank, and badge number — in real time, see live volume pricing, and order directly from the manufacturer. No software install, no account required to start, no dealer markup.
Need a custom printed patch? Request a quote.
Some agencies need a printed patch the TruePatch Designer doesn't cover — a custom shape outside the standard catalog, a complex multi-layer department seal, hybrid metal-and-enamel finishes, inlaid stones, photographic memorial elements, or a one-of-a-kind department die. For these, the Owl Badges in-house design team builds your printed patch from scratch. There is no design fee, no mold setup fee, and no commitment to order.
- Fully custom shapes outside the standard catalog
- Complex multi-layer seals with raised 3D elements
- Hybrid finishes — antique, two-tone, enamel
- Inlaid stones & memorial badges with photographic elements
- One-of-a-kind department dies for unique shapes
Custom quotes typically returned within 4 business hours, Mon–Fri 9 AM–4 PM PST.
How to design your printed patch
Designing a printed patch in the TruePatch Designer comes down to three steps — choose the shape, place your image, then approve the proof and order. Here is what to get right at each one.
Choose a shape for your image
Pick a round, oval, rectangle, or custom outline that suits the picture: rounds and ovals frame faces and portraits, while rectangles suit landscapes and posters. Standard sizes run from 1-inch through 6-inch; anything bigger, like a jacket back, is quoted per size. Tell us where the patch will be worn and we suggest a size that gives the image room.
Upload and place your image
Upload the highest-resolution photo or artwork you have, then crop and position it so the subject fills the shape. Add names, dates, or a title over or around the image. Full-color printing carries gradients and shading, so there is no need to simplify the artwork; check the live preview at actual size before moving on.
Approve the proof and place your order
Choose sew-on, iron-on, or hook-and-loop backing, then approve your free proof. Production time is confirmed on your proof, so you see the timing before you commit. Order from the 10-piece minimum or request pricing for an event or club, with purchase orders accepted. Your print file stays on record at no charge, so a second edition matches the first.
Shop Custom Printed Patches
Begin with one of these printed layouts. Each card opens the TruePatch Designer, where you upload your image, crop it, and add lettering — from $3 per patch in bulk.
Custom Printed Patch Pricing
Printed patches are $20 each at the 10-piece minimum and come down to $3 per patch at 250 pieces or more, with no setup or digitizing fees at any quantity. Full tier detail at the price calculator.
Choosing hook-and-loop backing adds $2.00 to each patch. Orders of 500 and up are quoted individually. Pricing reviewed October 2026.
How many printed patches should you order?
Printed runs start at the 10-piece minimum, print files stay on record free, and production time is confirmed on your proof — so set the count by who should get one, then add a few for late requests. Typical order sizes look like this:
| Use case | Typical order | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Family memorial or keepsake | 10–19 patches | $20 each for close family; if the list reaches 15, twenty at $14 apiece is the lower total. |
| Team season photo | 20–29 patches | $14 each covers players and coaches, and 30 at $11 cost less than 29. |
| Event or festival attendees | 100–249 patches | $5.50 per patch for staff, volunteers, and early attendees, purchase orders accepted. |
| Annual event edition | 250–499 patches | $3 per patch for a full attendee run, reprinted from the stored file next year. |
Printed Patches at a Glance
What we recommend for a printed patch
When the design is a photo or depends on gradients, we recommend a printed patch sized so the subject fills the shape: crop tight on faces and keep backgrounds simple. For jackets and bags that get washed, choose sew-on backing; for event shirts and totes, iron-on is quicker. If the design is mostly fine text, compare a woven patch, which holds lettering down to about 2mm. Every crop, size, and backing can be changed in the TruePatch Designer.
Price Calculator
How much do custom printed patches cost?
Custom printed patches cost $20 each at the 10-piece minimum and $3 per patch from 250 pieces, printed in full color with no setup fees. Production time is confirmed on your proof, before anything is printed. Enter your quantity below to see your price.
Pricing on this page is for full-color printed patches in standard sizes — 1-inch name tapes through 6-inch patches, with artwork setup and a free proof included. Pieces bigger than standard, such as jacket backs, are quoted per size, and hook-and-loop backing is $2.00 extra per patch.
10-piece minimum · no setup or digitizing fees · production time confirmed on your proof · 500 patches and up quoted individually · shipping quoted separately.
Printed patch price ladder
| Quantity | Price per patch | You save |
|---|---|---|
| 10–19 patches | $20.00 | — |
| 20–29 patches | $14.00 | Save $6 / patch |
| 30–49 patches | $11.00 | Save $9 / patch |
| 50–74 patches | $6.50 | Save $13.50 / patch |
| 75–99 patches | $6.00 | Save $14 / patch |
| 100–249 patches | $5.50 | Save $14.50 / patch |
| 250–499 patches | $3.00 | Save $17 / patch |
Does ordering more printed patches cost less overall?
Nineteen printed patches cost $380. Twenty cost $280. At twenty pieces each patch drops from $20 to $14, which makes the larger order $100 cheaper in total. A family of fifteen ordering memorial patches would pay $300 for fifteen, or $280 for twenty with five left for relatives who ask later.
Every tier break follows suit: 29 printed patches run $406 against $330 for 30; 49 run $539 against $325 for 50; 74 run $481 against $450 for 75; and 249 run $1,369.50 against $750 for 250. For 500 and up, request a written quote. Requests for extras can arrive after an event or service, and printing spares in the first run costs less than a small reprint later, even with the print file stored free.
Comparing print with stitched or woven options? See the catalog of patch constructions. To total up a printed run at your exact count, use our online quote calculator.
Printed by Use
Who orders printed patches, and why?
Printed patches are ordered when the image itself is the design: a photo, a poster, a painting, or a logo built on gradients. Event organizers, families, teams, and artists design printed patches around those images for jackets, bags, and shirts, and each use below is printed from your own artwork.
| Use | Why printed | Typical design | Backing | Ordered when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Festivals and events | Poster art carries over in full color | Event key art and year | Iron-on | Lineup or poster finalized |
| Memorials and tributes | The portrait photo is the design | Photo with name and dates | Sew-on | Service date set |
| Sports teams | A season photo for every player | Team photo with season | Iron-on or sew-on | End of season |
| Artists and illustrators | Shading and color stay in | Painted or digital artwork | Iron-on | New art drop |
| Pet and family gifts | Photo keepsake | Pet or family portrait | Sew-on or iron-on | Holiday or birthday gift |
| Hiking and race groups | Map detail in full color | Route map with finish date | Hook-and-loop | Route completed |
| Schools and fundraisers | Student drawings printed in color | Child's drawing with school year | Iron-on | Fundraiser launch |
| Brands with gradient logos | Gradients stay in the design | Gradient logo mark | Sew-on or hook-and-loop | Campaign or product launch |
Choose backing by how the patch will be used: iron-on for event shirts and totes, sew-on for jackets and garments that get washed often, hook-and-loop where the patch moves between packs and display boards. If you have a photo you are unsure about, send it anyway; your free proof shows how it prints before you approve, from the 10-piece minimum.
Reorders
How do I reorder or replace printed patches?
A reprint of your printed patch uses the print file we keep on record at no charge, so the new run matches the first in artwork, crop, and size with no new setup fee. Reprints start at the 10-piece minimum, and production time is confirmed on your proof.
Second edition of an event patch
Tell us the design and quantity. We pull the stored print file, send a proof, and the new edition matches the original layout.
Extra memorial patches for family
Additional pieces print from the same file at the 10-piece minimum, so relatives who ask later get the same portrait and lettering.
Next year's version
Change the year, swap in new key art, or update the photo. We proof the revised design free and keep both files on record.
Moving to a different backing
A printed design can switch between sew-on, iron-on, and hook-and-loop on any reorder, so shirt and bag versions match.
Design Gallery
Printed Patch Design Gallery
Each design below is a layout you can fill with your own image — upload a photo or artwork, crop it, and add names or dates in the TruePatch Designer. Printed patches cost $20 each at 10 pieces and drop to $3 per patch at volume, with no setup fees. Choose a layout, then customize it or request pricing for your group.
Specs, Wear & Care
Printed Patch Specs, Wear and Care
Each specification below is a choice made at order time — shape, crop, lettering, and backing are set in the TruePatch Designer or on your quote. Printed patches start at the 10-piece minimum with no setup fees, and production time is confirmed on your proof.
Printed patch specifications
Where to wear your printed patch, and which backing to order
The backing decides where a printed patch can go and how long it stays. Match it to the item, then select it when you order.
How to wash and care for a printed patch
Printed patches stay vivid longer with gentle care. These are the care steps we recommend for printed patches.
How to store printed patches
Each choice above is made per order with no setup fee, and your print file stays on record so later editions match. Begin at the 10-piece minimum, or request pricing for an event, team, or family order in one quote.
Custom Printed Patches, Order for Your Club
Printed patches start at a 10-piece minimum, and production time is confirmed on your proof. Print is the right build when the artwork is a photo or a gradient; when it is mostly small text, a full team program, or a bold logo meant to look stitched, start from one of these pages. Compare options for woven alternatives for fine text when the design is mostly small lettering or thin lines, league and team patch programs when every player should get a photo patch at season's end, and thread-stitched patches with raised texture when a bold logo should have a classic stitched feel. Each page keeps the 10-piece minimum, and printed designs can share a quote with any of them.
Shop Printed Patches by Category
Printed patches grouped by the kind of image they carry.
Event and festival art
Poster artwork turned into attendee and staff patches.
Memorial and tribute patches
Portrait patches for services, reunions, and family keepsakes.
Team and season photos
Roster photos and season art as patches for players.
Artist and illustration drops
Painted and digital artwork printed in full color.
Pet and family portraits
Photo keepsakes for jackets, bags, and gifts.
Maps and trail commemoratives
Route maps and landscapes for finishers and hikers.
Unlimited Customization Options
Crop, position, and size your image in the TruePatch Designer, add any lettering, and preview the full-color patch before a single piece is printed.
- Full-color photo printing
- Smooth gradients and shading
- Crop and position live
- Sew-on, iron-on, or hook-and-loop
- Free proof before printing
Reasons teams order printed patches
Printed orders usually begin with an image someone wants to keep: a photo, a poster, or a painting. These are the moments that bring that image to a patch.
Whichever image starts the order, a printed run begins at the 10-piece minimum and your print file is kept on record free, so a second edition has no new fees. Upload your artwork below and build your printed patches in the browser, or request pricing for an event or club order in one quote.
Start Your OrderHOW TO
How do I order custom printed patches with Owl Badges?
Four steps: pick a shape, upload your photo or art, approve your free proof, and order from $3 per patch in volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Owl Badges TruePatch Designer work?
What is a printed patch?
How much do custom printed patches cost?
Can I order printed patches with no minimum?
How long does printed patch production take?
Which backings can I choose for printed patches?
Do you accept purchase orders for printed patches?
Can I reorder the same printed patch later?
Can you print an actual photograph on a patch?
What file should I send for a printed patch?
Printed, woven, or embroidered: which should I choose?
Can a printed patch include text?
What sizes can printed patches be?
Are printed patches good for memorials?
How should I wash a printed patch?
Can I turn a child's drawing into a printed patch?
Print the picture itself
Upload your photo or artwork and customize your printed patch online, or request pricing for an event or club order.
Request a Quote
We believe everyone should have better options
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Thread instead of print?
Should your design be printed, stitched, woven, or molded?
This page covers full-color printed patches. For embroidered, woven, PVC, and every other construction and backing, explore the full custom patch catalog — the 10-piece minimum carries over, and one quote can mix builds.
Explore all patch options →