Full-color patches with photo-level detail. Dye sublimation prints your artwork straight into the fabric, so gradients, shading, tiny text and photographs come out exactly as you designed them. Order custom sublimated patches for uniforms, events, teams and merch, and get a free mockup before production.
Some designs are too detailed to stitch. Thread can't blend a sunset gradient, reproduce a pet portrait or hold 6-point text. That's where dye-sublimated patches come in.
Instead of building the design from thread, we print it. The ink turns into a gas under heat and bonds into the polyester fibers, so it becomes part of the fabric instead of sitting on top. There's no ink layer to crack or peel, and the patch stays thin, flat and flexible.
If your logo has shading, a photo, a lot of colors or fine detail, sublimation is usually the best option and often the most affordable one.
Start Your Sublimated Patch
Sublimation inks are transparent and there's no white ink, so the dye has to go onto a white or light polyester base. White areas in your design are simply the bare fabric showing through.
| Feature | Sublimated Patches | Embroidered Patches |
|---|---|---|
| How it's made | Dye printed into polyester fabric | Thread stitched onto twill or felt |
| Color limit | Unlimited, full color | Limited by thread colors |
| Gradients and photos | Yes | No (shading is simplified) |
| Fine text and detail | Excellent | Limited by stitch size |
| Texture | Smooth, flat | Raised, textured |
| Thickness | Thin, lightweight | Thicker |
| Best for | Complex logos, photos, artwork | Simple bold logos, classic look |
Iron-on is our most popular backing for printed patches. A heat-activated adhesive on the back bonds to the garment in seconds, with no sewing needed. Sublimation iron-on patches are ideal for hoodies, t-shirts, caps, totes and quick merch runs.
For the strongest hold:
A selection of full color printed patches we've made for brands, teams, events and departments.
Printing a patch is about more than pressing a file. Our team checks resolution, sets up color profiles, flags white areas that will show bare fabric, and plans the border so it doesn't cut into your artwork. We fix those issues at the proof stage, so your patches print sharp and true to color.
Know MoreBrowse all our custom patches online or compare:
Custom embroidery patches
classic stitched texture for uniforms and hats.
Custom woven patches
thin, flat patches with fine thread detail.
Custom leather patches
debossed and engraved leather for denim and caps.
High-quality chenille patches
soft varsity patches for letterman jackets.
Appliqué patches
layered fabric shapes with stitched edges.
Sublimated patches are full-color patches made with dye sublimation printing. The design is printed onto transfer paper, then heat-pressed onto polyester fabric, where the ink turns to gas and bonds permanently into the fibers. The patch is then cut, bordered and backed.
Embroidered patches are built from stitched thread, so they're raised and textured but limited in color and fine detail. Sublimated patches are printed, so they're flat and thin but can show unlimited colors, gradients, photos and very small text.
No. Sublimation prints in full CMYK color, so you can use as many colors, gradients and shades as your design needs at no extra cost. Note that sublimation has no white ink, so any white in your design shows the white fabric base.
They're made on polyester fabric, usually polyester twill, because sublimation dye only bonds with polyester fibers. A faux suede (also polyester) is available for a softer, premium feel.
Yes. Choose a merrow border (a wrapped thread edge), a laser-cut or heat-cut edge for custom shapes, or an embroidered border for a stitched outline around the printed design.
Yes. Because the dye is inside the fibers, the colors don't crack, peel or wash out easily. Wash inside-out on cold. Peel-and-stick patches aren't meant for washing.
