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Embroidery, the traditional art form of decorating fabric with needle and thread, dates back before ancient Egypt. Due to the tedious hand-sewing and skill required, it was traditionally the province of royalty and the wealthy. Modern computerized embroidery machines, however, have brought this refined art to the masses in the form of embroidered custom patches.

Todays Custom Patches are a great example of the changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution of the 1800s and the microprocessor-driven revolution a century later. Modern machinery enables high-speed embroidery of virtually any design, making embroidered items affordable to all.

For many centuries, embroidery was a sign of royalty or great wealth. Only the affluent could afford to own embroidered works because they were exclusively made by hand, a time-consuming process. The mid-1800s saw the introduction of the sewing machine, and later the hand-powered embroidery machine. This enabled faster production of embroidered products.  

The early part of the 20th century brought electrically powered embroidery machines, making the process even faster. By mid-century, embroidery machines were commonly controlled by a paper tape that allowed reproduction of patterns more than once. Custom patches became economically feasible at last. By the late 1970s, the microprocessor revolution was under way. Soon, computer-controlled machines were producing them swiftly and inexpensively.

Computerized machines allowed for an infinite number of embroidered pieces from a single design pattern. Since the designs are created on a computer, they can take on virtually any desired logo, text or other design element. The finished products have a distinctive yet uniform appearance.

People wear embroidered custom patches for many reasons. They can indicate membership in military units, civic organizations and volunteer groups, for example. They can be created for sports teams, church groups, Scouts, motorcycle clubs and many more organizations. And of course, they’ve long been common among police officers, firefighters, EMTs and other public safety officials as well.

For businesses, embroidered pieces are a marketing tool. They can be a terrific way to get a message out to potential customers and the general public. Service companies that send their employees to customers’ homes use them as identifiers, introducing workers to customers in a professional and polished manner.

The twill backing surface on each piece is embroidered onto the twill to produce the desired designs. This creates a strong, durable design. Unlike printed designs, the embroidered type won’t fade over time. They’re durable enough that they’re likely to outlast the garment to which they’re attached.

Custom pieces are finished with either a traditional sewn edge, called a merrowed border, or with a hot cut heat-sealed border. The merrowed borders will give them a traditional look with a clear visual separation from the garment. Hot cut borders allow each piece to have a custom shape.

No matter what style, size or shape you’re looking for, the right supplier can deliver custom patches to your exact specifications.

Whether they realize it or not, uniform patches are a part of the identity of many businesses and other organizations. Police officers, repair or sales staff members, firefighters and many others are required to wear them as a part of their uniform. To the customers or the public, those patches are very much a part of the employer's public identity.

That means any organization that wants to look good (i.e., professional) in the eyes of the public needs to be conscious of the quality of the custom pieces their members wear. It's crucial, therefore, that organizations choose wisely when selecting a supplier.

It's not difficult to choose a good supplier of custom patches, given the many that are out there, but it does require just a little bit of research. A small amount of effort will yield big dividends in the form of higher-quality pieces that your staff will be proud to wear.

First, think about what your needs are. Are you looking for a stock or custom shape? A good provider can supply either one. If you want extras, such as neon or metallic threads, they should be able to provide those too. Any reputable supplier can help you determine the design, size and best placement for your custom patches.

Second, look at a company's track record. You want to deal with a supplier that's been around long enough to have established a reputation. In the Internet age, it's easy to start a business. It's a lot harder to stay around long enough to satisfy customers, earn repeat business and develop a reputation for quality.

Speaking of a company's reputation, there's a simple way to determine whether your experience with a company will be good or bad -- do a quick check with the Better Business Bureau. A company that cares enough about customer service will have attained a BBB rating of "A," and will respond to your concerns promptly and professionally.

And what's a company without great staff? A good patch provider will have talented artists and a team of helpful customer service representatives on staff. If you're not certain what your product should look like, they can help you create custom pieces that are ideal for your organization's needs. To enable you to tinker with the design until it is exactly the way you want it, the company should offer unlimited free artwork and revision services.

That brings up another good point. Expect straightforward pricing, with no hidden "gotchas." Good suppliers won't charge you for artwork, revisions, setup or shipping within the United States.

Check shipping times. Reputable suppliers should be able to deliver uniform patches to you within 14 days of your order. If they can't guarantee that, consider shopping elsewhere. For more information on uniform patches click here.

Keep in mind that those patches are a part of the public identity of your organization. They are what identifies your members or staff to the people they interact with. You expect that identity to be one of the professionalism your company embodies. You shouldn't expect anything less from your supplier.

The traditional art of hand embroidery dates back more than a century. Many cultures worldwide have long used the hand-stitching methods to create intricate works for royalty and the affluent. Today's machine-created embroidered patches keep this ancient art form alive, updating a time-honored handicraft to create beautiful designs in a contemporary, cost-effective way.

For centuries, talented artisans were able to only create decorations such as tapestries by hand. The process was complex and time-consuming. As a result, only those with significant wealth could afford such hand-made products, making embroidered items symbols of prosperity.

The Industrial Revolution brought us embroidery equipment that significantly changed the way embroidered items could be made. Machine embroidery originated in the 1800s. As the century progressed, the sewing machine and later, powered embroidery equipment, replaced more tedious methods. This ultimately contributed to the creation of custom embroidered patches.

Mass production of designs and patterns was now possible through the use of those high-tech machines, although the earliest models were far from what they are today. The computer revolution of the last 25 years truly transformed machine embroidery. Computer control of embroidery machines made it possible to create custom patches in large quantities at low cost. Computer control also turned production into a high-precision operation. The new machinery enables uniform, repeatable designs and a higher thread count per inch, creating outstanding quality custom patches. Whether you order 50 custom pieces or 100,000, they will all have the same appearance and durable construction.

The embroidered patterns don’t fade with time, unlike silk screen printed designs. Modern custom patches are strong enough and durable enough to outlast the garments to which they’re attached. They’re powerful identification tools. Embroidered pieces might feature just about any logo or message to indicate membership in a civic organization, military unit or other group. Police officers, bikers, Boy and Girl Scouts, and many other organizations rely on custom patches to identify their members.

Another benefit of computerized embroidery machines is that they can turn virtually any logo, design or idea into a custom piece. The designer can create practically any style, shape or size patch he or she desires. Anyone can create a design on-screen, and revise it endlessly until it has exactly the desired appearance. Then, with the press of a few keys, the embroidery machine creates perfect custom pieces.

With such high-precision machinery, the potential designs are almost limitless. Whether you want custom patches for group identification, promotional purposes or any reason at all, the creative possibilities and low cost of production mean you can have your embroidered art any way you envision.

If you’re shopping for biker patches, you’re not the average embroidered patch customer. You have a strong sense of what you want, and you expect only the best quality.

After all, biker patches are not just about membership in a group of people with similar interests. They’re a declaration of brotherhood. When you’re riding with your fellow members, you want the symbol of that relationship to show proudly, clearly and distinctly.

Whether you belong to a three-piece patch club or a one-piece patch rider’s group, you want your biker patches to showcase the essence of your organization. You want to find the right patch provider.

How do you do that? It’s not hard to find a great provider of biker patches, but it does take a little bit of research. A small amount of effort will yield better looking biker patches at better prices.

Look for a patch company that’s been around for a while. No, you won’t find a provider of biker patches that’s been in business as long as Harley-Davidson, but you should look for a company that’s been around for at least a few years. It’s easy to start a business and go for one-shot customers. Most people will give you the benefit of the doubt, once. It’s a lot harder to provide a level of service, pricing and top-quality products that leads to repeat business for biker patches and referrals to others.

Any supplier of biker patches that’s worth dealing with will make customer service their first priority. You want a company that will listen to what you want and respond to that. Look for a company with graphic artists who can work with you to design your biker patches to the exact specifications you want.

If your club is planning to order 50 biker patches or more, consider doing business only with larger, well-established companies. To create large quantities of patches with the proper quality level, a supplier of biker patches needs state of the art, computer-controlled high speed embroidery machines. Consider the company’s minimum order quantities too, though. If you only need 50 biker patches, there’s no point in wasting your time with a company whose minimum order is 200.

Take a moment to think about the artwork of your patch design. If you have an established design for your club’s biker patches, a good company should be able to reproduce the colors accurately and the lettering precisely. If you’re a new club, or one that’s updating the design of your biker patches, the patch company should have artists on staff who can work with you to tweak the design until it’s exactly what you want.

As far as pricing for your biker patches, look for a “no surprises” pricing policy. A good patch company won’t charge you for shipping, setup, artwork or revisions.

You’re ordering biker patches because you’re committed to your club. You should expect the company you order them from to be equally committed to providing you with the best – the best patches, the best prices, the best service, period. With just a little research, you can easily find a company that will create biker patches your club members will be proud to wear.

Custom embroidered patches are just about everywhere you look. Motorcycle club members, mechanics, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and even your grandmother’s sewing circle is sporting them. There are custom designs on the market for virtually everyone, and the option to create their own pieces is alluring for many people. 

Patches serve as a way to identify employees of a specific company, a club or other organization. They’re symbols of unity, and a means to make statements or declare any message clearly and artistically.

Although the art of embroidery dates back thousands of years, machine embroidery developed only within the past couple of centuries. The computer revolution of the last 30 years has further revolutionized machine embroidery and patch-making. Computer-controlled embroidery machines make it possible to produce virtually any design. Custom shapes and sizes are no problem, and multiple thread colors, coupled with computer-aided design, can create true works of art.

Modern embroidered patches are inexpensive to produce, easy to attach to clothing and can be created quickly enough to fit just about any organizational need. Because they can be so expressive, they are popular throughout the world and have essentially become small billboards for the messages they carry.

It might seem improbable, but those embroidered pieces help bring people together. Through the group identity role, the custom cloth becomes a bonding tool that generates camaraderie -- whether in a workplace, club or Scout troop.

The U.S. Armed Forces is a good example. Military units, branches, and divisions all have their own individual identification patches. In many cases, soldiers have designed them to create a look unique to their specific unit.

In the 1960s, NASA astronauts began designing custom pieces for their own missions. The 1965 Gemini V mission was the first to fly them, designed by astronauts Gordon Cooper and Pete Conrad.

Police, firefighters and other emergency workers wear them as a quick way to determine rank and to help fellow officers and civilians identify them.

Motorcycle clubs are closely identified with custom embroidered pieces as well. They are commonly a major identifier for such clubs. The three-piece patches that feature a large center design flanked by top and bottom rockers identify "outlaw" clubs, those not sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association. Traditionally, earning these requires a long apprenticeship or prospect period that can last years. Once won, they’re worn for a lifetime in most cases.

Businesses also use them as a means to identify employees. They’re often a part of the employees’ uniforms, and a visible symbol of a business. 

Embroidered patches are a versatile identification device, which can show membership, group loyalty or employment with a specific organization. They are also small embroidered works of art that many people appreciate for their aesthetic appeal.