Printed Badges without an overlocked border offer distinct advantages when applied to sportswear, baseball caps and finer fabrics. Here’s why:

1. Sleek Appearance: A patch without an overlocked border lies flat against the fabric, creating a streamlined and professional look. The absence of visible stitching around the edges ensures a clean and polished appearance, which is especially desirable for sportswear.
2. Custom Shapes: Unlike overlocked borders, patches without this type of edge can be easily customized to fit intricate, uneven, or unique shapes. Whether it’s a team logo, a specific design, or personalized branding, these badges can be cut to more or less any shape.  Our heat cutting process ensures smooth non fray edges.
3. Application: Printed Badges can be either sewn on to the item or heat transferred with either a heatpress or a domestic iron.  Clearly the receiving fabric needs to be able to stand the correct amount of heat without distortion.

Illustration of printed badge detail below

Printed Badge Order Process

Have in your mind’s eye the end result! We are available to help you every step of the way. You can email, use the chat or phone for assistance 0333 320 2259. We are always glad to help.

Here is a quick overview of the ordering process:

1. Fill in the online form
2. We send you a quotation
3. We design your badge and send you a proof for approval
4. On approval we put your order in to production
5. When complete we despatch via tracked courier

Here’s how in more detail:

Designing your badge

If you already have an existing design, you can send it in for copying or alternatively upload a photo or artwork, that’s easy.
If you are starting from the ground up you will need to design a badge which is fit for purpose. Our standard printed patches are machine washable and suitable for most applications but here are a few tips:

Select a type of backing

Iron-on or heatseal backing is a good option as it saves sewing, however you need to be careful about the fabric on which it is going to be applied, can it stand the heat of a hot iron? Depending on the washing cycle they will stay attached for up to 80 washes. Heatseal doesn’t work with nylon or synthetic fabrics.

Sew on badges are self explanatory and can be easily sewn on by machine or hand. They are a bit more flexible than other badges with a backing.

Velcro (hook and loop) can be supplied as one part or two part. Some uniform already has one of the parts (loop) to receive the badge. A two part hook and loop badge – obviously the receiving part of the system has to be sewn on to the garment. These are used when there is a frequent change of badge for a particular uniform or costume.

Self adhesive backing is a non-permanent option and is usually used for a single event. It is a strong adhesive but won’t survive a wash cycle. For a permanent application sew-on is the best solution.

Edge Finishing

The two types of edge finishing most commonly used are heat cut with no border or an overlocked edge sometimes known as merrow which is a stitching to finish off the cut edge to stop it fraying. This is usually 3mm – 4mm wide. Usually a sew on badge is stitched on to the garment through the overlocked border.

Once you have decided on the backing and edge finishing, it is then a question of getting the design in to a format that we can turn in to a finished visual. If you have an existing badge or artwork, that makes it more straightforward and you can upload this on the online form.

Want some help?
If you don’t have finished artwork or an existing badge for us to copy, you can just simply sketch out what you require, indicate the colours and we can do the rest. Just take a photo or scan and upload through our form. Don’t hesitate to phone us on 0333 320 2259 or simply email us sales@badgemill.com