Custom police patches
Design custom police patches online
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Design custom police patches online
Custom police patches are embroidered law enforcement patches made to a department's own artwork, worn on uniform shirts, duty jackets, tactical vests and dress uniforms. Super Label Store produces them in any shape from 1.5 to 9 inches, from 10 pieces per design.
Our online police patch designer lets you set the shape, size, coverage, border and backing, upload your department emblem, and see the result before you order. You get a free digital proof to print at actual size, and a free photo proof of a real sample patch before the full run is produced.
A police patch does more work than most embroidery. It has to be legible from across a room, survive years of duty wear and repeated laundering, hold detail that was originally drawn as a seal rather than as stitching, and look the same on the last officer issued as on the first. That is why the decisions on this page matter more than they would on a novelty patch: the size, the coverage, the edge finish and the backing each change how well the finished patch does those four things. The sections below walk through each choice, along with what embroidery can and cannot reproduce, so your department emblem comes out right the first time.
Why Super Label Store?
Super Easy
Easy to use configurators help you to design and order in minutes.
Super Quality
Premium quality from start to finish. FROM 5 TO 10.000+ PIECES
Super Fast
Fast production time. 4-12 business days or less
Free Digital Proof
Download and print your proof (pdf) before ordering, scale 1:1.
Inspiring custom patches
Using the police patch maker
The design tool handles the whole
specification, so you are not sending an email and waiting for a quote. Five decisions, in this order:
- Shape and size. Any outline from 1.5 to 9 inches. Most department shoulder patches land between 3.5 and 4.5 inches.
- Upload your artwork. For a shaped patch such as a shield or a star, upload a PNG with a transparent background so the patch follows the true outline. A white or coloured background is usually read as a rectangle. You can also select Custom Shape during ordering.
- Coverage. 50%, 75% or 100% embroidery. Detailed agency seals are best at 100%.
- Border. Merrow Border or Heat Cut, in a colour of your choice, alongside the background colour of the patch.
- Backing. Sew-on for uniforms, velcro for vests and gear, and five other options.
If your department emblem exists only as a photograph of an old patch or a scan, send that. The Super Label Store design team converts it into a production file at no cost, and you approve the result before anything is stitched. That is the normal route for law enforcement work rather than an exception.
Before you design: authorisation matters
Worth stating plainly, because it is specific to this category.
Official agency insignia, department seals and badge designs are typically controlled by the agency itself, and in many jurisdictions reproducing them without authorisation is restricted by law. If you are ordering on behalf of a department, unit or academy, that authorisation normally sits with your chain of command.
If you are not ordering officially, design your own artwork rather than copying an existing agency patch. Text, colours, symbols and layout of your own creation are entirely fine. Reproducing a real department's seal is not, unless you have permission.
We produce what you supply, so responsibility for the artwork rests with you. Confirm your authorisation before you place a departmental order.
What most law enforcement patch orders are for
Super Label Store produces custom law enforcement patches across every part of a department, from the main agency emblem to a single specialty unit.
- Department and agency patches. The main shoulder emblem carrying agency name, city, county or state. Usually ordered for a full roster.
- Sheriff's office patches. Often star-shaped rather than shield-shaped, which affects the border choice.
- Specialty unit patches. SWAT, K-9, narcotics, traffic, motorcycle patrol, dive and detective divisions.
- Rank and role strips. Officer, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, chief.
- Academy and training patches. Cadet classes, graduations and certification courses.
- Custom security patches. Private security, campus safety, corrections and event security teams, produced the same way as law enforcement patches.
- Memorial and commemorative patches. Line-of-duty tributes, anniversaries and retirement pieces.
A minimum of 10 per design makes a single unit or a cadet class practical. Most suppliers of custom patches for law enforcement start at 50 or 100.
Custom police patch specifications
Every embroidered law enforcement patch from Super Label Store is stitched on a twill base with polyester thread, from a minimum of 10 pieces per design, produced in 8 to 12 business days after proof approval.
- Size range: 1.5 to 9 inches, custom sizing
- Shapes: Any shape, including shields, stars, ovals, rockers and custom outlines
- Base material: Durable twill with polyester embroidery thread
- Colors: Up to 9 included, up to 15 for a surcharge. Metallic gold and silver available as a premium option
- Coverage: 50%, 75% or 100% embroidery
- Borders: Merrow Border (approx. 5 mm wide) or Heat Cut. Border colour of your choice
- Backings: Sew-on, single velcro, double velcro, iron-on, 3M adhesive, plastic, keychain
- Minimum text width: 3.5 to 4 mm per character
- Minimum order: 10 patches per design
- Price: From $97 per 10 patches
- Standard production: 8 to 12 business days after proof approval, plus shipping
- Rush production: 4 to 8 business days, $85 per design, from 200 pieces
- Proofs: Free Digital Proof to download, plus a free Photo Proof of a real sample patch
Police patch design: what works in thread
Agency seals carry more detail than almost any other artwork we produce, and thread has limits that print does not. Four things decide whether a design reads:
- Text needs 3.5 to 4 mm of width per character. Agency names, county names and mottoes are the longest text on most police patches, and the most common reason a proof comes back. A long department name needs a wider patch, not a smaller font.
- Fine linework in a seal usually needs simplifying. Scales, eagles, state outlines and buildings drawn in hairlines become a smudge at 4 inches. Bold, simplified shapes hold.
- Up to 9 thread colours are included, 15 is the maximum. Detailed seals sometimes need reducing, and the proof shows you exactly how.
- Gradients and shading cannot be woven in thread. They become solid blocks of colour. Design flat from the start.
If your department has fixed colours, enter the Pantone or other colour codes in the comments field when you order. Without codes, our design team matches your artwork as closely as the thread range allows.
Merrow Border or Heat Cut
The edge finish follows from your shape, and law enforcement artwork is unusually shape-driven.
A Merrow Border is the classic overlocked embroidered edge. It suits shields, circles and ovals. It is around 5 mm wide and that width is added around your design, so on a 3 inch patch it takes a meaningful share of the surface. Allow for it before you settle on a size.
Heat Cut is a sharp, clean finish that follows your exact outline. It is the option for a sheriff's star, an irregular shield or any shape with inward corners, because an overlock machine cannot follow those angles. It also gives the most premium result.
Sew-on or velcro?
Sew-on is the standard for uniform shirts and dress uniforms, and the most durable option. It is what most departments specify for the main shoulder patch.
Velcro police patches suit plate carriers, tactical vests and duty gear where patches are swapped between roles or removed before laundering. Single velcro if the gear already has a loop panel, double velcro if it does not, since that includes a loop piece to attach first. This is the usual choice for custom police patches for vests and specialty unit markings.
Full backing detail is on our custom velcro patches page.
Custom police patches
Design and create your police patches!
Two proofs before your run is produced
Digital Proof: check the size
Download it under the order button, print it on A4, cut it out and hold it against the uniform shirt. That settles whether 3.5 or 4.5 inches is right before you commit to a departmental order. If your printer scaling is off, adjust the print percentage until the printed size matches.
Photo Proof: check the finished patch
The Photo Proof is free on embroidery patches and can be ticked during ordering at no extra cost. Super Label Store produces one sample patch, photographs it, and sends it for approval before the rest of the run starts.
For an agency seal this is worth taking. Detailed heraldry is exactly the artwork where seeing one finished patch beats reading a specification, and adjusting one sample is far cheaper than reprinting 300.
It does extend the lead time, because production pauses until you respond. Keep an eye on your email during that window, particularly on a rush order.
Approve on the website rather than by email
Clicking Approve on the approval page sends your approval straight to the production floor and the machines carry on immediately. Feedback by email has to be processed by a member of staff first, which adds a step and delays the order.
Ordering for a department
Custom police patches at Super Label Store start at 10 pieces per design, at $97. The unit price drops automatically as the quantity rises, and from 100 pieces you can enter your own quantity in increments of 10, so 110, 170 or 250 are all valid.
Each design carries its own minimum. A department patch, a K-9 patch and a rank strip are three designs, so three minimums of 10. For a full agency order across several designs, request a quote and we will price the run directly.
We always do our utmost to meet the production time you choose. In exceptional cases production can be delayed by circumstances outside our control. If we miss a rush deadline, the $85 rush fee is refunded.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are custom police patches?
Custom police patches are embroidered emblems made to a department's own artwork, worn on uniform shirts, duty jackets and tactical vests. They identify agency, unit and rank, and typically carry the department name, the city, county or state, and an official seal.
Do you have a police patch maker or design tool?
Yes. The online police patch designer lets you set shape, size, coverage, border and backing, then upload your department emblem. It produces a free digital proof at 1:1 scale so you can check the police patch design at actual size before ordering.
What is the minimum order for custom law enforcement patches?
The minimum for custom patches for law enforcement at Super Label Store is 10 pieces per design, which is low enough for a single unit, a K-9 team or a cadet class. Most suppliers in this category start at 50 or 100.
How much do custom police patches cost?
Custom police patches at Super Label Store start at $97 for 10 pieces. Size, quantity, coverage and colour count drive the price, and the design tool updates as you change each option.
Can I order a patch with a real department's insignia?
Only with authorisation. Official agency insignia and department seals are usually controlled by the agency, and reproducing them without permission is restricted in many jurisdictions. If you are ordering officially, that authorisation sits with your chain of command. Otherwise, design your own artwork.
Can you reproduce our existing department patch?
Yes, where you are authorised to order it. Send a photograph of the current patch, a scan or a drawing, and our design team converts it into a production file at no cost. For a shaped patch such as a star or shield, a PNG with a transparent background gives the best result.
What size should a police shoulder patch be?
Between 3.5 and 4.5 inches for most department and agency emblems. If your seal carries a lot of detail, choose the larger end, because detail lost to a small patch cannot be recovered later.
Can we get gold or silver in a badge patch?
Yes. Metallic gold and silver are available as a premium option at a surcharge, which suits badge-style patches, scrollwork and lettering. Note in the comments field exactly where you want them applied.
Should we choose sew-on or velcro?
Sew-on for uniform shirts and dress uniforms, which is the most durable option and what most departments specify. Velcro for plate carriers, tactical vests and duty gear where patches are swapped between roles or removed before laundering.
Do you make sheriff and security patches too?
Yes. The same production covers custom sheriff patches, custom security patches, corrections, campus police and event security teams, all as embroidered law enforcement patches. Sheriff stars and other pointed outlines are best finished with Heat Cut rather than a Merrow Border.
How long does production take?
Standard production at Super Label Store is 8 to 12 business days plus shipping, counted from your approval of the proof rather than from the order date. Rush is 4 to 8 business days for $85 per design, available from 200 pieces.
Is the Photo Proof free?
Yes, on embroidery patches. Tick it during ordering at no extra cost and we will photograph one real sample patch for approval before the rest of the run is produced. It does extend the lead time slightly, because production waits for your response.
Start your police patch design
Open the designer, set your shape and size, upload your department artwork, and download a free 1:1 proof. From 10 patches per design, produced in 8 to 12 business days.
Related: fire department patches, tactical patches for plate carriers and loadouts, and name patches for individual identification.