Custom iron on patches and badges
Iron on logo patches for business and workwear
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Custom iron on patches and badges
An iron on patch is an embroidered patch with a heat activated backing, fixed to fabric with a household iron instead of a needle and thread. Super Label Store makes custom iron on patches and iron on badges in the UK from 10 pieces per design, in any shape between 4 and 23 cm, with up to 9 thread colours included, from £75 for 10.
The patch itself is identical to the sew on version: embroidered polyester thread on a twill base, finished with a Merrow Border or Heat Cut edge. Only the back differs. A sheet of adhesive is bonded to the reverse, and heat melts it into the weave of the garment.
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 iron-on patches
How to iron on a patch
Applying an iron on patch takes between twenty and thirty seconds of pressing. The whole job, including heating the iron, takes about five minutes.
- Heat the iron to medium-high, dry. Turn the steam off completely. Steam is water, and water stops the adhesive reaching the temperature it needs.
- Prepare the garment. It has to be clean, dry and pressed flat. Press the area first if there is any crease in it, because the patch will set into whatever shape the fabric is in.
- Position the patch face up and check it twice. Once the adhesive has set, moving it is difficult and usually leaves a mark.
- Cover it with a thin cloth. A tea towel or a pressing cloth. This protects both the embroidery and the garment from direct contact with the plate.
- Press firmly for 20 to 30 seconds. Steady downward pressure, held in one place. Do not slide the iron around as you would when ironing a shirt.
- Let it cool completely before you touch it. The bond forms as the adhesive cools, not while it is hot, so this step does more work than it looks like it does.
- Test the edges with a fingernail. If a corner lifts, cover it again and press that spot for another 15 seconds.
Two things make the difference between a patch that lasts years and one that lifts in a month: pressure and patience. Most failed applications are either too gentle or handled before they cooled.
When iron on works, and when it does not
Iron on backing bonds to fabrics that can take heat and have a surface the adhesive can key into. Cotton, denim, canvas, twill and most polycotton blends are ideal, which covers workwear, jeans, tote bags, aprons, school uniform and the majority of jackets.
Choose a sew on or velcro backing instead for:
- Nylon and technical fabrics. Waterproofs, shell jackets and anything with a membrane. The iron temperature needed to melt the adhesive is above what these fabrics tolerate, and you will mark the garment.
- Leather and vinyl. Heat damages both.
- Fleece and heavy knits. The surface is too open and too soft for the adhesive to grip flat.
- Stretch fabrics. A patch is rigid, the fabric moves, and the bond works loose along the edges.
- Anything washed daily at high temperature. Workwear that goes through a hot wash every shift is better stitched.
Our combination approach covers most of the difficult cases: iron the patch on to hold it in place, then run a few stitches around the edge. Ten minutes of sewing on a patch that is already fixed is far easier than pinning and stitching from scratch, and the result is permanent. Our page on custom velcro patches covers the removable option, which is the right answer for anything that needs to come off between shifts.
Iron on logo patches for business and workwear
Design and create your unique iron-on labels!
Iron on logo patches for business and workwear
An iron on logo patch is the fastest way to put a company logo on a garment without ordering branded stock. Super Label Store digitises your artwork at no cost and embroiders it onto twill with a heat activated backing, from 10 pieces per design, so you can brand a small run of polos, aprons, caps or jackets that you bought plain.
This is why iron on logos suit small businesses better than embroidery direct to the garment:
- You buy garments where you like. No need to source from a supplier who also embroiders.
- One artwork, many garment types. The same custom iron on logo goes on a fleece, an apron and a cap without setting up the machine three times.
- Sizing and mistakes are recoverable. A garment that turns out to be the wrong size has not been embroidered, only patched.
- Small runs are viable. Ten pieces per design at Super Label Store, where most embroidery services want fifty or more.
Iron on repair patches
An iron on repair patch covers a hole, a tear or a worn patch of fabric and holds the area together while it does it. It is the oldest use of the product and still one of the most common, particularly on jeans at the knee, elbows on jumpers and the seat of workwear trousers.
Order the patch at least 1 cm larger than the damage on every side. The adhesive has to bond to sound fabric all the way round, and a patch that only just covers the hole has nothing to hold on to. For a hole rather than a thin patch, back it with a scrap of fabric first so the adhesive has something to grip in the middle as well as at the edges.
Repairing with a custom patch rather than a plain one turns a repair into a decision. A logo, a name, a shape you chose: the garment looks patched on purpose instead of patched up.
Sizing iron on patches
Super Label Store produces iron on patches between 4 and 23 cm in any shape. Placement usually decides the size before anything else does:
- Cap or beanie front. 5 to 6 cm. The curve limits what will sit flat.
- Chest logo. 6 to 9 cm, and the most commonly ordered range.
- Sleeve or shoulder. 8 to 10 cm.
- Tote bag or backpack. 8 to 13 cm.
- Jacket back panel. 15 to 23 cm, where intricate artwork finally has room to read.
Iron on patch specifications
In one line: Super Label Store embroiders custom iron on patches on a polyester twill base with a heat activated backing, from 4 to 23 cm in any shape, with up to 9 thread colours, from 10 pieces per design, from £75 for 10, produced in 8 to 12 business days.
- Backing. Heat activated iron on adhesive. Sew on, velcro and combination backings also available.
- Base. Embroidered polyester thread on a twill base.
- Size. 4 to 23 cm, any shape.
- Colours. Up to 9 thread colours included, up to 15 with a surcharge.
- Coverage. 50%, 75% or 100% embroidery. 50% leaves twill visible and costs least, 100% stitches the whole surface.
- Borders. Merrow Border for simple outlines, or Heat Cut for shapes that follow your artwork exactly.
- Minimum order. 10 pieces per design.
- Price. From £75 for 10 patches. Free UK delivery on orders over £175.
- Production. 8 to 12 business days plus delivery. Rush production 4 to 8 business days for £85 per design, available from 200 pieces.
- Proof. A free digital proof at 1:1 scale, which you download and check yourself in the patch designer. A free Photo Proof of the finished patch is available as an option.
- Digitizing. Included at no cost. JPG, PNG, AI, PSD, INDD and PDF all accepted.
Washing clothes with iron on patches
Heat is what shortens the bond, and a tumble dryer applies more of it than a wash does. If a garment goes through a hot wash and a full tumble cycle every week, stitch around the edge of the patch after you have ironed it on. Ten minutes once, and the question never comes up again.
Iron on patches or iron on labels?
A patch is embroidered on a twill base, sits proud of the fabric and is meant to be seen from across a room. A label is woven, thin and flat, and is meant to sit inside a neckline or a seam where only the wearer finds it. Choose a patch for anything decorative or identifying on the outside of a garment, and a label for branding and sizing on the inside.
For woven labels see our woven labels page, and for iron on name labels for school uniform and care homes, see name labels.
Who orders custom iron on patches
- Small businesses and workwear buyers branding plain garments with an iron on logo patch.
- Clothing brands and streetwear labels adding embroidered badges to jackets, caps and bags.
- Clubs, teams and societies issuing badges to members who apply them themselves.
- Event and festival organisers producing merchandise that buyers attach at home.
- Makers and repairers covering wear on jeans, jackets and workwear.
- Parents and volunteers applying badges to uniforms without sewing.
Design your custom iron on patches
Set the shape, the size, the coverage, the border and the backing in the patch designer, then upload a logo or build a design from text and shapes. If you have a sketch or a photo of an existing badge, send it and our design team redraws it. You download your free digital proof at 1:1 scale in the designer, so you check the artwork at actual size before you order. Print it, hold it against the garment it is going on, and order once it looks right.
There is a second proof available if you want one. Tick Photo Proof and Super Label Store embroiders one patch, photographs it and sends you the image before the rest of the run is made, at no extra cost. It adds a step to the timeline and it is worth taking on a first order, on a design with fine detail, or on anything where a thread colour needs to match something you already have. Production is 8 to 12 business days, or 4 to 8 business days with rush production at £85 per design from 200 pieces.
Start at embroidery patches, or ask for a custom order quote for sizes and quantities outside the standard ranges. For the range of patch types and backings, see custom patches.
Frequently asked questions
What are custom iron on patches?
Custom iron on patches are embroidered patches supplied with a heat activated adhesive backing. Pressing them with a household iron melts the adhesive so it bonds into the fabric, which fixes the patch without any stitching. Super Label Store makes them from 10 pieces per design, in any shape between 4 and 23 cm.
How do I iron on a patch?
Heat a dry iron to medium-high with the steam off, press the garment flat, position the patch, cover it with a thin cloth, and press firmly in one place for 20 to 30 seconds. Let it cool completely before touching it, then check the edges with a fingernail and re-press any corner that lifts for another 15 seconds.
What iron setting should I use for iron on patches?
Medium-high, on the dry setting with the steam switched off. On a dial that means the cotton or linen setting. Steam prevents the adhesive reaching the temperature it needs, which is the most common reason a patch fails to bond first time.
How long do you iron a patch for?
20 to 30 seconds of firm, steady pressure held in one place, then a full cool down before you handle the garment. If an edge lifts afterwards, cover it and press that spot for a further 15 seconds.
Are iron on patches permanent?
They hold through normal wear and washing, and the adhesive weakens gradually after many hot cycles. For anything washed hot and tumble dried every week, iron the patch on and then run a few stitches around the edge. That makes it permanent and is much easier than sewing an unfixed patch.
What is the difference between an iron on patch and an iron on badge?
Nothing. Badge is the more common British word for unit insignia, club emblems and uniform identification, patch the more common word in fashion, streetwear and merchandise. Super Label Store makes custom iron on badges and patches as one product, on the same twill base, from 10 pieces per design.
What fabrics do not work with iron on patches?
Nylon, waterproof and technical fabrics, leather, vinyl, fleece, heavy knits and stretch fabrics. These either cannot take the heat or give the adhesive nothing flat to bond to. Choose a sew on or velcro backing for those, or iron the patch on and stitch the edge.
Can I wash clothes with iron on patches on them?
Yes. Turn the garment inside out, wash at 30 degrees on a gentle cycle, and air dry or tumble on low. High temperature washing and full heat tumble drying are what shorten the life of the bond.
Can an iron on patch cover a hole?
Yes, and it is one of the most common uses. Order the patch at least 1 cm larger than the damaged area on every side so the adhesive bonds to sound fabric all the way round. For an actual hole rather than thin fabric, back it with a scrap of material first so there is something for the adhesive to grip in the middle.
What is the minimum order for iron on patches?
10 pieces per design at Super Label Store, where most suppliers start at 50 or 100. The minimum is per design rather than per order, so ten patches of one artwork is a complete order and three different designs is three orders of ten.
How much do custom iron on patches cost?
From £75 for 10 patches. Price follows stitch count, so size, coverage and colour count all move it: 50% coverage is the most economical and 100% the most expensive. UK delivery is free on orders over £175.
What sizes and shapes can I order?
Any shape, from 4 to 23 cm. Cap fronts run 5 to 6 cm, chest logos 6 to 9 cm, sleeves 8 to 10 cm and jacket back panels 15 to 23 cm. Above 23 cm we price it as a custom run.
Can I put my company logo on an iron on patch?
Yes. Upload a JPG, PNG, AI, PSD, INDD or PDF and Super Label Store digitises it at no cost, so you do not need embroidery software or a stitch file. An iron on logo patch lets you brand plain garments you bought yourself, from 10 pieces per design.
How long does production take?
8 to 12 business days plus delivery. Rush production runs in 4 to 8 business days for £85 per design and is available from 200 pieces. You download your free digital proof at 1:1 scale in the patch designer before ordering, so the artwork is settled before production starts.
Can I see the patch before the full run is made?
Yes, in two ways. You download a free digital proof at 1:1 scale in the patch designer and check it before you order. You can also tick Photo Proof at no extra cost, and Super Label Store embroiders one patch, photographs it and sends you the image before the rest of the run is made. Photo Proof adds a step to the timeline and is worth taking on a first order or a design with fine detail.