Custom Patches Serve as Miniature Billboards to Promote Your Organization

Custom embroidered patches are just about everywhere you look. Motorcycle club members, mechanics, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, you name it, they have patches on their jackets, uniforms or other apparel. There are custom designs on the market for virtually everyone, or you can create your own. Patches serve as a way to identify employees of a specific company, a club or other organization, of course. But they also serve another purpose. Embroidered patches serve a basic human desire to belong, to be a part of a group. They mark one as a member of the tribe, connected to something more than themselves. 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 revolutionized machine embroidery and patch-making. Computer-controlled embroidery machines make patches possible in virtually any design desired. 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 needs. Because patches can be so expressive, they are popular throughout the world, essentially becoming a small billboard for the message they carry. It might seem improbable, but patches help bring people together. Through the group identity role, the small pieces of cloth help bond people to each other and generate camaraderie, whether in a workplace, a club or a 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 the patches to create a look unique to their specific unit. In the 1960s, NASA astronauts began designing custom patches for their own missions. The 1965 Gemini V mission in 1965 was the first to fly a patch, designed by astronauts Gordon Cooper and Pete Conrad. Police, firefighters and other emergency workers wear patches as a quick way to determine rank and to help fellow officers and civilians identify them quickly. In an emergency situation, they can help identify responders quickly, and could literally be a matter of life and death. Motorcycle clubs are closely identified with custom embroidered patches 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, these patches are worn for a lifetime in most cases. Businesses also use embroidered patches as a means to identify employees. The patches are part of the employees’ uniform, a visible sign that the employee works for the employer. These patches serve to identify the employees to the public. 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 as well.