I was recently asked about the history of embroidered emblems or “patches” and how has the industry changed in the past 15 years or so.  It got me thinking about 1999, the year I began my career in designing and manufacturing embroidering patches.

Today, the majority of emblems are made on multi-head embroidery machines (I will talk about multi-head machines shortly).  This is a vast difference to when I first got into this industry as most companies were making patches on Schiffli Embroidery machines.  Schiffli machines were manufactured in Europe at the turn of the past century and have been the machine of choice up until the late 1990’s.  The machines are massive measuring over 18 meters in length and 4.5 meters in height.  Each machine had more than 1000 needles.  The space required to set up such machinery is extensive. Typically, the machines would hold 2 pieces of twill set vertically.  Twill is the material we stitch into.  The twill would measure approximately 13 meters in length and just over 1 meter in height.  Both pieces of twill could be embroidered at the same time so your output was fast and numerous.

The machines have incredible durability as many of the existing machines today are decades old.  I recall the company that introduced me to emblems had machines that were made in the 1940s.  With the advent of computerized systems, productivity and detail accuracy have improved over the years but the popularity of these machines as dropped significantly.  The biggest drawbacks are expense of owning and operating them, space required for set-up and lack of embroidery detail.  The lack of embroidery detail was not such an issue or should I say, not noticed as much until multi-head machines came on the scene.

Multi-head machines’ popularity took the industry by surprise as the machine’s ability to deliver highly detailed patches in timely, considerable quantities was quickly adopted.  The machines are made up of a series of separate sewing heads or stations.  Each station is responsible for the completion of one emblem.  The number of stations per machine varies from a few to over 30 or more.  Unlike the Schiffli machine, the twill is placed horizontally in various lengths ranging from 3 meters up to 15 or more, depending on the number of stations.

The greatest contribution these machines offer is the attention to embroidery detail.  When compared to Schiffli produced patches, the multi-head product looks much cleaner and clearer.  There really is no comparison once you compare them side-by-side.

At Artex, we use only multi-head machines so absolute clarity is the best it can be.  Not to segue into another topic but regarding clarity, I can’t overstate the importance of the quality of the digitizing file.  This file instructs the machine as to where to place the stitches.  The bottom line is the person or artist who creates this file will ultimately control the overall beauty and detail of the patch. Their ability or lack there of is the key component.  Okay, that is another topic so more to follow later.

You might be surprised as to how many different hands it takes to make an embroidered patch. I will offer a somewhat simplified version of the process hoping to give you a much better understanding of what goes into making a patch.

First, let’s assume for the sake of this article that your artwork is complete and approved. As mentioned in earlier segments, Artex Group has a full service art department that can help you with the creation of your design. The approved artwork then proceeds to the digitizing department.

In the simplest of terms, the digitizing department takes your artwork and produces a file that will instruct the embroidery machine as to where to place each and every stitch. It also provides instructions as to thread color selections and placement of the stitching layers that make up each design. Without a doubt, the expertise of the digitizer determines the appearance and quality outcome of the emblem. In essence, digitizers are artists and their ability is absolutely key to making a beautiful emblem.

Once the digitizing file is complete, it’s time to begin the embroidery process. We use primarily Tajima embroidery machines that feature up to 20 or more individual sewing stations. Each station will completely produce one emblem. The base materials used are primarily twill and pellon, both cotton-based fabrics. The twill is the surface material and the pellon, placed beneath the twill, acts as a stitch stabilizer. Both come in rolls and are laid out in front of the sewing stations. The stitching begins and ends only after all the surface stitching is complete. Stitch borders, if selected, will also be completed during this process. Once the machine completes one row of patches, the twill is rotated to uncover a new surface area and the stitching process begins again. This continues until the order’s quantity has been completed.

The twill is then removed and sent to our lamination process whereby the backing (either heat seal or plastic) is applied. The lamination machine is like an oven with rollers and the backing material is slowly baked onto the back of the twill. After appropriate cooling, the twill is then sent to our detailing department whereby each emblem is cut out to your exact specifications. The patches are also given an initial inspection for any defects.

If the patches required a merrow border, they are sent to our sewing department whereby the borders are applied to each patch. The machines are very similar to household sewing machines.

All patches are then sent to our quality control department for a final inspection. Minor defects such as loose threads, can in most cases be repaired. Beyond that, defective emblems are removed and destroyed. Quality approved patches are then sent to the shipping department, placed in boxes and made ready for final delivery.

We hope this helps in understanding our custom patch making process!