The short answer: a 2″ patch suits most hats, a 2.4–3.6″ patch suits most chest placements, and back patches run 6–7″. The right size for your design is the smallest one at which its smallest text still reads. Woven patches can be made from 0.32″ up to 7.9″, in any shape.
Custom Patch Sizes by Placement
| Placement | Typical size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cap front panel | 2–2.6″ wide × 1.2–1.6″ tall | Keep inside the panel seams; a 2″ patch is the most common cap size |
| Beanie cuff | 1.6–2.2″ wide | The fold is shallow, so wide-and-short shapes fit best |
| Sleeve or shoulder | 1.6–3″ wide | Crests and small badges |
| Chest (jackets, shirts, workwear) | 2.4–3.6″ wide | The usual size for company and uniform logos |
| Bags and backpacks | 2–3.6″ wide | Larger looks better than you expect on a bag |
| Jacket back | 6–7″ wide | Up to 7.9″ (200 mm) on our looms |
These are starting points, not rules. A tall logo and a wide wordmark need different shapes at the same width. Hat placements are covered in more detail on custom hat patches.
Let the Smallest Text Decide
A woven patch is made of thread, so detail has a physical limit. Capital letters need to be at least 0.06″ tall at the finished size and read comfortably from about 0.08″; lines and the gaps between them need about 0.02″. If the tagline under your logo comes out smaller than that, make the patch larger, or drop the tagline from the patch version of the logo. Shrinking a patch to save money and losing the text is the most common sizing mistake.
Woven patches hold much finer detail than embroidered ones, which is why they suit logos with small lettering. The comparison is in woven vs embroidered patches.
How to Check a Size in Five Minutes
- Print your design at two or three candidate sizes on plain paper.
- Cut them out and pin or tape them to the actual hat, jacket or bag.
- Look from across the room and up close. Can you read every word?
- Enter the winning size in the patch configurator; the live preview shows your logo at that size.
Every uploaded file is also reviewed by a person within 24 hours. If something will not weave at your size, we tell you before production.
What a Bigger Patch Costs
Size matters less than quantity. Woven patch, Merrow edge, sew-on backing, two thread colors, from our published cost study:
| Quantity | 2″ patch | 3″ patch |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | $119 ($1.19 each) | $130 ($1.30 each) |
| 250 | $152 ($0.608 each) | $168 ($0.672 each) |
| 1,000 | $356 ($0.356 each) | $467 ($0.467 each) |
The gap grows with quantity because more woven area takes more loom time per piece. Back patches much above 4″ cost noticeably more per patch. The configurator prices any size exactly. More on prices in how much custom patches cost.
Edges and Shapes Change the Usable Size
A Merrow edge is a raised border a few millimetres wide, at its best on simple shapes such as circles, ovals and rectangles. It takes space from the design area, so allow for it on a small patch. A hot-cut edge follows any outline with almost no border, so the whole patch is design. For a custom shape on a small patch, hot-cut usually leaves more room for the logo.
Still Unsure? Hold One First
A Proof Pack is five real woven patches of your design with a photo proof, for $40, which is the surest way to judge a size on the garment. Standard runs start at 50 per design; see custom patches with a low minimum.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size patch fits on a hat?
Most cap front panels take a patch 2–2.6″ wide and 1.2–1.6″ tall. Beanie cuffs are tighter, about 1.6–2.2″ wide.
What size is a chest patch?
Chest patches on jackets, shirts and workwear usually fall between 2.4″ and 3.6″ wide. Pick the smallest size where your smallest text still reads.
What is the biggest custom patch you can make?
Woven patches go up to 7.9″ (about 7.9″). Back patches on jackets are usually 6–7″ wide. The smallest woven patch is 0.32″.
Does a bigger patch cost more?
A little on small runs, more at volume. At 100 pieces a 2″ patch costs $119 and a 3″ patch $130; at 1,000 pieces they are $0.356 and $0.467 each.
How small can the text on a woven patch be?
Capital letters need to be at least 0.06″ tall at the finished size, and text reads comfortably from about 0.08″. If a logo's text is smaller than that, make the patch bigger rather than shrinking the text.