The custom patches minimum order at Patchworks USA starts from 100 pieces, confirmed on your quote. The exact minimum is set per job, because it depends on the construction and the design. This guide explains why custom patches have a minimum at all, how quantity changes the per-piece price, and how to pick a quantity that covers what you need without paying for more than you will use.
The same starting point applies across most of our catalog, from lapel pins and challenge coins to lanyards and woven labels, so the reasoning here holds for those too.
What the custom patches minimum order is
Custom patch minimums are set per job, from 100 pieces, confirmed on your quote. Three things are worth knowing about that number.
- It is a starting point. Minimums vary by product and construction, and we confirm the exact figure when we price your job at the factory.
- Quantity is counted per design. When you request a quote, you tell us how many patches you need of each design.
- It is confirmed before you commit. The quote shows the quantities it is built on, and nothing is made until you approve the proof in writing.
If your design and quantity are already settled, you can find the minimum for your job by requesting a quote. The FAQ on our custom patches page covers the same point.
Why custom patches have a minimum order
Every custom run starts with work that happens once, however many patches follow. That setup is the reason minimums exist.
Setup comes before the first patch
Your artwork has to be prepared for its construction. For an embroidered patch, the design is digitized: converted into a stitch file that tells the machine the type, direction, length, colour and order of every stitch. A woven patch needs the loom set up for your design. Then the machines are prepared and the colours are loaded. Pins, coins and medals start with a die or mold cut from your artwork.
Setup is spread over the run
That setup costs much the same whether the run is short or long. Spread over 100 pieces, it adds a fair share to each patch. Spread over 20, it would make each one far more expensive. A minimum keeps a custom run at a size where the price per piece makes sense.
The size of that setup varies by construction, which is one reason minimums are set per job rather than fixed for every patch.
Some products carry no setup or digitizing fee: hand embroidered bullion patches, embroidered luggage tags, woven labels and embroidered pieces such as epaulet covers. Those still start from 100 pieces, confirmed on your quote.
How quantity changes the per-piece price
Larger runs generally lower the per-piece cost, because the setup is spread over more pieces. The most useful thing you can do is ask for two or three quantities on one quote, such as 100, 200 and 500. You see exactly how the price moves, and you can decide with real numbers instead of guesses.
Minimum order and price breaks are different things
The minimum is the smallest run a factory will set up for your design. A price break is a quantity where the per-piece cost steps down. You can order at the minimum, but it is worth seeing where the next break sits before you decide, because a modest increase in quantity can sometimes cost little more in total.
Order for the year, not just the event
If you will need more patches within the year, ordering them together often costs less than two smaller runs. Our guide to what drives custom patch cost covers the other factors that move the price, such as size, coverage, colours and backing.
Minimums across our custom products
Here is where each product family starts. Every figure is confirmed on your quote for your construction and quantity.
| Product | Minimum | Setup note |
|---|---|---|
| Custom patches | From 100 pieces | Digitizing stays on file for reorders; bullion has no setup or digitizing fee |
| Lapel pins | From 100 pieces | A die is cut for every new pin design |
| Challenge coins | From 100 pieces | Struck or cast from a die made to your artwork |
| Medals and awards | From 100 pieces | The mold and the run are priced together |
| Lanyards | From 100 pieces | Confirmed once we know the material and hardware |
| Woven labels | From 100 pieces | No setup or digitizing fees |
| Luggage tags | From 100 pieces | No setup or digitizing fees |
| Heat transfers | From 100 pieces | Varies with the design and the run |
If you are ordering more than one product for the same program, such as patches and lapel pins with the same logo, each one is quoted on its own spec.
What to do if you need fewer than 100
If you need fewer than 100 patches, ask on your quote request. Pricing at 100 or more is usually the better value, because setup is spread across the run, and the difference per piece between a very short run and 100 can be large.
A few ways to reach a sensible quantity:
- Plan for the year, not just the next event or the next hire.
- Include spares for new members, damage and replacements.
- Think about other uses for the same design, such as bags, caps or gifts.
- Combine requests from different teams or chapters that share one design.
- Keep the design general, without a date or a name, so leftover patches stay useful.
One design can also be split across backings on the same order, for example sew-on for uniforms and hook-and-loop for gear. List the quantity for each on your quote request.
Reorders and the minimum order
A reorder of the same patch is simpler than the first run. The digitizing stays on file, and for pins and coins the molds stay on file too, so a reorder of the same artwork carries no setup line. Reference your original order or the artwork you sent the first time, and we requote the run at the current factory price, with the minimum confirmed on that quote. Our guide on how to reorder custom patches walks through it.
Get a quote at the quantities you need
Mock up your design in the free Patch Studio, then request a quote with your size, construction, colours, backing, in-hands date and two or three quantities to compare. We reply within one business day and send a quote within 2 to 3 business days, with the minimum for your job confirmed on it.
