Custom PVC patches
built for weather.
Soft rubber, molded rather than stitched. Fully waterproof, wipe-clean, and available in raised 3D relief with velcro backing. Priced instantly, with a free mockup within 24 hours.
- Fully waterproof
- 3D relief available
- Velcro ready
- 50-piece minimum
- Material
- Soft molded PVC rubber
- Finishes
- Standard molded color, or UV + PVC print
- Relief
- Flat 2D or raised 3D
- Water
- Fully waterproof, wipe clean
- Backing
- Sew-on included, velcro optional
- Sizes
- 2 × 2, 3 × 3, 4 × 4 in
- Minimum
- 50 pieces
A patch with no fabric and no thread in it.
A PVC patch starts as a mold cut to your design. Soft rubber is laid into that mold color by color, then cured into a single solid piece. There is no twill base, no stitching, and no weave. The finished patch is one flexible slab of rubber with your artwork formed into it.
That construction is what gives PVC its particular set of strengths. Nothing in the patch can absorb water, fray, unravel, or snag. It bends without creasing and springs back flat. It wipes clean with a cloth, which matters on gear that gets muddy or greasy rather than laundered.
It also unlocks something neither stitched type can do. Because the rubber is poured to a depth, parts of the design can sit higher than others, giving genuine physical relief rather than the shallow texture of embroidery.
What the rubber does that thread can't.
Genuinely waterproof
Not water resistant, waterproof. There is no absorbent material in the patch, so rain, spray, and submersion do nothing to it.
Real dimensional relief
Elements can be molded at two or three different heights so a mark stands physically proud of its background. Embroidery cannot build depth like this.
Wipes clean
Mud, oil, and grit come off with a cloth. On tactical and field gear that is far more practical than laundering a fabric patch.
Sharp molded edges
The mold defines the outline, so intricate silhouettes and cut-through gaps come out crisp without needing a stitched border to seal them.
Standard PVC, or UV + PVC.
Pricing is very close between the two. The right one depends on whether your artwork is built from solid color or from blends.
| Standard PVC | UV + PVC | |
|---|---|---|
| How color is made | Blocks of colored rubber molded together | Molded rubber base with a UV-printed layer on top |
| Best for | Bold graphic marks, solid color areas, unit insignia | Gradients, shading, photographic detail, complex illustration |
| 3D relief | Yes, up to two or three levels | Yes, on the molded base |
| Sun exposure | Color runs through the rubber, so it holds up longest | Printed layer sits on the surface, best for moderate exposure |
| Price | Same | Same |
What PVC patches get ordered for.
Tactical and duty gear
Plate carriers, packs, and duty belts, almost always with velcro so the patch moves between kit or comes off for a call.
Outdoor and marine
Rain shells, dry bags, kayaks, and dive gear. The one place where a fabric patch genuinely struggles and rubber does not.
Field and industrial crews
Workwear that meets oil, dust, and weather daily, and gets wiped down rather than washed.
Brand patches on hard goods
Molded logos on bags, cases, and equipment where a stitched patch would look out of place against synthetic materials.
Morale and event patches
Short-run pieces where the 3D relief and bright molded color make the patch feel like a collectible object.
Performance and team gear
Technical fabrics and wetsuits where a rubber patch flexes with the garment instead of stiffening a panel.
Sizes, backing, and color.
Size and shape
Standard sizes are 2 × 2, 3 × 3, 4 × 4, and 5 × 5 inches, and pricing follows the finished size you select when you quote. For a non-standard shape, send the finished width and height and we confirm the right size before production. Shape is free to choose, and because the outline is cut into the mold, complex silhouettes and interior cut-outs are straightforward rather than an upcharge. For a larger molded piece or a specialty job, we quote by hand and reply within 4 hours.
Backing
Two options on PVC. Iron-on is deliberately not offered: rubber will not take the heat an adhesive film needs, so rather than sell a backing that lets go in the first wash we leave it off. The backing guide explains how each type behaves.
| Backing | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Sew-on | Included | Permanent placement on packs, jackets, and technical fabric. |
| Velcro (hook) | +$0.55 each | Tactical and duty gear where the patch needs to come off. Loop side sold separately. |
Color
PVC color is mixed into the rubber, so it is specified from your artwork and confirmed on the proof before the mold is cut. Worth knowing: because there is no thread in a molded patch, PVC does not carry the Pantone thread codes an embroidered or woven patch does. If matching a brand color to a specific stitched thread is what you need, our thread color chart shows the palette used on embroidered patches.
Thread coverage, the 50/75/100% setting on stitched patches, does not apply to PVC and the calculator disables it when you select a molded type.
The mold is cut after you approve, not before.
A molded patch has a step a stitched one does not: the mold itself. Once it is cut, the design is fixed for that run, which makes the proof stage more consequential than usual. So we do it properly. You get a free mockup within 24 hours showing colors, dimensions, and which elements are raised, and you can revise it as many times as you want at no cost.
Nothing is cut and nothing is molded until you click approve. We never auto-approve a proof. When you do approve, the design is written to a permanent record so a reorder runs from the same specification rather than being rebuilt from scratch.
Priced instantly, same as embroidered.
Per-patch price for PVC with sew-on backing, straight from the same engine the calculator uses. PVC is not a hidden quote-only product here.
| Size | 50 pcs | 100 pcs | 500 pcs | 1,000 pcs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 × 2 in | $4.90 | $3.40 | $2.20 | $1.70 |
| 3 × 3 in | $5.80 | $4.80 | $3.30 | $2.60 |
| 4 × 4 in | $7.20 | $6.40 | $4.80 | $3.80 |
| 5 × 5 in | $8.40 | $7.50 | $5.60 | $4.20 |
Artwork setup, included
Preparing the production file and mold specification is part of the patch price. No setup fee on the first order or any reorder.
No setup fees, free US shipping
A free mockup within 24 hours, unlimited revisions, and free shipping inside the US.
Velcro and rush
Velcro backing adds $0.55 per patch. Rush production adds 15%. UV + PVC costs the same as standard.
Quotes hold for 30 days. The pricing page lists every add-on across all types.
Four steps to molded patches.
- 01
Price it
Select PVC or UV + PVC in the calculator, set size and quantity, and see the real number instantly.
- 02
Review the proof
A free mockup within 24 hours showing colors, dimensions, and raised elements.
- 03
Approve
The mold is cut only after your approval click. Revisions before that are unlimited and free.
- 04
Delivery
7 to 10 day delivery with tracking, free within the US.
Not sure which patch type suits your artwork? Types of custom patches compares every method side by side.
PVC patch questions, answered.
Are PVC patches actually waterproof?+
Yes. A PVC patch is solid molded rubber with no fabric and no thread, so there is nothing in it that can absorb water. Rain runs off it, it can be submerged without harm, and it can be wiped clean with a cloth. That is the practical reason it turns up on rain shells, dive gear, marine equipment, and anything that lives outdoors.
What is the difference between PVC and UV + PVC?+
Standard PVC builds the design from separate blocks of colored rubber, which gives clean, solid color and the option of raised relief. UV + PVC starts from the same rubber base and adds a UV-printed layer on top, which lets us reproduce gradients, fine shading, and photographic detail that molded color blocks cannot hold. Pricing is very close between the two. Choose standard PVC for bold graphic marks and UV + PVC when the artwork has blends or photographic elements.
Can PVC patches be made in 3D?+
Yes, and it is one of the main reasons people choose the material. Because the patch is molded rather than stitched, elements can be built at different heights so a logo, a letterform, or a figure stands proud of the background. Two or three levels of relief is typical. Very fine detail works better kept flat, because sharp thin elements are fragile when raised.
Why can't I choose iron-on backing for a PVC patch?+
Because it would not hold. Iron-on backing works by melting an adhesive film with heat, and rubber does not tolerate that heat the way woven twill does. Rather than sell a backing that fails in the wash, we offer PVC with sew-on backing included or velcro for removable placement. The calculator reflects this and will switch you to sew-on if you pick a PVC type.
Will a PVC patch fade or go brittle in the sun?+
Color is mixed through the rubber rather than printed on the surface, so a standard PVC patch holds its color under sustained sun far better than a printed patch would. For UV + PVC, the printed layer is the part exposed to sunlight, so on a piece that will sit in direct sun year-round we will usually steer you toward standard molded color for the elements that matter most.
Buyers whose patches live outdoors.
Rubber gets chosen when laundering is not the cleaning method and weather is a daily fact. Three audiences where that is normal:
Rubber isn't always the answer.
If the patch is going on a jacket rather than a plate carrier, one of these two is probably the better fit.
Get your PVC patches priced.
Pick PVC in the calculator and see a real per-patch price straight away. Free mockup in 24 hours, 50-piece minimum.