Custom UV PVC Patches
PVC durability. Full-color detail. A molded rubber base with a UV-printed layer on top, so artwork with gradients, shading and fine detail comes out looking like the file you sent. Priced instantly, with a free mockup within 24 hours.
- Gradients and shading
- Photographic detail
- Velcro ready
- 25-piece minimum
- Build
- Molded PVC base, UV printed on top
- Best for
- Gradients, shading, fine detail
- Colors
- Not a limiting factor
- Relief
- 3D available on the molded base
- Backing
- Sew-on included, velcro optional
- Sizes
- 2 × 2, 3 × 3, 4 × 4, 5 × 5 in
UV PVC patches have a molded rubber base with a full-color UV-printed layer on top, so gradients, shading and fine detail come through on a waterproof patch. A 3 inch UV PVC patch is $4.40 each at 100 pieces, sew-on, with artwork setup and US shipping included. The minimum is 25 pieces, and orders arrive in about 5 to 6 weeks with prompt approvals.
A molded base, printed on top.
A UV PVC patch is built in two stages. First the base is molded from soft PVC rubber, the same way a standard PVC patch is made, which gives the patch its shape, its edge and its feel. Then the artwork is UV printed onto that base at high resolution.
That second stage is the whole difference. Standard PVC builds color from separate blocks of colored rubber, so every color is a discrete area with a hard boundary. UV printing puts a continuous image on the surface, so a gradient stays a gradient and a photograph stays a photograph.
Two ways to make the same patch.
Neither is better. They are different manufacturing routes, and the right one depends entirely on your artwork.
| Standard PVC | UV Printed 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 |
| Number of colors | Each color is a separate block | Not a limiting factor |
| 3D relief | Yes, up to two or three levels | Yes, on the molded base |
| Fine detail and small text | Limited by what molding can hold | Higher resolution |
| Sustained direct sun | Color runs through the rubber | The printed layer sits on the surface |
| Price | Shown in the calculator | Shown in the calculator |
On the sun question we will tell you straight: if a patch is going to sit in full sun year-round, molded color holds up longer than a printed surface. If that is your situation and the artwork allows it, we will recommend standard PVC.
If molding cannot hold your artwork, printing can.
UV printing earns its place when the artwork has something molded color physically cannot reproduce.
Gradients and blends
Where one color fades into another
Shading and depth
Rather than flat color areas
Photographic elements
Or detailed illustration
Fine linework
And small text that would close up in a mold
High color counts
That would need impractical numbers of rubber blocks
Artwork you cannot simplify
Without losing what makes it yours
If none of those apply, standard molded PVC will probably give you a better patch. Solid graphic marks look sharper molded, and molded color lasts longer in the sun.
Not sure whether your design needs UV printing?
Send us the artwork and we will tell you.
We look at your file and give you a straight answer about which build will reproduce it better. If molding can hold your design cleanly, we will say so and quote standard PVC. If UV printing would preserve detail that molding would lose, we will show you why.
Don't have a production-ready file? That's okay. Vector artwork reproduces best, but high-resolution raster artwork can also work. We'll review what you send and let you know if anything needs adjustment before production.
You will see the answer on your free mockup within 24 hours of starting your order, before anything is made. If we think you are about to buy the more complicated option for no reason, we would rather tell you than sell it to you.
Sizes and backing.
2 × 2 to 5 × 5 inches
Priced instantly in the calculator. Larger sizes are quote on request.
Sew-on or velcro
Sew-on as standard, or velcro. Iron-on is not offered on molded PVC of either kind, because the rubber does not take a heat-set adhesive the way fabric does.
25 pieces
At 50 and above you move onto standard volume pricing.
Four steps, and you approve before anything is made.
- 01
Send your artwork
Price it in the calculator or send the file. No setup fees.
- 02
Free mockup in 24 hours
You see how the artwork will actually reproduce, with our recommendation on standard versus UV. Revisions are free and unlimited.
- 03
You approve the proof
You approve a Digital Mockup, then a Production Proof: one actual finished patch, photographed for you. Nothing is mass produced until you approve that. We never auto-approve a design.
- 04
We make it and ship it
Turnaround varies by order size, artwork, production requirements and shipping. We will confirm the expected timeline for your order before production begins. Have a deadline? Let us know and we will confirm what is possible without compromising quality.
Priced in the calculator, no quote form required.
UV PVC is priced by size and quantity in the same calculator as everything else. Pick UV + PVC, set your size and quantity, and you get the real number immediately.
| Size | 25 | 50 | 100 | 500 | 1000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 × 2 in | $7.13 | $4.60 | $3.30 | $2.10 | $1.60 |
| 3 × 3 in | $8.68 | $5.60 | $4.40 | $3.20 | $2.50 |
| 4 × 4 in | $10.54 | $6.80 | $6.20 | $4.50 | $3.60 |
| 5 × 5 in | $11.78 | $7.60 | $7.20 | $5.50 | $4.10 |
Velcro backing adds $0.55 per patch. Need it sooner? Ask about rush availability. Quotes hold for 30 days. The pricing page shows every type side by side.
UV PVC patches, answered.
What is a UV PVC patch?+
A patch with a molded soft PVC rubber base and artwork UV printed onto it at high resolution. It is made the same way a standard PVC patch is made, with a printing stage added, which is what lets it carry gradients and photographic detail that molded color blocks cannot hold.
How is it different from a standard PVC patch?+
Standard PVC builds the image from separate blocks of colored rubber, so every color is a distinct area. UV PVC prints a continuous image onto the rubber base. Standard PVC is the better choice for bold graphic marks and for anything living in full sun. UV PVC is the better choice for gradients, shading, fine detail and high color counts.
Which one does my artwork need?+
Send it to us and we will tell you. If molding can reproduce your design cleanly we will recommend standard PVC, because it is the simpler build and it holds color longer outdoors. If UV printing would preserve detail that molding would lose, we will show you the difference on your mockup.
Does UV PVC cost more than standard PVC?+
Both are priced by size and quantity in the calculator. Select each one and compare the number for your exact order.
What artwork file should I send?+
Don't have a production-ready file? That's okay. Vector artwork reproduces best, but high-resolution raster artwork can also work. We'll review what you send and let you know if anything needs adjustment before production.
What sizes and backings are available?+
2 × 2, 3 × 3, 4 × 4 and 5 × 5 inches are priced instantly in the calculator. Larger sizes are quote on request. Backing is sew-on as standard, or velcro. Iron-on is not offered on molded PVC of either kind.
How long does it take?+
You get a free Digital Mockup within 24 hours of your order. Approximately a week after you approve it, your Production Proof is ready: one actual UV PVC patch, photographed for you. Bulk Production takes about three weeks from your approval of the proof, then 7 to 14 days for delivery, free within the US. That is roughly 5 to 6 weeks from order to your door with prompt approvals. Need it sooner? Contact us about rush availability.
Is there a minimum order?+
25 pieces. At 50 and above you move onto standard volume pricing.
Attaching it yourself? Our guide to sewing a patch on covers molded PVC as well as fabric patches.
Ready to see your artwork on a UV PVC patch?
Price it in the calculator, or send the file and we will tell you which build it needs.