From your order to your door, with prompt approvals, plan on 4 to 5 weeks for embroidered and woven patches, and 5 to 6 weeks for PVC. Measured instead from the moment you approve your Production Proof, it is 3 to 4 weeks and 4 to 5 weeks. The gap between the two figures is the approval stages, and those move at your pace, not ours.
The sequence is: order, Digital Mockup, Production Proof, Bulk Production, air shipping. Two of those five are approval stages that move at your pace rather than ours, which is why the honest answer is a window rather than a date.
The Digital Mockup is your artwork drawn up with Pantone codes, back to you within 24 hours, with unlimited free revisions. Approving it does not start your order. It starts your Production Proof, which is the first actual patch: we make one, photograph it, and send you the photograph. That takes about 1 week.
Bulk Production begins only once you approve that photograph. This is the part people are surprised by, and it is the part worth having. You are approving a real patch you can see, not a drawing, before we commit the other forty-nine. Nothing is skipped to save the week, and no quality check is dropped to make a date.
The full timeline, stage by stage
| Stage | Time |
|---|---|
| Digital Mockup | Within 24 hours of your order |
| Your review and approval | You set the pace, unlimited free mockup revisions |
| Production Proof, the first actual patch | About 1 week |
| Your approval of that photograph | You set the pace |
| Bulk Production, embroidered and woven | About 2 weeks |
| Bulk Production, PVC | About 3 weeks |
| Air shipping to your door | 7 to 14 days |
| Total from Production Proof approval | 3 to 4 wks stitched, 4 to 5 wks PVC |
| Total from order, with prompt approvals | 4 to 5 wks stitched, 5 to 6 wks PVC |
Bulk Production runs about 2 weeks for embroidered and woven, 3 weeks for PVC, then 7 to 14 days of air shipping to your door. Every window is an estimate we tighten as your order moves.
Why Bulk Production starts at Production Proof approval
We never start a production run before you have seen and approved a real patch. The Digital Mockup shows you the artwork; the Production Proof is the thing itself, made on the same machines by the same hands as the rest of your order, photographed and sent to you. That protects you from paying for a batch that is not quite right, and it means neither approval stage has a deadline. Take a day or take a week, the finish date just moves with you. On your approval the design locks and Bulk Production begins.
Need them faster?
Rush production is available when our capacity allows, at about 3 to 5 days for an extra 15 percent, and expedited shipping can compress the transit leg. Neither skips the Production Proof or any quality check, because a patch that arrives on time and wrong has not solved your problem. Have a deadline? Let us know and we'll confirm what's possible. If the date cannot realistically be met, we will tell you the earliest one we can actually hit rather than taking the order and hoping. Approving both proofs quickly is the other big lever, since those two stages move at your pace.
Reorders are faster
A reorder skips the design round entirely. It starts from your locked design record and goes into production as soon as it is paid, with no setup to redo.
- Free digital mockup within 24 hours
- Unlimited mockup revisions, no charge and no clock
- The rest made only after you approve the proof
- Live tracking emailed the moment your order ships
Start now and shorten the wait
Build your spec, see your real price instantly, and we will have your free mockup back within 24 hours. The sooner you approve, the sooner it ships.
Build your instant quote →Custom patch turnaround FAQ
How long do custom patches take?+
Approximately 4 to 5 weeks from order to your door for embroidered and woven patches, and 5 to 6 weeks for PVC, with prompt approvals. Measured instead from the moment you approve your Production Proof, it is 3 to 4 weeks and 4 to 5 weeks. The difference is the two approval stages: a free Digital Mockup within 24 hours, then your Production Proof, the first actual patch made and photographed for you, about a week later.
How fast can I get custom patches? Do you offer rush?+
Need it sooner? Contact us about rush availability. Rush production and expedited shipping depend on the order and capacity, so we confirm them, and any cost, before promising a delivery date. Neither skips the Production Proof or any quality check. Have a deadline? Let us know and we'll confirm what's possible. If a date cannot realistically be met even with priority production and expedited shipping, we tell you the earliest date we can actually hit rather than taking the order and hoping.
When does the Bulk Production clock start?+
At Production Proof approval, not when you place the order. You approve a Digital Mockup first, then we make one actual patch and photograph it for you, and only your approval of that photograph starts the rest of your order. Both approval stages move at your pace, so the timeline is in your hands until then. A slow approval pushes the finish date out by the same amount.
How long does the Digital Mockup take?+
Within 24 hours of your order. You then get unlimited revisions until it is exactly right, with no charge and no clock. Approving it does not start Bulk Production: it starts your Production Proof, the first actual patch, which reaches you about a week later.
Do reorders ship faster?+
Usually yes. A reorder starts from your locked design record and skips the proofing round, so it goes into production as soon as it is paid, with no setup to redo.
Is the delivery date a guarantee?+
It is an honest estimate shown as a window, not a hard promise. We tighten it as your order moves through production, and we email you tracking the moment it ships.