Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can view our catalog online here: https://www.custompatchhats.com/catalog/
Yes! You are able to brand and resell your hats without requiring special permission from the hat manufacturer. If you are a reseller, please send us your reseller certificate prior to invoicing. Some brands have restrictions on what type of branding is permitted on their items, so please discuss your design ideas with your designer to ensure you are not violating the brand’s requirements.
Yes! You can wash all your patch apparel and accessory items according to the care tags, and the patches will hold up well. However, we have a few suggestions and reminders!
- Heavy wear and regular washing and drying will take its toll on any apparel/accessory item, and patches are not excluded from this. Over time, you will likely notice wear and tear on your patches and any items with patches on them, just as you would a normal piece of apparel from any other vendor.
- Use gentle detergents and gentle cycles if you want to preserve your patches/patch apparel as long as possible. And DO NOT use bleach.
- Dry your items on low heat for longevity as well.
- Try not to over-wash items with leather patches. Regular saturation of leather can cause staining, warping, and an increased appearance of wear. This is going to happen no matter what, but you can slow it down by being selective about how often you wash a leather patch item.
- For silicone appliqué and other heat pressed attachments, regular washing and drying should not cause any problems, but again, we recommend gentle cycles, low heat, and gentle detergents to prolong the longevity of the patch as adhesives can be susceptible to heat and moisture over time.
- Since we do not pre-wash items prior to direct embroidery, it’s possible a slight puckering may occur around the direct embroidery after washing due to the garment shrinking. This is generally unavoidable over time, but washing in cold water and using low heat or hanging to dry can mitigate shrinking.
Generally we do not recommend washing hats as one would wash clothing. However, since many people do want to keep their hats cleaner for longer we have some tips!
- Never put the hat in the washing machine or dishwasher – the wash cycles and soaps are too aggressive and are more likely to permanently damage your hat than not.
- Spot clean or hand wash with a clothing detergent if the dirt/stain is fresh or contained to a small area.
- For cotton hats (most truckers and dad hats), gentle hand washing with clothing detergent on an occasional basis is recommended.
- However, know that all cotton hats are susceptible to permanent sweat stains and fading with regular wear. This is character! Embrace it!
- For polyester hats (most performance style hats), we recommend rinsing in the sink or shower after sweaty wear. A little spot cleaning and hand washing works well for these hats, too.
- Only air dry your hats, never put them in the dryer.
- Try not to saturate leather patches when hand-washing or rinsing. Regular soaking of leather can cause staining, warping, or just an increased appearance of wear on the leather patch. Again, this is going to happen anyway, and we like to think of it as character, but it can be prolonged by careful washing.
Yes, we ship Custom Patch Hats to Canada and all over the world. It’s easier to ship custom patch hats to Canada than you think. International shipping fees and duties may apply.
We’re located just at the edge of downtown Raleigh, NC. Our designers, operations team, seamstresses, heat press operators, and shipping/receiving team work in this space. We’re expanding into the space next door in spring 2020 and are looking forward to a little more breathing room.
We do not offer returns in the event you are unhappy with the hats after approval. However, we do offer some replacement options if something happens, if your product does not meet our standards or is incorrect. We approach refunds and replacements on a case-by-case basis, so please reach out to us with any questions.
We offer a 5% discount (up to 100 hats) to registered non-profits and active duty military and we need a copy of the appropriate forms prior to finalizing your order.
As per the Supreme Court ruling, unless your organization is exempt from tax, we must charge sales tax. If you are exempt, we will need a copy of your tax exempt form prior to finalizing your order.
Yes, please notify your designer if you intend to pay by ACH.
We take full payment up front, but you are able to split the payment between two credit cards if necessary.
Yes, please email [email protected] if you need to update your shipping address.
We have no way of estimating or predicting duties, import taxes, or customs delays. Custom Patch Hats is not responsible for any fees or delays incurred by shipping overseas.
Yes, if you want to pay for overnight shipping, please speak with your designer or email [email protected]. We ship UPS ground, which typically takes 3-5 days.
Our simple shipping is $20 for orders from 24-100 hats and an additional $20 for each box shipped over 100 hats. This applies within the continental US, but if you are in Alaska, Hawaii, or any other country, we will provide a custom shipping quote before your order is placed.
Hand stitching and heat press are patch attachment methods. Generally, we recommend hand stitching, it’s done by our in-house team of awesome seamstresses, and has the look and feel of a custom, durable, high-quality product. This patch will remain on your hat as long as your hat remains in one piece. Heat pressing is used for die-cut patches that cannot be stitched. We cannot guarantee the permanent longevity of heat pressed patches and we assume they are subject to long-term exposure to the elements.
You can, however, we will have to charge a restocking fee since we order hats for your projects shortly after you pay. Please reach out to your designer with any questions about your hat selections.
Possibly, but only prior to patch proof approval. Sometimes designs look better in one format versus another. We might try embroidery first, but if it doesn’t come out clear enough, we can change it to woven, or sublimated. It really depends on your design. If you decide to change from a fabric patch to a PVC or leather patch, there is a fee since they are mold-based and priced differently from fabric patches. Changing your leather or PVC patch design after you receive a proof will incur a fee. We generally discourage changing from one type of patch to another, or changing design elements, since it has the potential to delay your project by a week or more. If you want to change a color or fix a small error, that is no problem and is not likely to delay your project beyond a week.
If you have something you’d like to incorporate on your hat that doesn’t belong or fit on your patch, we can add it elsewhere! We offer direct embroidery, woven labels, suede labels, and secondary patches.
Yes, we can imprint colors on the debossing. One color in addition to the standard deboss is $50 extra, two or more colors is $100 extra.
Yes, we call this a thread change for woven and embroidered patches, and a color change for PVC patches. There is no minimum, but each color change is $60. Different colors of leather will be considered two separate orders.
Yes, we offer a minimum of 12 per hat color or style. For example, if you order 50 hats, you can split the order to 12 black Richardson truckers, 12 red Richardson truckers, 13 black Yupoong dad hats, and 13 green Pacific headwear truckers.
We cannot send you blank hats due to the hat manufacturers’ restrictions. We recommend trying to find the hat on Amazon if you are only interested in a blank hat. If you have any questions about the fit or color of a specific hat, please ask your designer.
Yes, we have rush options for hats starting at a 4 week ship time.
Shortly after you pay your invoice, you’ll receive a photo of the first patch off the production line to make sure it looks great. Once we get them in hand, we can send you a photo of the patch attached to one of your hats to make sure you’re happy with it. We also offer sample patch packs, sample hats and sew out samples. Please reach out if you are interested in samples.
While all of our designing, finish-stitching, and shipping takes place in Raleigh, NC, we do source materials from all over the world in order to find the best, and highest quality products on the market. 100% American-made patch hat options are available, and we are happy to work with you on that.
Our lead time is currently about 7 weeks.
We do not offer refunds. Your hats are custom made and as soon as you pay your invoice we order all the materials required to create your hats. Your hats are one of kind, made to order, and by accepting your order with us, we commit to producing your entire project. If there are errors with your order, we are always happy to make things right; these issues are handled on a case-by-case basis.