Article Written By: jonpatch
Embroidery, the traditional art form of decorating fabric with needle and thread, dates back to ancient Egypt and before. Due to the hand-sewing required, it was traditionally the province of royalty and the wealthy. Modern computerized embroidery machines, however, have brought this refined art to the masses in the form of embroidered custom patches.Today s custom patches are a great example of the changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution of the 1800s and the microprocessor-driven revolution a century later. Modern machinery enables high-speed embroidery of virtually any design, making items such as custom patches affordable to all.For many centuries, embroidery was a sign of royalty or great wealth. Only the wealthy could afford to own embroidered works because they were exclusively made by hand, a time-consuming process. The mid-1800s saw the introduction of the sewing machine, and later the hand-powered embroidery machine. This enabled faster production of embroidered products similar to custom patches. The early part of the 20th century brought electrically powered embroidery machines, making the process even faster. By mid-century, embroidery machines were commonly controlled by a paper tape that allowed reproduction of patterns more than once. Custom patches became economically feasible at last. By the late 1970s, the microprocessor revolution was under way. Soon, custom patches could be produced on computer-controlled machines that could produce them quickly and inexpensively. Computerized machines allowed for an infinite number of patches from a single design pattern. Huge numbers could be produced quickly, with a uniform look to all of them. And because the designs are created on a computer, they could be created with virtually any desired logo, text or other design element.They can indicate membership civic organizations and volunteer groups, for example. They can be created for sports teams, church groups, Scouts, motorcycle clubs and many more organizations. And of course, custom patches are routinely worn by police officers, firefighters, EMTs and other public safety officials as well.For businesses, they can be a terrific way to get their message out to potential customers and the general public. Service companies that send their employees to customers homes rely on custom patches to identify their employees to customers wary of letting strangers into their homes.Custom patches use a twill backing surface. The thread or yarn is embroidered onto the twill to produce the desired designs. This creates a strong, durable design. They re durable enough that they re likely to outlast the garment to which they re attached.Custom patches are finished with either a traditional sewn edge, called a merrowed border, or with a hot cut heat-sealed border. The merrowed borders will give your custom patches a traditional looks with a clear visual separation from the garment they re attached to. Hot cut borders allow patches with custom shapes. A good supplier can demonstrate the styles that are available. No matter what style, size or shape you re looking for, custom patches can be made to your exact specifications.
This Article Has Been Published on Mon, 7 Mar 2011 and Read 586 Times