Custom Patches in Dubai: Picking the Right Type for Uniforms

Four patch constructions, four backings and the placement sizes that work on UAE uniforms. A comparison table and AED prices so you order the right patch once.

Uniform orders in the UAE used to be simple: print the logo on the shirt and move on. Then the fleet grew, the shirts came from three suppliers in three fabrics, and the printed logos all aged differently. That is usually the point at which a facilities or HR manager asks us about custom patches. One patch design, sewn or heat sealed onto whatever garment the team wears, gives a consistent logo across polos, jackets, caps and bags.

We supply patches alongside the uniforms we print in Ajman, so this guide covers what we tell clients on the first call: the four constructions, which backing to pick, where the patch goes and what custom patches cost in Dubai at uniform quantities.

The four types of custom patches

Embroidery patches

Thread stitched into a twill base, finished with a merrowed (overlocked) border or a laser cut edge. Embroidery patches are the traditional look for security, hospitality and school uniforms. They handle bold shapes and up to around nine thread colours well, and the raised texture reads as premium. Fine detail is their limit: text under 4 mm tall turns to fuzz.

Woven patches

Woven custom patches are made on a loom with thin threads rather than stitched, so the surface is flat and smooth. Woven patches render small text, thin lines and gradients far better than embroidery. They suit tech companies, clinics and any logo with a fine wordmark. They lack the raised feel, which some clients miss.

PVC rubber patches

These custom patches are moulded in soft PVC with colours in separate layers, often with a raised 3D effect. Waterproof, washable at high temperature and tough enough for outdoor and marine teams, delivery riders and gym staff. The look is modern and sporty. PVC patches do not breathe, so they are normally kept small and placed on sleeves or bags rather than across the chest.

Silicone labels

Silicone labels are the newest option: a thin, flexible rubber label heat pressed directly onto the fabric with no visible stitching. They stretch with sports fabric and survive hundreds of washes without cracking, which is why activewear and sportswear brands use them. Silicone labels can be matte or glossy, flat or raised, and they are the right choice for team jerseys and performance polos where an embroidered patch would stiffen the fabric.

Custom patches compared

Type	Best for	Detail level	Wash durability	Feel	Price per piece at 500, about 8 cm
Embroidered	Security, hospitality, schools	Medium, text above 4 mm	High	Raised, textured	AED 4 to 7
Woven	Fine logos, small text	High, text above 1.5 mm	High	Flat, smooth	AED 3.50 to 6
PVC rubber	Outdoor, marine, delivery, gyms	Medium, bold shapes	Very high	Soft 3D rubber	AED 6 to 10
Silicone label	Sportswear, stretch fabrics	High	Very high	Thin, flexible	AED 5 to 9

Prices assume one design and a standard shape. Custom shapes add little for embroidered and woven patches with a laser cut edge, but PVC and silicone need a mould, which adds AED 300 to 600 once per design.

Backings: how custom patches stay on

• Sew on. The most durable. Our tailors stitch the patch onto polos, jackets and safety vests during the uniform order, so you receive finished garments.
• Heat seal (iron on). A glue film on the back bonds under a heat press in about 15 seconds. Good for cotton and poly cotton, weaker on nylon shells. Fine for most office uniforms, and it lets you patch garments you already own.
• Hook and loop. A hook strip is sewn to the garment and the patch carries the loop side, so names or ranks can swap between shifts. Standard for security, facilities and event crews who share jackets.
• Adhesive. Peel and stick for one day events only. It will not survive a wash.

For hats, the printed caps we supply take a sewn patch on the front panel best, because heat sealing on a curved crown lifts at the corners.

Where patches in Dubai uniforms usually sit

Standard placements and sizes that look balanced on an adult garment:

• Left chest: 7 to 9 cm wide, centred over the pocket line. The main logo position on staff t shirts and polos.
• Right chest: a smaller 5 to 6 cm patch for a department, a certification or a sponsor.
• Sleeve: 6 to 8 cm, placed 4 cm below the shoulder seam. The usual spot for a flag or a service year badge.
• Back yoke: 10 to 12 cm on jackets and branded hoodies, readable from behind in a crowd.
• Cap front: 5 to 6.5 cm, no taller than the front panel seam.
• Bags: 8 to 10 cm on the front pocket of a tote bag or a backpack.

Patches in Dubai climate conditions should sit away from sweat zones where possible. On summer uniforms we prefer sleeve and chest positions over the underarm side panels, and we recommend silicone or woven rather than thick embroidery for anyone working outdoors.

Minimums and lead times for custom patches

Embroidered and woven patches start at 50 pieces, PVC and silicone at 100 because of the mould. Production is 10 to 14 working days for embroidered and woven, 15 to 20 for PVC and silicone labels. Sewing patches onto uniforms adds two to three days to the garment order. Reorders are faster since the digitised file or mould already exists, which is the real advantage of patches over reprinting: a new joiner's polo six months later carries exactly the same logo as everyone else's.

Artwork rules that save a reprint

1. Send vector artwork. Embroidery is digitised stitch by stitch from the vector outline, and a JPEG costs you a redraw fee.
2. Simplify gradients for embroidery patches. We can suggest a two tone version that keeps the shape.
3. Choose thread or Pantone colours, not screen colours. Thread charts have around 300 shades; we match the nearest and show it on the proof.
4. Decide the border. A merrowed edge adds 2 to 3 mm all round and looks classic; a laser cut edge follows any shape and looks sharper.
5. Approve a physical sample for the first order. A sewn out patch in the hand tells you more than any mock up, and it costs AED 80 to 150, refunded against the run.

Patch or print straight onto the garment

Direct printing or embroidery onto the shirt is cheaper per piece when all garments are the same fabric and ordered together. Custom patches win when garments vary, when staff bring their own jackets, when names or roles change, or when you want the same badge on an apron, a cap and a bag. Many uniform programmes mix both: the main logo embroidered directly on the custom aprons and polos, and a hook and loop patch for role and name. Our apparel printing range covers the direct methods if that suits your order better.

Ordering patches with your uniforms

Send the logo, the garment list and the number of staff on WhatsApp and we will recommend a patch type, a backing and a placement for each garment, then quote the custom patches and the garments together. We quote patches in Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and the other emirates at the same price, ship everything from Ajman and hold spare patches for new joiners at no charge. For event crews who also need identification, name badges can go out in the same box. The same applies to printed lanyards. If the crew wears outerwear, patched jackets are finished on the same line as the polos.

Related resources: See our apparel and corporate gifts pages for specifications, quantity pricing and design options across the UAE.