[Guide] Selling Custom Patch Hats

Hats are an incredibly popular accessory choice across a variety of markets, regardless of whether your customers are interested in style, comfort, or both! Hats are the perfect way to combine style, comfort, & affordability. The market size of the hat & cap store industry, measured by revenue, is 2.5 billion — that’s a lot of hats!

Over the last 10 years, we’ve seen the re-emergence of patch hats as a dominant fashion trend in addition to their long-standing presence as a staple in outdoor sporting niches. Patch hats deliver a classic retro style while providing more design flexibility than other hat decoration techniques.

Our Sublimated Vegan Leather Patches are available in 3 shapes (Circle: 3” diameter; Rectangle: 3.46″ W x 2.44” H; Oval: 3.46″ W x 2.44” H) on 5 different hats with a total of 65 different color variants!

104C Trucker Snapback Hat by Pacific Headwear
– Cotton/Poly Blend Front Panels & Curved Visor
– Trucker Mesh back with Snap Closure
– Mid-profile & Pro-Model Crown for a comfortable & stylish fit
– One Size Fits Most
– 18 Color Variants

CustomCat Lite Price: $13.22
CustomCat PRO Price: $10.58
Shipping Category: Lightweight
MSRP: $29.99

OL102 Distressed Ollie Cap by Adams
– 100% pigment-dyed cotton front panel and visor; 100% nylon mesh; Traditional tan back panels
– Cool-Crown mesh lining; Plastic tab back closure
– Distressed torn visor, cotton twill sweatband; four-row stitching on bill
– 9 Color Variants

CustomCat Lite Price: $13.48
CustomCat PRO Price: $10.79
Shipping Category: Lightweight
MSRP: $27.95

CP80 Twill Cap by Port & Company
– 100% cotton twill
– 6 panel; Adjustable Hook & Loop closure
– One size fits most
– 13 Color Variants

CustomCat Lite Price: $11.01
CustomCat PRO Price: $8.81
Shipping Category: Lightweight
MSRP: $19.99

CP90 Knit Cap by Port & Company
– 100% acrylic
– 3-inch folding cuff
– One size fits most
– 15 Color Variants

CustomCat Lite Price: $10.38
CustomCat PRO Price: $8.31
Shipping Category: Lightweight
MSRP: $19.99

SP15 Pom Pom Knit Cap by Sportsman
– 100% acrylic
– 12 inches in length
– One size fits most; generous stretch
– 12 Color Variants

CustomCat Lite Price: $11.63
CustomCat PRO Price: $9.31
Shipping Category: Lightweight
MSRP: $24.99

Packaging:

Our hats are shipped in protective boxes to ensure they arrive to your customers in perfect condition. Up to 5 hats may ship in the same box.

Box Dimensions: 8.5″ L x 9.75″ W x 5″ H

Design Guidelines:

   

   

How to use hat patch Art Templates:

Our hat patch require that your design files are created to the exact specification of that particular patch shape. This ensures the important elements of your artwork are positioned within the stitching of each patch.

To use our templates in Photoshop:

1. Go to File & open the PNG file that you just downloaded for your chosen patch shape
2. Adjust your design so it’s aligned within the solid white area in the center of the art template.
3. Fill the entire background with your chosen background color
4. Delete or hide the template layer
5. Save your file as PNG

If you’re using Canva:

1. Create a Design
2. Import File
3. Select the Art Template for your chosen patch shape
4. Use in a New Design > Custom Size
5. Enter the dimensions on the template in mm 
6. Position your artwork within the solid white Safe Area on the template. (You can temporarily reduce the opacity of your design to ensure the artwork is positioned correctly. Please remember to return the opacity to 100% before exporting)
7. Delete the template layer
8. Add your chosen background color (or export with a transparent background)
9. Share > Download > PNG

Creating your Products in CustomCat:

From within your CustomCat account, click “Create Product” in the left navigation menu, then select your store from the dropdown menu. From the “Hats” section of the catalog, select the hat style you’d like to design. After selecting your color variants, updating your product name, adding your product description & tags, click the Design tab.

By default, the rectangle patch style will be selected first. If you’ve created a design specifically to the specs of the rectangular patch, you can upload or select your design from your Design Library.

Now we’ve completed the design process for our Rectangular patch. If that’s the only shape you’ve designed for, you can click Confirm to move to the next step. If you’ve designed for additional shapes, click that shape from the “Select a Shape” section of the designer to upload or select the artwork created for that particular shape.

After uploading your shape-specific artwork, you’ll see a mockup for each shape on the left under the “Selected Shapes” section. Once you’ve designed for each of your intended patch shapes, click Confirm to move to the export phase or select additional products.

And that’s it! You’ve now designed a patch hat with multiple shapes & multiple pieces of artwork.

Product Marketing:

Our hats are decorated with high quality vegan leather patches that include a decorative stitch around the outside edge. These patches are sublimated to ensure your designs are printed vibrantly from edge to edge every time. Our Sublimated Vegan Leather Patches are available in 3 shapes (Circle: 3” diameter; Rectangle: 3.46″ W x 2.44” H; Oval: 3.46″ W x 2.44” H) on 5 different hats with a total of 65 different color variants so you will always find an option that perfectly compliments your designs!

Target Market Audiences:

The market for hats is incredibly vast & the re-emergence of patch hats as a fashion trend is widening the market even further. Customers may be looking for patch hats to wear on outdoor adventures, while fishing or hunting, to add a little retro flare to their outfit-of-the-day, or sport their company logo. Some customers may even want to wear a hat that makes strangers laugh in the street when they pass by. You’ll find that no matter your niche, customers are always eager to add headwear to their carts.

Design Ideas:

• Retro Logos
• Travel & Location Designs
• Bachelor/Bachelorette Parties
• Brand Logos
• Motivational Phrases
• Pet themed Designs
• Personalization