Custom Leather Patches
Full Grain Leather Custom
How to design your GRAPHICS FOR ENGRAVED PATCHES
heat press instructions
Upper platen heat 280-290F
Lower platen heat 280F
“Make sure your heating element doesn’t have any heating inaccuracies.”
All heat presses may vary so dial in your settings beforehand for best results.
Pre press your hat for 7 seconds to eliminate any moisture and to loosen up the material, Make sure to mold the hat shape to the platen, you should have no bubbles between the hat and platen it should feel flat to the platen surface.
Peel the paper backing off patch and place the patch on the hat. Some patches may or may not come with a paper backing based on the adhesive style. The lower heat and pre press should help this patch stay in place slightly. Hold the patch down to metl adhesive a bit, then, Press patch for 25-30 seconds …. If you are using the Hat Mat silicone pad which is highly recommended, so you don’t scorch your hats, double the dwell time to 45-50 seconds, or whatever time works best for your machine setup. Always preheat your silicone pad first for best results.
Watch my video for my techniques and process
Not needed
All Patches are Hand Wash Only
You can use LA Awesome or any natural Leather cleaning products to clean any residue on your patches
4-5 oz” Thickness
For all other hat presses here are some jumping off point setting you can use. As always practice on your machine to dial in your settings as they will vary from machine to machine
Time
25-30 Seconds / 45-50 Seconds with silicone pad
360 IQ Hat Press Temperatures
Upper 280F / Lower 280F
Pressure
Medium 5-6 / with silicone pad 6-7
Cover pad
Recommended - The Hat Mat Silicone Pad
important tips
- Always use a silicone pad for best results or your 1/8″ foam pad for pre, and main, press, (adjust time and temp if using the foam pad) for post press use only a silicone pad (recommended)
- Check your patches before placement.
- Always check your heat press platen with a laser temperature gun to ensure accurate temps.
- Store your patches in a cool dry place.
- Lint roll your hats prior to placement.
- All tests are done using a Stahls Hotronix 360 IQ Hat press, your settings may vary for any other style hat press. For Patches upper and lower heat is recommended, which is why we use the 360 IQ.
- Always order a few extra patches as well practice with other hats first to dial in your hat heat press settings
