Questions, answered.

PatchForge is a browser-based design studio for custom hat patches — UV printed or laser engraved on leather, leatherette, vinyl, and acrylic. You design the patch, preview it on real hat mockups, build gang sheets, send client proofs, and export production-ready files. There is nothing to install; it all runs in your web browser.

No. PatchForge runs entirely in your web browser on any modern computer. Background removal and file export also happen in the browser, so your artwork never has to leave your machine.

Click "Start free trial" on the homepage. You can sign in with Google or create an account with your name, email, and a password of at least 8 characters. Email sign-ups receive a confirmation link — click it before your first login.

Every new design starts by asking how the patch is made — UV Printed or Engraved. That choice sets how your artwork renders, which materials apply, and what the export contains; you can change it any time from the big toggle in the toolbar, and it is saved with the design. From there the left panel walks you top to bottom: ① Design (the process, in context), ② Add Artwork (upload and clean up your image, or trace it for engraving), ③ Add Text & Shapes (add lettering and elements), ④ Shape & Cut (pick a shape or custom die-cut contour, set the size and cut margin), and ⑤ Material & Finish (choose the material, edge finish, and effects). Layers live in a panel on the right to reorder, lock, or hide. Then use the toolbar to price it with the $ chip, preview it on a hat, and export.

Open the account menu (top-right). You will find the Quick Start Guides (step-by-step walkthroughs you can read online or download as PDFs), this FAQ, and the in-app Help Center with a searchable index and keyboard shortcuts.

Click "Design" in the top navigation to open the Patch Builder. Work down the numbered panel on the left: Process, Artwork, Material & shape, Text & shapes, and Layers. The canvas in the middle shows a live preview with the cut line; the toolbar across the top handles saving, pricing, and export.

Press Ctrl+S (⌘S on Mac) or click Save in the toolbar. Auto-save also runs after about 30 seconds of inactivity. Saved designs appear under "My Designs," where you can reopen, rename, duplicate, pin to the top, and add production notes.

Yes. Use "Save as variant" in the toolbar to keep a related version (for example a different colorway) grouped as a family with the original. Variant families show together in your library and can be sent to a client as one proof bundle.

Ctrl+Z undoes the last action and Ctrl+Shift+Z (or Ctrl+Y) redoes it. The builder keeps up to 50 undo steps. History clears when you close the tab.

Over 20 shapes — rectangle, rounded square, circle, oval, capsule, hexagon, pentagon, shield, badge, banner, crest, star, heart, and more — plus Custom Contour, which auto-traces the exact outline of your artwork for a die-cut patch. You can also set the border style: merrowed, hot-cut, laser, or none.

In the Text & shapes section, use the Arc Text controls: type your text, set the arc radius, choose the flip direction, and add it. You can adjust the radius after it is placed. Straight text, shapes, and lines are available in the same section.

Common ones: Ctrl+S save, Ctrl+N new design, Ctrl+Z undo, Ctrl+Shift+Z redo, Ctrl+D duplicate, Delete to remove the selected object, Escape to deselect. Press "?" anywhere outside a text field to open the command palette. Type G then a letter to jump around (for example G then P for the Patch Builder).

PNG, JPG, WEBP, SVG, PDF, and AI, up to 20 MB. SVG (vector) gives the crispest result and is best for engraving. PNG is best for full-color UV printing — use a transparent background when possible. JPG and WEBP work for photos but WEBP is the smaller file. PDF and AI open through the artboard picker described below.

Yes. Drop it on the upload area like any other artwork and PatchForge opens an import dialog. If the file has real vector paths you can bring them in **as vectors** — nothing is traced or rasterized, so cut and engrave lines follow your original geometry. If you would rather have pixels, choose **High-res image** instead. Multi-page PDFs and multi-artboard AI files show a picker listing each page with its size and path count.

PatchForge picks for you based on what you are making, and you can override it. **Laser engraved and layered acrylic** designs default to **Vector paths**, because the laser follows real lines and a traced raster is a lossy round trip. **UV printed** designs default to **High-res image**, since the art gets rasterized at print time anyway and that keeps gradients and photos intact. If a page has no vector paths at all the Vector option is greyed out and it says so.

PDFs store live (un-outlined) text as font references rather than as paths, so there is nothing for PatchForge to import as geometry. The fix is the standard prepress one: in Illustrator choose **Type ▸ Create Outlines** and re-export. PatchForge warns you when it spots live text. Importing as **High-res image** instead always reproduces the text correctly. The same applies to gradients, embedded photos, and clipping masks — you are told what a vector import will drop rather than finding out on the machine.

Almost certainly it was saved without PDF compatibility. Modern .ai files are PDFs internally, which is how PatchForge reads them; a legacy or EPS-flavoured .ai is PostScript and cannot be opened. Re-save it from Illustrator with **Create PDF Compatible File** ticked, or export it as a PDF or SVG. PatchForge tells you specifically when this is the problem instead of silently doing nothing.

For UV printing, aim for 300 DPI or higher at the size you will print. Low-resolution images look pixelated when enlarged. For engraving, vector artwork (SVG) is ideal because it stays sharp at any size.

In the Artwork section, click "Remove Background." It runs entirely in your browser and knocks out a white or busy background so only your subject remains — ideal for placing a logo cleanly on a patch.

Use "Vectorize for Engraving" in the Artwork section. It converts a raster image (PNG/JPG) into a clean black-and-white engrave vector, with a live threshold slider so you can dial in how much detail to keep. High-contrast art vectorizes best.

Raster art (PNG/JPG) is made of pixels — great for full-color UV prints and photos. Vector art (SVG) is made of paths that stay crisp at any size — best for engraving and clean line work. For a laser job, vectorize first if your source is a photo.

PatchForge draws the cut line automatically from the shape you choose in Material & shape. Pick Custom Contour to trace the exact outline of your artwork for a die-cut patch, and use the spacing control to add a margin between the art and the edge. Toggle "Show cut line" to check it without the artwork in the way.

UV Printed is full-color ink printed onto the material — your artwork keeps its original colors, so it is best for colorful logos and photos. Engraved means a laser removes or darkens the surface, so your artwork takes on the material's engrave color (black, gold, silver, and so on); the preview recolors your art to that exact tone so you see what the laser will really produce. You pick one when you start a new design, and you can switch any time using the large UV Printed / Engraved toggle in the toolbar. It drives which materials, effects, and export files are available, and it is saved with the design — reopen an engraved patch and it is still engraved.

Some materials only do one of the two. Tri-layer acrylic is engrave-only (the laser reveals the bonded colors beneath), while plastic and fabric are print-only. In the material picker those groups are labelled "UV only" or "Engrave only", and the toolbar toggle disables the option a material cannot produce. If you pick a material that only supports the other process, we switch the patch over and tell you — nothing changes silently.

Leather and leatherette in the full catalog of colorways (each with its true engrave color), vinyl for full-color print/cut work, and dual- and tri-layer acrylics that engrave to reveal their bonded layer colors. Open "Materials" from the account menu to browse the whole catalog with per-square-inch pricing.

Each leather and leatherette has a real engrave color — the tone that shows when the laser burns that specific material. Names read as base/engrave; for example "Rawhide/Black" is a rawhide-colored surface that engraves to black. When you select a leather and switch to laser, the preview recolors your art to that engrave color so the mockup matches production.

Layered acrylic is a solid top color bonded over one color (dual-layer) or two colors (tri-layer) beneath it. Engraving cuts through the top to reveal a lower color, so one sheet produces two or three colors with no ink. The top layer is the bare, unengraved surface — negative space. By default every piece of your artwork engraves to the FIRST engrave layer (the second color), so a normal black cutout arrives ready to engrave with nothing sent to the surface. On a tri-layer you can then send individual pieces DEEPER to the third color for a second, deeper engrave: select a piece (Ungroup a grouped SVG first) and use the Top / Mid / Deep swatches in the selection toolbar or the Layers panel — Top returns a piece to the bare surface, Mid is the first engrave layer, Deep is the bottom layer. Layer order is top → mid → deep; if a sheet you own is stacked differently, contact support and we will correct that material.

Yes. Turn on "Simulate embroidery stitch texture" in the toolbar to preview the woven, stitched finish of an embroidered patch.

The Layers panel (step ⑤ in the Patch Builder) lists every object in your design, stacked in order. Drag to reorder them, click the eye icon to hide or show an object, and click the lock icon to freeze an object so you do not move it by accident.

Click an object on the canvas (or its row in the Layers panel) to select it, then adjust its color, size, position, and rotation in the properties panel. Double-click text to edit the words. Use Ctrl+D to duplicate and Delete to remove the selected object.

Every piece defaults to the first engrave layer (the second color) — nothing is placed on the bare top surface automatically. To change a piece: select it (Ungroup a grouped SVG first so you can pick individual paths), then use the Top / Mid / Deep swatches in the selection toolbar or the Layers panel. Top returns the piece to the bare top surface (negative space, no engrave); Mid is the first engrave layer; Deep is the bottom layer (the second, deeper engrave). Your choice sticks — the automatic default will not override a piece you have assigned.

Click "Hat Mockup" in the top nav, or click "Preview on hat" in the Patch Builder toolbar to carry your current design straight over. Choose a hat, a color/variant, and a view, then position and size the patch on it. Switch colors and views to see the design across the whole product line.

In the Hat Builder, click "Share / Send to Client" to mint a unique proof link (like /p/ab12cd). Your customer opens it in any browser without logging in and clicks Approve or Request Changes, with a comment box for notes. To show several colorways at once, add each mockup to the proof bundle tray and send them all under one link.

Open "Proofs" from the account menu. Each proof shows its status — pending, approved, or changes requested — along with the customer's comment, the date sent, and a Copy link button.

On the Proofs page, "Send revision" pushes a new version to the same link (the customer keeps the original URL), and "Revise bundle" loads the whole set back into the Hat Builder so you can rework it and resend.

A gang sheet packs multiple designs onto one large print sheet to maximize material use and lower the cost per piece. It is standard practice for DTF, sticker, and UV-DTF production runs.

Click "Gang Sheet" in the top nav. Add designs from My Designs or upload new files in the Patches tab, then set the sheet size, gap spacing, margins, and background in Sheet Settings. PatchForge auto-packs the designs to use the least material every time you add, remove, or resize an item.

Presets include 22×24", 22×36", 22×60", and 22×96", plus custom dimensions. Set the DPI to 150 for a quick preview or 300 for production. The right panel shows live pricing for the current sheet size.

Click "Export Production Package" to download the full-resolution sheet, ready to send to your printer. The quick-export buttons below it skip the dialog and download straight away — name the file in the **File name** box just above them first, since those buttons do not stop to ask.

Yes. Drag the divider between the panel and the canvas to widen it, and drag the divider between the designs list and the queue to change how the height is split between them. Double-click either divider to reset it. Both sizes are remembered, so the panel stays how you left it next time.

High-resolution PNG (up to 600 DPI, with a transparent option), true vector SVG, and a full Production Package ZIP. Engrave designs — laser leather/vinyl and dual/tri-layer acrylics — additionally export native LightBurn (.lbrn2) and xTool (.xs) project files, a vector engrave layer, a combined engrave+cut SVG with the cut line in red, and a DXF cut file. On tri-layer acrylics the two engrave depths export as separate machine layers (black = first depth, blue = deep) so you can set a different power/speed for each.

In the Patch Builder toolbar, click "Export ▾" and choose "Export Production Package." The dialog shows a simple checklist of file groups (machine-ready files, engrave layer, cut line, mockup preview) preselected with smart defaults for your design — just name it and click Export ZIP. Exact formats, color mode, DPI, and the LightBurn machine type live under "Advanced options."

Both live in the same Export ▾ menu in the Patch Builder, and under Quick export in the Gang Sheet Builder. "Spot channels (TIFF)…" builds a CMYK TIFF with named white/varnish plates; "Texture build (Mimaki)…" builds the colour, grayscale height map, and cut files for raised printing. Each has its own topic in this FAQ.

Yes, if you run the optional local bridge, PatchForge can hand files directly to LightBurn or xTool Creative Space. Otherwise the files download to your computer, ready to import. Check the Print Specs page (account menu) for bleed, safe area, and resolution guidance before a big run.

A spot channel is an extra ink plate alongside the normal CMYK ones — most often **white** (an underbase so colour pops on dark material) and **varnish** or gloss. Your RIP separates them as their own inks. PatchForge can build the separated TIFF for you instead of you doing it by hand in Photoshop.

Two places. In the **Patch Builder**: Export ▾ → "Spot channels (TIFF)…". In the **Gang Sheet Builder**: the "Create spot channels (TIFF)" button under Quick export. Both open the same dialog.

It converts your artwork to CMYK through a real ICC colour profile, builds the spot plates from a selection you control, and writes a single layered TIFF that Photoshop and your RIP both read correctly — CMYK plus however many named spot channels you asked for. It replaces the manual routine of converting to CMYK, ⌘-clicking the layer, contracting the selection, and filling a new spot channel for each plate.

It defaults to **U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2** — what Photoshop's North America Prepress setting separates to — using Relative Colorimetric with black point compensation, the same pairing Photoshop uses. Thirteen other profiles are bundled (GRACoL, FOGRA, Japan Color, uncoated variants), and you can load your own .icc if your print shop supplies one. Your choice is remembered.

Pick **All artwork** for every non-transparent pixel, which is what most jobs want. Or pick **Colour range** to target a specific colour with a tolerance slider — and you can invert that to select everything except that colour. Transparent areas are never selected in either mode, so spot ink never lands on bare sheet.

It pulls the spot plates in from the edge so white or varnish never prints past the cut line — the same thing as Select ▸ Modify ▸ Contract in Photoshop, and it matches Photoshop exactly. Enter the amount in pixels, millimetres, or inches; it shows you the millimetre equivalent as you type. 1px at 300 DPI is a typical starting choke.

Yes — anywhere from one to eight channels. The default is two, named White and Varnish, and you can rename any of them. The name is what your RIP separates on, so use whatever your ink setup expects. Each channel also gets a preview colour, which is purely how Photoshop tints it on screen and has no effect on output.

No. It is screen-only metadata for Photoshop's Channels panel. What the RIP actually reads is the channel data and its name, plus the order the channels sit in. Pick whatever colours make the plates easiest to tell apart.

It is uncompressed CMYK plus your spot plates, which is exactly what a RIP wants — around 52 MB for a trimmed 12×24" sheet, more for bigger ones. The dialog warns you before exporting anything unusually large. The file is built in your browser and downloaded straight to you; it is never uploaded or stored.

Printing physically **raised** texture on a UV printer by driving ink height from a grayscale image, then cutting the result on your laser. It is how you get relief on a patch rather than a flat print. PatchForge builds the three files the process needs.

In the **Patch Builder**: Export ▾ → "Texture build (Mimaki)…". In the **Gang Sheet Builder**: the "Texture build (Mimaki)" button under Quick export.

A **colour** file as both PNG and PDF (your artwork, with registration marks on a gang sheet), a **build** file (the grayscale height map), and a **cut** file — all in one zip, all describing the same frame at the same DPI so they stack correctly in RasterLink. The PDF is included because that is what most RasterLink users actually place; the PNG is there as well if you prefer it.

Because the marks are for your laser, not the printer, and they have to stay flat. The build layers take multiple overprints of raised ink; building the marks would leave your cutter trying to optically read a target that has been physically raised. The colour and build files are not registered to each other at all — they are stacked as layers in one RasterLink job and printed in a single pass, so they line up by being the same canvas at the same origin. PatchForge keeps that frame identical for you. (A single patch has no marks in the first place, so this only applies to gang sheets.)

**Black builds highest, white does not build at all**, with greys in between. The goal is plenty of darks and light greys — a flat mid-grey prints as a flat slab. The dialog shows a live preview plus how much of the sheet will build and how many distinct levels you have, and warns you if the map has gone flat or completely white.

Yes. Scroll on the preview to zoom, drag to pan, and double-click to fit the whole sheet again — or use the +, −, and fit buttons in the corner of the preview. It zooms into the sheet at full resolution rather than magnifying the thumbnail, so on a busy gang sheet you can pull right into one patch and see exactly what contrast, gamma and the levels are doing to the fine detail. The coverage and level readout underneath always describes the **whole** sheet, not the part you are zoomed into.

They are the Photoshop routine, in order. **Invert** flips which tones stand proud. **Brightness** and **Contrast** push the tones apart so the relief has real highs and lows. **Gamma** is the fine control for the midtones. **Black point** and **White point** set the input range. Reset puts everything back.

It depends on your art. By default dark areas build high and light areas stay flat. Turn Invert on when it is the light areas that should stand proud. It is off by default because which tones should rise is a decision about your particular design, not a rule.

**Artwork tone** makes the relief follow your image's own tones, so detail in the art becomes detail in the texture. **Flat slab** ignores tone entirely and raises the whole patch to one uniform height. Use the slab when you want a clean raised shape rather than a contoured one.

On a gang sheet, yes — open "Also include the full production package" in the dialog and tick xTool (.xs) or LightBurn (.lbrn2). They come down in the same zip as the texture files. Print PNG, print PDF and cut SVG are not listed because every texture export already includes them.

Broadly: set the build file to Mono Color (black → black), duplicate it once per channel and assign each copy a colour including both whites, stack them in the Composition tab with the colour file on top, then set a high overprint count on the build layers and one on the colour layer. Your printer supplier is the right source for the exact settings for your machine and ink. PatchForge's job is producing correct files; the RIP recipe is yours.

Patch pricing is based on the design area (width × height in inches) at the per-square-inch rate for your material and quantity tier, plus any base fee. The live $ chip in the Patch Builder toolbar updates as you design, and the Price Calculator (account menu) gives a standalone estimate.

Yes — pricing is tiered, so higher quantities unlock a lower per-piece rate. The calculator and the live price chip reflect the tier for the quantity you enter.

New accounts start with a 7-day free trial on the monthly or yearly plan, with full access — design, save, and export the entire time. You are only charged when the trial ends, and you can cancel anytime before then at no cost. The trial applies to subscriptions only: Lifetime is a one-time purchase, charged in full at checkout, not a trial.

Monthly, yearly (a discount versus monthly), and lifetime (pay once). Checkout is handled securely by Stripe, and you can switch monthly ↔ yearly later from the billing portal. Monthly and yearly include the free trial; lifetime is charged today, never renews, and is final and non-refundable.

No. Lifetime is a one-time purchase and is final and non-refundable — it is not a trial and it does not renew. That is exactly why the free trial exists: take the 7-day trial first, use the full builder at no cost, and buy Lifetime during or after it at the same price. If a technical fault we cannot fix stops you using what you paid for, email us and we will make it right.

Open "Billing" from the account menu to reach the secure Stripe customer portal, where you can update your card, switch plans, download invoices, or cancel.

If a charge fails, access pauses right away and PatchForge sends you to a recovery screen to update your card — your subscription and all your designs stay exactly as they were. The moment the payment goes through, access turns back on automatically. There is no separate grace period to track; one card update restores everything, and because the subscription is never cancelled you keep your plan tenure and trial history.

Yes. Cancel from the billing portal (Billing in the account menu) whenever you like. During a free trial, cancelling before it ends means you are never charged.

Yes. You can order finished patches — custom engraved or UV printed, with bulk pricing — through Maker Foundry at makerfoundryco.com. Design and preview your patch in PatchForge, then order the real thing. Prefer to produce them yourself? PatchForge also exports production-ready files for your own printer or laser.

Shop blank hats, leather, and patch supplies at makerfoundryco.com (Maker Foundry) — the same place you can order finished patches. The materials in PatchForge mirror what you can buy there, so your on-screen preview matches what you produce.

Yes — PatchForge is part of the Maker Foundry toolkit: - **ToneSmith** (tonesmith.makerfoundryco.com) — Turn any artwork into clean, press-ready halftone color separations for DTF and DTG printing — no Photoshop required. - **Laser Settings** (settings.makerfoundryco.com) — A searchable library of dialed-in laser cut and engrave settings — find the right power, speed, and passes for your material and machine. - **TumblerForge** (tumblerforge.makerfoundryco.com) — Design and preview custom tumbler and drinkware wraps in true 3D on real cup templates, then export laser-ready files and product mockups. Plus the Maker Foundry store for blank hats and patch materials: makerfoundryco.com.

Turn any artwork into clean, press-ready halftone color separations for DTF and DTG printing — no Photoshop required. Find it at tonesmith.makerfoundryco.com.

A searchable library of dialed-in laser cut and engrave settings — find the right power, speed, and passes for your material and machine. Find it at settings.makerfoundryco.com.

Design and preview custom tumbler and drinkware wraps in true 3D on real cup templates, then export laser-ready files and product mockups. Find it at tumblerforge.makerfoundryco.com.

Make sure you are signed in and online, then press Ctrl+S again. Designs also auto-save after about 30 seconds. If you still do not see it under My Designs, refresh the page and check again before redoing work.

The source image is likely low resolution. For UV printing use art that is 300 DPI or higher at the print size, or use a vector (SVG). For engraving, use "Vectorize for Engraving" to convert it to clean lines.

Email patchforge@makerfoundryco.com and we will get back to you within one business day. Include your account email and a screenshot if you can — it helps us help you faster.