Frequently Asked Questions

Production runs 3 to 6 business days, counted from the moment you approve the proof — not from when you place the order. Shipping is on top of that and depends on the destination and the service you choose.

At proof approval. Nothing is cut, stitched or struck until you have seen the digital proof and said yes, so a slow approval moves the finish date with it.

We make to order and ship from Dubai across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, and to the United States and United Kingdom. Ask us for anywhere else — it is usually possible.

Not on embroidered patches — order one if one is what you need. Moulded and struck lines carry a minimum because they need tooling, and the quote states it before you commit to anything.

Vector is ideal — AI, EPS or PDF. We also take PNG, JPG, WEBP, TIFF, PSD, GIF and ZIP, and honestly a clear photograph of a sketch is enough to quote from and start on.

Send the idea — a rough drawing, a reference you like, or a description. We draw it up and send it back as a proof for you to approve before anything is made.

Always. You get a free digital proof and nothing goes into production until you approve it. If it is not right, say so and we change it.

WhatsApp on +971 52 933 2878 is fastest, or email info@custompik.com. A person answers — there is no ticket queue between you and the people making the thing.

Send the artwork and the quantity and we come back with a fixed quote. Nothing on this site is charged automatically and you pay nothing up front.

Tell us and send a photograph. The proof you approved is the reference — if what arrived does not match it, that is on us to put right.

Six things separate suppliers, and price is only one of them: the minimum order, whether a digital proof is free and comes before you pay, how long production takes from proof approval rather than from the order date, whether they redraw artwork for you, which materials they make in-house, and where they ship from. Ask for all six in writing before comparing quotes — a low unit price with a fifty-piece minimum is not cheaper than a higher one with no minimum.

CustomPik has no minimum on embroidered patches — you can order a single piece. Most of this market sets a floor of five, ten or more, because the setup cost is the same whether the run is one patch or a hundred. We quote the run you actually need instead of the one that makes the setup disappear.

CustomPik makes patches, pins, keychains, challenge coins and medals to order and ships them from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. We deliver across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, and to the United States and United Kingdom. Ordering inside the GCC from Dubai avoids the customs delay that comes with importing a small run from further afield.

Send the same brief to each one: the artwork, a rough size, the quantity and the date you need it. Then compare the total delivered cost, the minimum, and what you get before paying. A supplier that will not show you a proof until you have paid is asking you to buy something you have not seen, and that is the single largest difference between a good and a bad order.

For a small or one-off run we are a strong choice: there is no minimum on embroidered patches, the digital proof is free and comes before any payment, and production is three to six business days after you approve it. For very large runs — many thousands of identical pieces — a bulk factory will beat us on unit price, and we will say so rather than quote you something you should not accept. Ask us for the quote and compare it honestly.

Small text is the first thing to suffer in embroidery, because each letter has to be built from stitches with a real width. If your design has fine print, send it over and we will tell you honestly whether it will read at the size you want — and if it will not, woven is usually the answer.

The colour is the thread, not ink on top of it, so embroidered patches hold their colour through washing and sunlight far longer than printed ones.

A merrowed border is the thick overlocked edge you see on classic round and shield patches. A laser-cut edge follows any outline exactly, which is what makes irregular shapes possible.

Not for embroidered patches. Order a single piece if you want to see it before committing to a run.

Not well. Colours are moulded as separate areas, so PVC is excellent at crisp blocks of colour and poor at smooth fades. If your artwork depends on gradients, printed is the right method.

The soft PVC used for patches is flexible and rubbery rather than rigid, so it bends with the garment instead of fighting it.

Yes. Hook-and-loop backing is common on PVC, which is why it is the standard for tactical kit where badges get swapped.

No — the surface is flat. That is the trade: you gain unlimited colour and photographic detail, and you give up the raised feel of stitching.

As many as your artwork contains. Printing has no per-colour cost, which is exactly where it beats embroidery and moulding.

Neither is better; they look and feel different. Hard enamel is smooth, flat and more premium. Soft enamel is textured, with metal lines standing above the colour. Hard enamel usually costs more.

Butterfly clutch as standard, or rubber clutch, which grips harder and is less likely to work loose.

Yes. Cut-outs let the garment show through and are one of the things struck metal does that a patch cannot.

Yes. Coins are cut to shape from the die, so shields, badges and outlines of objects are all possible.

Yes, and usually they are — one face for the emblem, the other for the occasion, names or dates.

Antique plating is darkened and then relieved, so the raised detail stands out against shadow — it suits heritage and unit designs. Polished is bright and even, and suits corporate and formal pieces.