How the Right Emblem Patch Can Change How You Work

According to the Washington, DC Police Memorial and Museum, police badges likely originated in London, England, in 1845. Since then, badges have become essential elements of police equipment. However, emblem patches also matter greatly to those who constantly work to keep communities safe. They even affect how police officers go about their work.

Emblem Patches Help Police Officers Take More Pride in What They Do

Not everyone has what it takes to serve the community as a police officer. It takes a certain mindset and dedication to make it in law enforcement. After years in the service, some police officers may lose sight of that. The emblem patches can remind them of the critical work they do.

When you don a police uniform with a special emblem patch, you take on a special responsibility. You renew your commitment to your community to keep it safe from anyone who would inflict harm upon its citizens. The patches are reminders that police work is essential. Police officers deserve to take more pride in their work.

Emblem Patches Allow Police Officers to Visibly Represent Their Communities

Many of the patches that appear on police uniforms feature elaborate and thoughtful designs. In some cases, designers will include elements in the patches connected to the communities that the police officers serve. For example, the custom patch may feature the image of a state animal or a recognizable landmark.

Those specially designed emblems help bring police officers closer to their communities. They proudly wear the symbols of their community on their uniforms, and the citizens can see that as well. Citizens can connect with those police officers better because they see them as true community representatives.

Emblem Patches Can Spark Conversations

The emblem patches that appear on the uniforms of police officers also make a difference because they can start conversations. When a citizen sees a particular patch made for breast cancer or autism awareness, they may be inclined to ask a police officer about it. The police officer can then use that opportunity to educate a community member about important causes. Those conversations are meaningful, so it would be ideal if the police could play a role in them.

Emblem patches can impact the way police officers approach their work. Keep that in mind when you’re thinking of what custom patches to offer. Contact us today if you need custom patches made for your department!

Embroidered-Badge, Patches, and Emblems

How a Badge Describes Your Department

You may have seen all kinds of badges while watching cop shows or out in your own community and noticed their different designs. After seeing them, you may have wondered if those different designs have any meaning. Interestingly, specific elements of police badges may carry significance. Learn more about those elements so you can better understand a badge patch when you see one.

The Significance of the Badge’s Shape

First, let’s discuss what the shape of a police badge means. You’ll see shields, stars, and ovals among the common badge patch shapes. The shapes may not all be identical but generally fall under those categories. Shield badges usually belong to police officers. This shape is a reminder that every police officer has taken an oath to serve and protect their community.

You’ll also see some members of police officers wear oval-shaped badges. These oval shapes are reminiscent of shields as well, although the pattern is less distinguishable. Sheriffs will often be the ones to have star-shaped badges. However, the star shape itself is not an important aspect of the badge. Instead, its points may convey specific characteristics that the sheriff’s office represents.

The Meaning of the Badge’s Color

According to Review 42, colors affect 90% of a person’s first impression. When you see a badge, it’s natural to note its color before anything else. So, does that color mean anything? It’s tough to say what the color of the badge patch means because it can vary from one police department to the next. For example, gold colors may be used in the badges of high-ranking officers, but that’s not always the case. You’ll have to learn more about your police department to find out what the colors of their specific badges represent.

The Importance of the Badge’s Material Composition

Next, we must discuss the meaning of a badge’s material composition. An officer sporting a cloth badge patch is likely new to their department. If an officer has a metallic badge, that indicates they have spent time in the force. Material can have a symbolic representation of time spent in the force or the rank of their current position.

The Symbols on the Badge

Lastly, you may see some symbols on certain badges. These symbols matter because they likely present a clue about the officer’s department. Pay close attention to the badge’s appearance to figure out what its symbols hint at. Always feel free to ask an officer if there is any specific meaning to their badge, they will typically be glad to explain!

You can learn a lot about police officers and the departments they belong to just by closely examining their badge patches. Hopefully, the information provided here will help you better understand those often overlooked details. Are you interested in creating new designs for your badges? Reach out to us today, and let us help bring your ideas to life!

How Can a Patch Company Help Your Department

Graphic design is an underrated part of the first responder’s toolkit. Many graphics tend to look under-professional and overly canned because they were taken from simple clip art. According to Non-Profit Pro, a professional logo design builds brand trust and engagement with 64% of the public. A customized patch can help your Department project its voice, tell its story, and craft identity and professionalism among your ranks. Be sure that others understand who you are by using the right images, and teaming with professional designers.

Your Department Has a Voice

Police, fire, or EMS, your department communicates without words. Its patch projects your team’s voice without a sound. Reach out to a designer to give it a megaphone.

Every Patch Tells a Story

The police department of Apple Valley, Minnesota uses a tiger on its patch. Is this a symbol of fierceness? In this case, no. The banner below the tiger explains: “Home of the Minnesota Zoo.” The story of the Apple Valley Police Department is one of home and public service. A city’s image is bound up in the customized patch worn by its first responders.

Crafting an Identity for Your Team

The patch you wear shows the identity that your department wants. It tells your story and makes your department’s uniforms more than just a pressed blue shirt. You can be sure that with a custom insignia on your arm, you’re going to be projecting the right image: One of professional identity.

Impart a Sense of Professionalism

Your department’s professionalism is associated with the emblems it wears. A customized patch builds an image of professionalism. It says without words what your department stands for. When you and your department have a unified visual voice, you will help people trust that you’ll do what’s right even when it’s hard.

Inspire Others

Just like military unit patches, a Police, Fire, or EMS Department patch can serve as a point of inspiration to the next generation of first responders. When they see your patch, others who are interested in being a first responder will understand that this could be them. Your department-style kit will make it easier to see who you are and what you belong to.

To know what you need to communicate to others, you need to live those values. Talk to the professional designers at the Emblem Authority to begin the discussion of how you want to project yourself creatively.

fire dept patches

What to Consider While Designing an Emblem

A customized patch is an excellent way to make your group stand out. When you are creating a customized patch with an emblem, there are a few things that you should consider before you submit your design. You should consider three things when creating a customized patch from your emblem design.

1. Pick the Right Shape

You first need to decide what shape you want your emblem to be. Crest-shaped, square, rectangular, or circles are the most common types of shapes. Choosing the right type of shape will ensure that your emblem design fits well.

Choosing the right shape will ensure your emblem is scaled correctly. The shape of the emblem patch is the backdrop for every other design element of your emblem. Emblems can be as elaborate as you want them to be as long as it is in the right shape.

2. Pick Your Colors

You may have the desire to make your emblem and customized patch as colorful as possible. Fight the urge. According to True List, a two-color pattern is best for an emblem. Keeping your colors classic and simple will ensure that the details of your emblem remain crisp and clear.

An emblem with too many colors loses some of its punch when scaled down to a customized patch size. Your neon green, gold, blue, and red emblem might be stunningly emblazoned across a t-shirt, but it will all melt together in a patch.

3. Keep Text To a Minimum

You may have a lot you want to put on your emblem, but less is more when it comes to text on an emblem. Scaled-down text that fits on a custom patch can be hard to read and distract from the overall appearance.

Keeping any text simple will make it easier to read and avoid making the patch look crowded. Loading up the emblem with text takes away from the beauty of the design. Ultimately, the best emblems are simplistic and easy on the eye. Consider keeping your emblem simple.

Custom patches with custom emblems are a great way to unite a group, share organizational pride, brand businesses, and more. Get help designing an emblem for your custom patches today.

Why Should You Invest in Challenge Coins?

A challenge coin is a great honor to receive and provides the deserved recognition. According to the United States Department of Defense, the tradition of issuing a challenge coin by the military started in WWI. There are several reasons why investing in a challenge coin is a good idea.

A Brief History of Challenge Coins

We know how challenge coins started in the United States military, but that’s not where they started. It’s thought that these tokens date back to ancient Roman times. In Roman times, when soldiers fought a good fight, they would get their regular purse of coins and an additional bonus coin.

The paid bonus coin was minted separately to indicate that it was a “bonus pay” for exceptional service. The bonus or challenge coin was revered.

What Is the Significance of Challenge Coins?

A challenge coin can serve several purposes. They can be given as a token of appreciation. They can promote loyalty to an agency, signify special achievements, and improve morale. Challenge coins are a great way to recognize contributions to an organization.

Challenge coins are highly appreciated by the recipient as an honor. Challenge coins are reserved for the highest honors.

What Organizations Can Benefit From Investing in Challenge Coins?

While military organizations are most often associated with challenge coins, that doesn’t mean these coins do not have a place with other organizations. Police departments, fire departments, hospitals, and other groups can all enjoy the benefits of investing in challenge coins.

Whether private or public, any organization that wants to recognize people with a meaningful token should invest in challenge coins. There are no specific criteria to invest in these coins other than the desire for a custom coin to recognize stakeholders.

Why Invest?

Challenge coins are a good investment because of the joy they bring the recipient, but that’s not the only reason. Challenge coins can grow in value. A historically significant challenge coin can be a valuable item.

The rarity of the challenge coins can make them more valuable with time. More importantly, these coins become family heirlooms.

These coins are a great investment for any group. Custom challenge coins are a great investment that has the potential to grow in value. Give us a call to learn more about challenge coin investments today.

fire dept patches

How to Get an Emblem to Stand The Test of Time

Logos have a long history. They have been around since antiquity and are used to create emotional connections to a product. According to True List, the Stella Artois logo has been around for longer than any other, starting in 1366. Heraldic images are a type of logo designed to instill the ideas of antiquity. An emblem badge is a logo, but it also has some of the feelings of heraldry.

Simple Designs Last

The modern logo of CBS Television was designed in 1951 by William Golden. ABC and NBC have made significant changes to their logos since that time. CBS’s television logo has remained constant. It also became the logo for CBS Radio until its absorption into Entercom (now Audacy). When Golden offered to refresh the company’s logo in 1961, feeling it was growing stale, a CBS executive turned him down, saying that just when you’ve become tired of a logo is when it’s about to become timeless. We can see one of the most important rules of logos and the emblem badge: Resist the urge to tinker. A good design is going to last.

Use Lots of Prototypes

A good badge design is hard to get, and you’ll go through many options to get to your final version. The more versions of your badge are made during the design process, the more options you will have for the first down selection. The first time you select in terms of the number of options available, you will get rid of mediocre and some good designs. This is okay. Abandoning good ideas is part of the design process to get to the truly great ones.

Get A Lot of Feedback

You’ll get better outcomes when your stakeholders are involved in your emblem design. Once you’ve made your first selection from your original brainstormed options, you’ll be able to see more clearly what you have in terms of your best options. These are the options for an emblem badge that truly represents your public safety department and creates the most trustworthy image with the public. Finally, after not too much longer, it will be time to reveal the new emblem to the world.

Designing new emblems is tricky, but we’re here to help make it as pain-free as possible. Contact our design team to get started on your new emblem!

Police-Uniform-Badges

The History and Significance of the Police Badge

Have you ever wondered where police badges got their start? Or who decided that the police needed police badges? Police badges are symbolic and necessary to recognize members of the police force. Here is a quick history of police badges and why they’re a significant part of every police uniform.

Where Badges Got Their Start

The first current police badge, according to the Washington, D.C. Police Memorial and Museum, was used in London in 1845. However, badges identifying people as a means of security started in medieval times. A knight or other member of an aristocratic household, designated as a defender, wore a badge with the aristocrats’ coat of arms. The early badges and the badges of modern times had the same purpose as they identified the wearer as part of a group tasked with ensuring safety and following the rules.

Early American Law Enforcement Badges

As far back as early settlers arriving in the United States, badges were used to identify law enforcement officials. The iconic star shape forever became associated with law enforcement in the wild west. Gold and silver stars had different significance in days gone by since the badge color for law enforcement indicated rank and power. The badge became a talisman of sorts and identified law enforcement officers and protected them somewhat from the day’s violence. Harming a law enforcement officer wearing a badge comes with very stiff penalties.

Today’s Police Badges

Today, police badges still hold the same significance they always have. They are a symbol of group membership intending on defending a community. They identify police officers as peace officers that are there to help citizens. Police badges are symbols that inform, protect, and designate officials. To wear a police badge today, you must earn the right through proper training. It’s illegal for an average citizen that doesn’t have special permission to wear a copy of a police badge. Each police badge is numbered with a unique number assigned to the officer that wears the badge.

A badge is worn with pride because must be earned. It honors those that choose to protect and serve their communities. Police badges are richly symbolic and meaningful. A high-quality badge is more than a uniform accessory. It’s an important affirmation for every police officer that they belong to a team. If you’re looking for high-quality badges to represent your police force, give us a call today!

3 Benefits of Using a Professional Designer for Your Emblems

Are you debating whether or not to use a professional to design your logo? Here’s a fact that can help nudge you in the right direction. According to Non-Profit Pro, 64% of people say that using a professional logo design helps build both brand trust and engagement. Read on for more convincing reasons to use our professional design team!

1. We’ll Make Something That Gives a Great First Impression

You want patches that will showcase exactly who you are and what you stand for. A professional can create patches that will immediately catch people’s eyes for all the right reasons. We’ll talk to you and find out exactly what you want and then we may create several different versions so that you can choose the one that you like the most out of all of them.

2. We Can Create an Identity For You

There are some logos out there that people recognize immediately. You could go to a remote island and people would know what that swoosh on your shoe means. A professional can create an emblem just as recognizable, something people will see and immediately associate with your brand. It’s hard for an amateur designer to do the same thing.

3. We Can Create Things in Different Sizes

Your organization may need patches that come in different sizes. You want to create something that will look good in all those sizes and our professional designers will allow for that and ensure that each one is created with sharp and crisp images. An amateur might not be able to do this, resulting in the images looking muddy and pixilated, which can create confusion. You want to have the best presentation, so it’s better to go with a professional.

It can be very tempting to just make your own patches. After all, there are a lot of choices when it comes to creative design programs, with many being free. The chances of you making something that really stands out are fairly low, however, unless you have done this kind of work before. Our professional designers are very good at thinking outside the box and making things that you might not have imagined before that fit your needs perfectly. Are you looking for someone to design your logo? We’re ready to do that for you. Contact us today!

How Do Police Departments Develop Their Own Brand?

There are almost 18,000 U.S. police agencies in the United States which include City Police Departments, County Sheriff’s Offices, State Police and Highway Patrol, and Federal Law Enforcement Agencies. Each of these police departments is unique in terms of size and composition, but they all have one thing in common – they all need to develop their own brand. Below are some of the many ways police departments create their own brand.

Police Decals

First and foremost, police decals are vital for any police department to have. These decals give the agency’s vehicles and officers a sense of identity, which helps to distinguish them from other agencies in the area. Not only that, but they also help to instill a sense of pride in the agency’s personnel and can even be used as a tool for recruitment.

Mission Statements

Many police departments have mission statements that define their core values and goals, as well as what they stand for. These statements serve to inform the public of the department’s purpose, how it operates, and what citizens can expect from their officers. They also give the agency a sense of purpose and help to create an image of professionalism for the department.

Community Outreach Programs

Community outreach programs are a great way for a police department to build relationships with its citizens and to develop trust in the community. These programs can be designed to address specific needs, such as crime prevention, education, or homelessness. By taking part in community programs, the police department is better able to understand the needs of its constituents, which in turn helps it to improve its public image.

Professionalism and Integrity

The level of professionalism and integrity that the police department demonstrates reflects its public image. Professionalism can be demonstrated through proper dress, protocol, and behavior, while integrity is demonstrated by upholding values such as honesty and fairness when dealing with citizens. By setting a high standard of excellence in these areas, the police department can demonstrate its commitment to serving its community.

From police decals to doing community outreach, these are just some of the ways that police departments can establish and build their own brand. By focusing on these areas, agencies can develop a positive image in the community and become more effective at serving their constituents. If you are looking for decals for your police department, whether it be patches, badges, or pins, call our team today to order!

fire dept patches

Choosing the Right Colors and Designs For Your Emblem

Emblem and patch design are among the most important things for a unit’s first impressions. The appearance of your unit’s patch tells the world about what your unit’s values are and what it serves. Your unit’s customized patch should reflect the values you want the world to see.

Choosing the Right Message For Your Unit

With rapid prototyping and quick manufacturing processes, getting a customized unit patch that represents the esprit de corps of your unit has never been easier. Especially in the current environment, public trust and instant credibility are important for building a relationship with the community. You can start this with a look that engenders confidence by taking care to choose the elements of your customized patch. Review 42, one of the internet’s most trusted review websites, reveals that of the elements of a uniform or patch, colors influence 90% of a first impression. Make sure to consider what you want to present to the public when choosing a message for your unit. The concept you choose will influence public opinion of your unit and will determine how your department will be treated.

Your Colors

Heraldry, the art of creating distinctive emblems, has complicated rules designed to make flags and arms as simple as possible. These symbols must be read at a distance, in all light and wind conditions. While patches don’t need to follow the rules of heraldry, they should be designed to be visible in many light conditions and be readable at a glance. If a police unit’s purpose is to serve and protect the public, the public needs to see through the patch that your unit will follow along with that purpose.

The Shape

A customized patch for a police or fire unit should also have a distinctive shape. This shape generally should either be an oblong oval or in the shape of a badge. Again, either of these will give the proper impression of being a public-service unit’s patch and allow the unit to interact with people in a way that will engender public trust.

The Design

Back to the concept of heraldry, a design should be simple and easy to read. It should avoid too many extraneous elements. The patch is not a place to show off intricate artistry in Photoshop. It has to be stitched and even the best stitching can only move a certain minimum amount to be legible. Making sure that your patch omits extraneous details is best so that it can be read at a distance. The best insignia is the one that people don’t have to strain to read.