Print Shop Pointers: Merrowed vs. Hot Cut

Written by Baylor Meche

Embroidered patches are a great way to step up your merch game, however some of the technical lingo thrown around when customizing them can get confusing. We’ve had several inquiries regarding the difference between merrowed and hot cut edges recently so here’s a quick breakdown of what they mean. 

Merrowed Edges:

A merrowed edge is a thicker border that is sewn up and over the exterior of the patch. This creates a sort of round “piping” effect around the patch to improve its durability and overall finished look. These borders can also be customized with decorative thread. However, there are two downsides to this style of patch.  First is that the standard heat press adhesive wont keep merrowed edges down (an alternative application is sewing them on).  Secondly merrowed edges can only be applied to patches that are more basic shapes such as a circle, square, triangle, etc. It should also be noted that merrowed edges are typically more expensive than the next option.

Hot Cut Edges:

Hot cut borders are much thinner and elegant. Rather than being sewn on, this finishing option is achieved through a fine laser cut to seal off the outer thread from fraying. This fine cut allows you to create much more intricate and creative designs that might include jagged corners or hard geometric shapes. Since there’s no extra step of sewing on a border, hot cut edges guarantee the entire patch will be cohesive in terms of color palette as well. They’re still incredibly durable, but not nearly as much as a merrowed edge. Hot cut borders also tend to be a more affordable option than a merrowed edge.

Pros & Cons:

Merrowed:

     ✗ More Costly
     ✗ Can't Be Heat Pressed onto Hats
     ✗ Limited to Basic Shapes
     ✗ Border Must be Thick (3mm or More) 

Hot Cut: 

We hope this clears up any confusion about the different types of edges on embroidered patches. As always, thank you for supporting Mindzai Creative. Stay tuned for more tips on our wide variety of printing services.