Custom patch hat questions, answered.

Platte River Hat Co. is a custom hat shop in Columbine Valley, Colorado, just south of Denver, about 20 minutes south of downtown Denver. We serve the Denver metro including Littleton, Highlands Ranch, Ken Caryl, Bow Mar, Castle Pines, Lone Tree, Centennial, Greenwood Village, Cherry Hills Village, Englewood, Morrison, and Denver, and we ship worldwide.

Minimums vary by hat model and patch style rather than a single site-wide rule. Some hats and patch styles start at one piece, and our sample program lets you order as few as five before committing to a full run. We confirm the exact minimum for your combination before you pay. Build Your Hat and we will confirm the exact number.

Price depends on three things: the hat model, the patch style, and how many you order. Finished Branded Bills patch hats typically land in the $40 to $50 range depending on quantity, patch style, and decoration. Preferred brands like Richardson sit below that, and per-hat pricing drops as quantity rises. Build Your Hat and we send real pricing rather than a guess.

We offer PVC (3D rubberized and weatherproof), Flexbroidery (embroidery on a flexible backing), Flexstyle (molded dimensional emblem), leather (etched or debossed), embroidered and fabric patches, Liquid 3D (poured, domed, high gloss), full-color direct-to-film (DTF) transfers, and heat-pressed vinyl. Each has its own texture, durability, and best use. See the patch options page for a full comparison.

PVC is the most durable. It is weatherproof, colorfast in Colorado sun, and built for job sites and the outdoors. Liquid 3D and DTF hold up well too, but PVC is the one we recommend for daily outdoor wear. See the patch options page for a side-by-side comparison.

Branded Bills, Travis Mathew, Imperial Headwear, Richardson, Zapped Headwear, Cap America, Pukka Headwear, Otto Cap, YP Classics, and just about any other brand you ask for. See the hat options page for our tier breakdown.

The Richardson 112 is a structured trucker cap with a foam front panel and mesh back, widely used as the industry-standard base for custom patch hats. It takes PVC, Flexstyle, and Flexbroidery patches cleanly and is our most requested Preferred-tier hat.

Branded Bills sits above Richardson on the retail scale with firmer structure, heavier fabric, and a finish that reads like a specialty-shop hat. Richardson is the workhorse trucker that keeps larger orders affordable. Many customers order Branded Bills for staff and Richardson for giveaways with the same patch on both.

Most decorated orders ship in 2 to 3 weeks from artwork approval. Vinyl and full-color DTF are the fastest options, and rush production is available for Denver-metro orders. Artwork approval happens often in a business day of your first proof.

Yes. If your logo was drawn for a screen or a sign, we redraw and rebalance it so it reads well at hat scale, at no extra cost. You see a before-and-after proof and approve it before anything is produced, and there is no design fee. Build Your Hat to see the proof.

Vector files (AI, SVG, EPS, PDF) are ideal. A high-resolution PNG or JPG works for most patch types, and a clear phone photo of an existing logo is enough for us to start. If all you have is a rough idea, describe it and our designers will draft it.

Yes, we ship worldwide. Colorado customers also get free local pickup at our Columbine Valley workshop plus Denver-metro delivery routes.

Yes. Local pickup at the Columbine Valley workshop is free, and we run weekly delivery routes for Littleton, Highlands Ranch, and greater south Denver.

We design a hat for your organization, host a branded landing page with a countdown and progress tracker, run the campaign for a set window, then produce the hats and send your group a check for the profit. Teams, schools, first responders, and community groups use them most. Learn about fundraisers.

Color splits usually carry a per-color minimum, commonly 12 hats for some styles. We confirm the exact number for your hat and patch combination before you pay.

Our sample program lets you order the patch on its own or on a hat before committing. Sample counts vary by patch style, generally up to five patches, and Liquid 3D, full-color DTF, and vinyl can start at a single piece.

Shipping cost depends on where you are and how many hats you order. Colorado customers get free local pickup at our Columbine Valley workshop and weekly Denver-metro delivery routes. Everywhere else, we ship via UPS and USPS with rates calculated at checkout or on your invoice.

We accept all major credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and bank transfer. Qualified organizations can also request invoice terms with net-15 or net-30 payment.

If we make a mistake, we reprint or replace the hats at no charge. Because every hat is custom decorated to your artwork, we do not accept returns for change of mind or sizing. We send a proof before production so you can approve the design, colors, and placement.

Yes. Once we have your artwork on file, reordering is simple. Contact us with the design or order you want to repeat and we will pull the files, confirm pricing for your new quantity, and put the order back into production.

Yes. Schools, nonprofits, and other tax-exempt organizations can submit a Colorado sales tax exemption certificate or resale certificate. We remove tax before payment once the certificate is verified.

Rush production is available for Denver-metro orders and some shipped orders, depending on the patch style and our current schedule. Rush fees vary by timeline, so tell us your deadline and we will confirm availability and pricing.

Most of our hats are adjustable snapback, strapback, or flex-fit. We list the closure type and fit notes on each model. If you are ordering for a group, we recommend ordering a few sample sizes or asking us for a sizing guide before the full run.

Spot clean with a damp cloth and mild soap. Do not machine wash or dry a patch hat: the heat and agitation can loosen the patch and shrink the crown. Air dry away from direct heat to keep the shape and patch adhesion intact.