Placing patches on your backpack can up your game. You can choose patches having logo of your favorite basketball or soccer teams, or a patch of your college varsity, or even go savage by putting up banners on your political candidate or party. Even as a traveler, you can reminisce the memories of your adventures by collecting patches as souvenirs. But the real challenge comes with how to iron on patches to a backpack in an intelligent way and make it stick there neatly for long. Our precise and brief guide would help you get that done.
Things you need?
- A backpack of non-synthetic material (e.g., cotton)
- Flat Plate Iron
- Pressing cloth that’s heat resistant
- Iron-on patches with adhesive.
Easy Ironing – For Non-Synthetic Material
- Prepare the iron and set it to a hot degree, preferably ranging from 280o F to 300o F.
- Neatly position the strap where you want to place permanently. If you want to put a combination of patches, you may use a pencil to mark the spots lightly and place them on the markings made.
- Place a flat hard surface under the backpack area where you would want the patch to stick, avoid using soft iron board as it would make a error in ironing the patch.
- Gently press the iron on the patch once its placed, press firmly for a few seconds and then lift it. Gently pull to check it has stuck onto the backpack, if not then you may press the hot iron again for a few seconds.
- Once it’s almost stuck to the backpack, iron the patch from inside the backpack, pressing on the other side where the patch is attached for a few seconds to further strengthen the bond.
Caution: Synthetic materials like nylon or polyester would burn if ironed, use these techniques for cotton. Also, avoid using iron steam, just apply dry heat.
Bonding by External Glue – For All Materials
1. Place your dry patch onto the area you want it to be fixed, mark the edges with light pencil.
2. Apply glue in the marked area, apply the glue a few millimeters behind the boundary so that the glue doesn’t squeeze out. Ideally use a fabric glue to make sure the patch lasts longer on the backpack.
3. Place the patch onto the glued area and firmly press the patch, starting from the middle to its outer edges. Notice if any glue comes out, and if it does, you may immediately remove the wet glue with a napkin or a tissue to keep it neat.
4. Once the placement is made and glue is evenly spread, press it more firmly to make sure the bond is strong. After pressing for about 10 seconds, let it rest to dry.
Pro tip: Put a heavy object onto the patch area, placed on a hard flat surface for a about a few minutes to ensure a stronger bond as the glue dries.
