Many years ago my wife and I decided to paint our house. We'd seen a couple of other houses in the neighborhood that looked a grayish-tan color; that's what we set out to achieve. We went to the paint store, got some swatches, and came home to make our decision. Unfortunately, what looked like grayish-tan on paper ended up being almost pink once we got it on the house. We were both terribly disappointed but neither of us had any intention of repainting.
What does this have to do with embroidered patches?
When you see stock patches on a website like The Cheap Place, the digital photographs are as accurate a representation as the company can provide. But even digital photography doesn't do the colors justice. So many things can affect the outcome of what you see on the screen including the camera used, the lighting in the room when the picture was taken, the software used to process the picture, and even the computer screen you're viewing it on.
It's not uncommon for customers to receive their stock patches in the mail only to discover they don't look exactly like what they saw online. It's not a case of the retailer trying to rip customers off, it's a simple matter of technology. Just like swatches can only give you a general idea of what paint will look like on a house, a digital picture can only give you a general idea of what an embroidered patch really looks like.
My advice is to use online pictures just as a general guide. Tell yourself that when your items arrive they are going to look a little different; that way you're not surprised. It'll make your shopping experience, and your life, a little bit better.
