Greenfrog.
They have all the HQAC specs and can embroider.
1 x polo is approx £12.00.
Over 50 and approx £10.00
Over 100 and cost drops right off.
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Krowmark have a HUGE catalogue and once you’ve got the set up costs out of the way the prices are pretty reasonable. Good discounts if you order in bulk too.
Second shout for greenfrog!
it is no mistake that a photo taken at RIAT is used on their website
https://greenfrogpromotions.co.uk/
As i understand it all the RAFAC embroidered merchandise (wicking tops, wicking polos, cotton polos) hoodies etc) has come from GF
I also understand that is the supplier in use for the PTS badges, certainly the one who had the Sqn identifier (Number) contract.
its a small business which offers personal service.
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Whats this about? Who are you planning to send it to for approval, and why?
They are thinking that they may want to wear 3A at some point and rather than doing what most of us are planning (just doing it) they are looking to do it properly and get Region Approval. (In which case their are strange rules on corporate branding) so they are looking to get it cleared with Region that theirs would meet the 3A criteria before buying the shirts.
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read this topic as it will serve as useful background on the topic of 3A uniform, what is required (ie what it must look like) and the approval system
The only criteria is the pantone colours and the RAFAC logo on the breast and sleeves/back. . .
0230 - Shirt Design.
The shirt design for use in No 3A dress is normally to be a ‘polo’ type with collar and is to only contain the following colour ranges and design motifs:a. RAFAC Brand Rules specification (Dark Blue (Pantone® 295), Light Blue (Pantone® 549), Maroon (Pantone® 195) and White (Pantone® White) (only dark or light blue can form the main body colour with maroon and white only used for seam piping, cuffing and small contrast panels).
b. RAFAC Logos previously approved through the RAFAC Brand Rules on the left breast, sleeves and/or back panel (combinations are allowed but there must be a minimum of an RAFAC logo on the left breast or sleeve).
c. Sqn or Formation insignia can be added to the sleeve or right breast but an RAFAC Logo is to be included on the left breast.
d. A PT shirt can be worn when personnel are directly involved in appropriate sporting activities (e.g. tug of war, field gun completions, etc.) – the use of the PT shirt is to cease once the sports activity has completed. PT shirts are not scaled for issue at public expense
The region approval is for wearing it at the event (although i personally think it’s stupid to require region approval)
There is no approval required for the tshirt
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I know that, I believe that the OP is intending to get Region to approve the shirt anyway to preempt Region saying no at a later date because the stitching isn’t quite close enough together.
Personally if I never feel the need to use 3 I don’t intend to ask Region nor do I intend to abide by the Pantone as it doesn’t match our Squadron branding.
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I will give Green Frog a shout regarding the polo shirts. I would rather cross the t’s and dot the i’s and make sure that what we have is fully approved.
We do a lot of public events in MTP during the summer when it can be warm and people end up in just a t-shirt any ways. By being in 3a dress it keeps us all smart.
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Well that’s not the spirit is it!? 
I wouldn’t be fussed about the exact Pantone match - unless anyone plans to get their own fabric dyed/woven in a specific colour then none of us are going to be able to do that. I would however stick with the general colours because we’re not supposed to have “Squadron branding”. We are, and always have been, units of a parent organization; not 966 individual brands.
One thing I would say about Green Frog is that they did send a load (hundreds?) of soft shell jackets and polos for CIs to RIAT one year that had been embroidered with the old French Air Force roundel/cockade rather than the RAF one…
In fairness they turned them round and got them sorted within a few days but still a bit of a blunder!
I would say that most Squadron Branding predates the RAFAC realising it needed a Branding, certainly before they did anything about it.
At the end of the day local recruitment and fundraising is more important than the RAFAC non-uniform branding which matters not one bit.
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I would say that even before the RAFAC brand we’ve all been Squadrons of the ATC and never had the authority to just invent our own Squadron brands, colours, &c.
I appreciate that many units did it anyway, but now they aren’t really in a position to complain that they’re not permitted to use something which they never had authority to create in the first place.
This isn’t a non-uniform item - this is a mode of uniform.
It’s no different than if a Squadron created their own “Squadron camouflage” and now are upset that they can’t wear that.
With regards to non-uniform items such as hoodies etc for wear with civies, my personal opinion as a graphics man is that they should still conform to the brand - because that’s literally the point of having a brand. Though, there is more wiggle room on these items because nothing has been written in regulation regarding them.
But the point really is that it’s not our decision as Sqn personnel to decide what the organization we belong too chooses as it’s brand. Just as the RAF have said “all team shirts etc will conform to the RAF brand”; the RAFAC have said the same for us.
Besides, I fail to see how wearing shirts in the “correct” colour will in any way make local recruitment and fundraising less effective than wearing something locally designed.
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My problem is how long the “brand” lasts. How many ‘new’ logos have we had? When is the next change coming?
Well, yes, that is a potentially valid concern.
Though now that we’ve joined with the main RAF branding (along with many other units such as RAFA, the Families Trust, and the various sub-unit teams) I think we’ve got a bit more stability and longevity.
Did I hear rumours about green frog being vrt officers (or ex vrt) or there being some worrying link somehow?
They aren’t, it’s a 1 man band who somehow got lucky from what I can tell.
Links to HQAC I think. I did speak to him a year or so ago. Nice chap but a little too knowledgeable about the ATC. Told me all about the cash flow problems and sign offs required at HQAC that made the new badges fall over.
A while ago so it’s a bit hazy.