Canvas & Tote Bags · MOQ 500 pcs
Same 10oz cotton canvas body and the same 500 pc MOQ as our standard tote; what this pair demonstrates is the print. One bag carries our mark screen-printed straight onto natural canvas, the other the same mark on a dark-dyed body, where the cloth needs an underprint before the colour goes down. Indicative $0.40–1.20/pc at 500 pcs, with the print method, extra colours and the dark-cloth underprint quoted as their own lines.
Overview
The body is 10oz cotton canvas, roughly 340 gsm, cut to the width, height and gusset we specify and sewn with a reinforced top fold so the handle load spreads across the whole top edge rather than two stitch points. Handles are self-fabric or cotton webbing, bar-tacked at both ends. What the two bags on this page show is the printing: on natural canvas a one-colour screen print sits straight on the cloth and stays opaque and flat, while on a dark-dyed body the same artwork needs either a white underprint beneath each colour or a different route entirely — DTG, heat transfer or embroidery. That is a real line item, not a technicality, and it is the single most common reason two seemingly identical tote quotes come back at different prices.
Both bags are ours. The mark on them is CW Packing's own, printed on our partner sewing and printing lines, and we keep them because they answer a question a photograph of a customer's bag cannot: what does our print actually look like on the cloth you are considering, in the colourway you are considering. Two honest caveats before you benchmark against the band. The published cotton canvas range is $0.40–1.20/pc at 500 pcs, and the bottom of it is lighter 6oz promotional cloth: a 10oz reusable body sits higher in that range, and a heavy 12oz wide-body tote is a different band altogether at $2.84–6.37. And a dark-dyed cloth is not free to print on — the underprint costs money and adds a pass, and dyed cotton can crock or soften in tone over years of washing, which is worth knowing if the bag is meant to last.
Specification
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fabric | 10oz cotton canvas, approx. 340 gsm; 6, 8 and 12oz also available |
| Size | Cut to order — our own bags are in the common 320×380mm to 380×420mm range, plus gusset |
| Gusset | Flat, bottom-only, or side and bottom; extra panels quoted separately |
| Handles | Self-fabric or cotton webbing, set on a reinforced top fold and bar-tacked at both ends |
| Screen print on natural canvas; on dark-dyed cloth a white underprint, or DTG, heat transfer or embroidery instead. One to three positions | |
| Packing | Flat-packed or folded to your carton spec; poly-bag and marking on request |
| MOQ | 500 pcs per design and per fabric weight |
| Lead time | 15–20 days after sample approval, before transit |
| Price basis | Indicative $0.40 – 1.20 per piece at 500 pcs, ex-works |
Variants
Self-fabric is cut from the same canvas as the body and is the cheapest handle that still matches the bag; cotton webbing at 25–30mm is stronger and more even in the hand and is what most retail programmes specify. A die-cut slot is the cheapest of all and the first thing to fail on a loaded bag.
A flat bag prints beautifully and packs small; a bottom gusset gives it a base so it stands up, and side gussets add depth for a boxed product. Both are extra panels and both are quoted as their own line.
Screen print stays cheapest for one to three flat colours in volume. DTG or heat transfer handles photographic colour and fine detail, and both are the usual answer on a dark body where an underprint would need a second pass. Embroidery gives a raised mark that outlasts the bag and is priced by stitch count.
A second position, a printed back panel or an inner pocket turns the tote into an everyday bag. Each is priced per piece as its own line.
Natural, dyed pastel or dark. Natural prints most predictably; a dyed body gives a stronger contrast but needs the print route chosen for it, and we will tell you which route before you approve artwork rather than after.
The same cut in 6oz promotional cloth sits at the bottom of the band; a heavy 12oz wide body is a separate band at $2.84–6.37 at 500 pcs. Tell us the load and we will recommend a weight instead of quoting the default.
Materials
A tote is priced by how much cotton is in it, and printed by how the cloth takes ink. Those two facts explain almost every difference between two quotes for the same artwork.
| Option | What it means |
|---|---|
| 6oz cotton, approx. 200 gsm | The give-away weight: cheapest body, prints flat colour well, but thin, short-lived and it collapses on a shelf. Fine for a one-off event, wrong for a brand programme. |
| 10oz cotton canvas, approx. 340 gsm | The reusable default, and the weight our own bags are made in. Holds a crease, carries a loaded bag without the handle pulling out, and takes a dense print without ink show-through. |
| 12oz cotton canvas, approx. 405 gsm | A noticeably stiffer cloth for wide-bodied and gift-grade totes, priced in its own band at $2.84–6.37 at 500 pcs. |
| Dyed and dark-dyed canvas | Colour is applied to the cloth before printing, so a light ink either needs a white underprint first or a different print route. Adds a pass and a cost line, and can soften in tone over years of washing. |
| Recycled or organic cotton | Available where a fibre claim matters to your market. Price and availability move with the mill, and we confirm the certificate against the exact fabric in your specification. |
| Cotton webbing handle tape | Flat woven tape, usually 25–30mm, set into the top fold. Stronger and more even in the hand than self-fabric, and the standard choice for a bag that carries real weight. |
Best for
The bag is the shop the customer takes home: it carries the purchase, gets reused and is seen in public again. That is the whole argument for 10oz over 6oz.
A canvas tote with a screen-printed or embroidered mark is the format that ends up kept on a desk, and annual budgets mean the artwork is already approved next year.
Flat-packed canvas ships in small carton volume, carries a bold identity, and holds a catalogue, a bottle and a laptop without splitting.
A printed tote doubles as a guest amenity and an in-room shopping bag; the dyed colourways match a property's palette better than natural cloth does.
A printed tote extends the brand past the first delivery. Keep it in 10oz where it has to feel like a gift, or drop to lighter cotton where it is a free addition rather than a product.
Sizing
The body has to fit the product with room for a hand, the gusset has to hold the depth of the box or bottle, and the handle drop has to clear a shoulder without dragging the base along the ground. Because every dimension changes fabric consumption, we quote a cut size rather than a nominal size.
| Dimension | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Body, flat retail (A4) | Around 320×380mm for a flat purchase, a book or a folded garment. Below about 300mm wide the printed panel starts to look cramped. |
| Body, everyday tote | About 380×420mm is the common all-purpose size: a laptop, a lunch box and a bottle, or a standard grocery run. |
| Gusset depth | 60–90mm covers most boxed products; 100mm and above is for bottle carriers and multi-item packs. Each extra 10mm is more fabric and more sewing. |
| Handle drop | 180–220mm for a hand-carried bag, 260mm and up for a shoulder bag. A long drop on a heavy load needs a stronger attachment, so the handle material changes with it. |
| Oversize bodies | Above roughly 450×450mm the bag stops behaving like a tote: fabric consumption climbs, the body needs a heavier cloth to hold its shape, and carton volume rises faster than the piece count. |
| Flat versus folded packing | Flat-packed bags compress best; a structured or gusseted bag is folded to its gusset width. Ask for carton dimensions and packed volume with the quote and compare landed cost, not ex-works price. |
Free quote
Send the basics and you will get an itemised price plus a 3D mockup with your branding.
What you get
Reply within one business day. No obligation, and no design files needed to start.
FAQ
Why the dark bag costs more to print, and the briefs where a canvas tote is the wrong answer.
Keep looking
The default printed tote: 10oz cotton canvas, sized to your product, with the handle and print method chosen around how much weight it has to carry. This is the spec most brand retail and event programmes land on, and the point in the range where the extra fabric starts buying something a customer can feel.
A heavyweight, wide-bodied canvas bag with reinforced handles and full-colour printing or embroidery. This is the end of the range where fabric weight, print coverage and handle engineering are all paid for, and where corporate gifting and brand retail programmes reorder on an annual cycle.
Jute and laminated linen shoppers sit above the cotton line at $0.98–1.85 a piece: heavier and more structured than a cotton tote, and increasingly bought as a gift bag with a printed brand panel rather than as a give-away. It reads craft and heritage, which is either the point of the brief or the reason to avoid it.
Get a free quote
Tell us the product, the quantity and the destination. You will get an itemised factory-direct price, a recommended structure and a 3D mockup — no design files needed to start.
Free quote
Two minutes to fill in. No design files needed to start.