Printed Fabric Bags Your Complete Guide

Take, for instance, a fabric bag for life. Inherently, a bag for life is sold by a retailer to customers who shop regularly and would be willing to spend a small amount extra for a quality, stylish fabric bag option which means they no longer need single-use bags. The customer then reuses this bag until it breaks, recycling it with the retailer and getting a new one. Such a scheme is environmentally beneficial, or at least tries to achieve three important goals:

1. Reducing reliance on single-use materials to prevent wastage.

2. Increasing the lifespan of a bag and the amount it is reused.

3. Recycling or repurposing bag material when damaged or spoiled.

In this instance, a fabric bag achieves eco-friendly goals through a carefully thought-out and calculated scheme.

Now, take another example. A brand is hosting an event. The brand, alongside 20 other brands attending the event, produces 1000 cotton tote bags to hand out for free to event attendees. Each attendee receives 2-3 cotton tote bags, which, when they get home, get stored in the cupboard alongside the 10 other bags they have from previous events or engagements, never to be used again.

The main difference here is that, without a plan or a consideration for how a fabric bag can be reused, recycled or provide value that goes beyond that which can be achieved by a single-use bag, a fabric bag is environmentally damaging. To prevent this, brands need to utilise fabric bags for more than their marketing purpose. Implementing the use of a fabric bag with a sustainable focus at heart is all about creating an environment for reuse, recycling, and mitigation of single-use bags.

There’s a quality scale when it comes to fabric bags, not just in terms of the material type, but also the specifications of that material. A thick cotton bag might be deemed higher quality than a thin canvas bag, even though canvas is typically a stronger and more consistently high-quality material option than cotton overall.

Generally, you can’t go wrong in terms of quality if you’re choosing cotton, canvas or jute. All three materials feel and look premium and carry a print with the sort of swagger and elegance you’d expect from a fabric tote bag. Fabric bags with a low level of thickness, around 140 gsm, will typically feel ‘cheaper’ than a thicker bag – something you’d expect given the lower cost – but nothing can take away from the inherent quality of these material types.

If you want the best-of-the-best, you’ll want to go for a bag at 180 gsm or higher, with the best quality tote bags being your ‘beach’-style bags at around 380 gsm. There is a good amount of variance when it comes to fabric tote bag thickness, and high-end brands will want to opt for the best quality, ensuring their carrier bags align with their brand.

A primary indicator of quality is often a material’s ethical attributes. Customers are more aware than ever about where their products are sourced, and more importantly, how they are sourced. Whether the materials are recycled, fairtrade or organic might be a subjective mark of quality, but these points are crucial for both customers, and upholding brand values. The factors and variables by which consumers measure quality are changing, and as such, sustainable & ethical sourcing is becoming the earmark of luxury.

Quality isn’t just about look and feel, and it’s not all about perception. Robustness, whether cheap or luxurious, is a binary quality and not up for debate. Sometimes the cheapest option, in the instance of fabric bags, non-woven, can still be incredibly hard-wearing. If you judge a fabric bag on its robustness, you can never go too far-wrong. It’s fair to say that all fabric bags are high-quality, because they’ll all be incredibly reliable in terms of wear-and-tear and longevity. If you’re looking for a high-quality option, fabric has the best range in terms of material choices and variance that can help you hit your budget, and never compromise on the quality.

‘Fabric’ isn’t all-encompassing when it comes to price. Depending on the material you opt for, and even the complexity of the bags manufacturing, cost can vary significantly. In general, the most expensive bag material is canvas, as it’s the most robust material option. That’s followed by jute, a more natural option that’s typically made with cotton-padded handles, increasing its complexity and cost. Cotton is then the next least expensive, due to its simplicity and variability of options. The most cost-effective material option is non-woven. This material is made from polypropylene, a synthetic fibre. Also, because the material is unwoven, the manufacturing is much less complex. These bags are generally lower quality, but a lot lower cost, and a great entry point for fabric bags and a significant step-up from paper and plastic options.

If your heart is set on a natural fabric such as cotton, but cost is a big factor, one of the benefits of fabric bags is the variability of thickness and sizes. Cotton bags come in a range of different configurations and thicknesses, which can help keep costs down. You can also opt for a smaller size of bag, depending on your objectives and use case for bags. If cost is a big factor, let us know and we’ll ensure you have all the information you need in order to make the right decision.

Another factor that can impact on cost is the specification of the bag with regards to its ethical attributes. For instance, a fabric bag made from recycled, organic, or fairtrade material will cost more than a standard fabric bag, no matter which material option you choose. If these ethical considerations are high on your list of important factors, be prepared for the cost to be slightly higher.

The final factor that can have perhaps the greatest impact on cost is the quantity being ordered. Unit cost of printed fabric bags will change significantly depending on the number of bags you want to order. The more you order, the lower the unit cost per bag. Our minimum order quantity is set at 25 bags, as below this, your unit price will increase significantly.

Customisation obviously depends on a lot of factors, mainly the bag material and your budget. It will also depend on the configuration of the bag you’re going for, and the size of the bag. All fabric bags can be printed with your own custom design, meaning you’ll always have a unique look and feel, no matter what bag you choose.

Some bags, such as large jute shopping bags and long-handled cotton shopping bags can be made with coloured handles. The colour choices may be limited, and we’ll advise on what can and can’t be done, as well as which colours might clash with your branding and print. Varying the handle colour can be a great way to create a one-of-a-kind bag that stands out from the crowd.

We’re also able to source bags of unique shapes, sizes and configurations. Just ask our team for the catalogue of bags we can supply and print. Your bag requirement will differ greatly from other brands, and we don’t expect all of our standard sizes and shapes to fit the needs of every brand and use case. Let us know what you’re looking for, and we’ll find a bag that fits.

When it comes to a printed tote bag, one of the most important factors is colour. You need a bag that fits your brand, and a bag with your brand colours is instantly recognisable. Our range of fabric tote bags can come in a range of colours, in varying configurations. Certain colours will affect the contrast of your print, for instance, a dark colour may require a white print.

Printed fabric tote bags are a staple event bag, which is indicative of their marketing effectiveness. Not only do people love to pick up a tote bag at an event due to its quality, but brands love them for their reusability and marketing effectiveness. In the 21st century, brands can utilise offline to online strategies such as printing QR codes on their bags to advertise their website, products or marketing campaigns. Printed fabric bags are perfect for this, enabling you to get more eyes on your marketing messages.

It’s the quality of a fabric bag that makes them so effective for these strategies. Most people will just use a paper or a plastic bag once and discard it. A fabric bag provides a reusable alternative for consumers, something they can take out time and again, each time showing your branding and messaging to anyone who walks by.

A great example of how fabric bags can be used as an ideal marketing tool can be seen by Fortnum & Mason. Their bag for life is a beautiful jute shopping bag printed with their high-end, luxury branding. These bags are not only the perfect advertisement for their business and brand, but they’re also a high-quality revenue generator and a status symbol for their customers. Read more about fabric bags for life here.