Designing Your Artwork
Custom Tote Bag Printing Specs
We offer screen printing, heat transfers, and direct to garment printing to get the best results for your artwork! With different options, it can be difficult to produce the best quality artwork for the correct type of printing.
Screen Printing
Screen printing is the most popular option and is great for vector artwork.
Heat Transfers
Heat Transfers are used for images that were created in pixels and can’t easily be color separated. Best option for highly-detailed, multi-color images! We offer a traditional heat transfer, edgeless (should have little or no light colors and lines no thinner than 1.5 pt), and ultra (allowing the use of natural and colored material).
Direct to Garment
This is where the ink prints directly on the canvas using CYMK printers.
Canvas is a coarse material! To ensure the print quality is as clear as possible, several things must be considered when designing your art:
Line Weight
Must be no less than 2pt in thickness for both 10oz fabric and 15oz materials. Knockouts must be no less than 2.5pt in thickness for both 10oz and 15 oz materials. Important Note: Metallic Inks and Foild require 2.5pt thickness.
Halftones
Must be 40 LPI or less, with transparency percentages no less than 20%, or greater than 60%. For the best quality, halftones should be treated as an additional ink. Please contact us for the potential use of halftones.
Typestyles
Should be no smaller than 15pt* on a 10oz fabric, with a minimum of 2pt rule, and no smaller than 20pt* on a 15oz fabric, with a minimum of 2pt rule. Do not use knockout text smaller than 22pt* with a minimum line rule of 3pt. Avoid serif style fonts!
*Some font styles are naturally larger/smaller, and may need to be a different size.
Sizing
Regular screen printing sizes can go up to 15″ x 16″ or a jumbo print of 16″ x 19″. A small heat transfer is 5″ x 8″, a medium is 10.5″ x 8″, and a large is 10.5″ x 16.5″.
Margins for artwork must stay at least 1″ from sides of the bag, while 1.5″ margins are required from the top hem and bottom of the bag.
Color Matching
Screen Print
We use “The Plus Series, Coated Pantone Formula Guide” for color matching. These colors do include some Neon colors, and select metallics. All inks will print Coated, however, we can color match to an Uncoated color. Ask about our special inks and foils!
Heat Transfers
Please send a hardcopy for color matching or we can match to Pantone colors. If no hardcopy is provided, we will match to the digital proof.
Accepted File Formats
File Type
All artwork must be print ready, or it will be subject to an Art Charge.
Screen Print Files
We require vector artwork as an .ai, .eps, .svg, .dxf, or .pdf file. These file formats are usually created in Adobe Illustrator. All font must be outlined/ expanded or the font file must be provided to avoid substitution. Contact us for additional file formats.
Heat Transfers
For heat transfers or DTG printing, a .jpg or .psd file is recommended. The optimal resolution is at least 300 ppi at print size, 600 ppi is preferred. Please provide the size you would like the artwork and a Pantone solid coated number or a hard copy for color matching.
Recommended Imprint Sizes
| BAG STYLE | BAG SIZE | IMPRINT AREA |
|---|---|---|
| Tiny Tote | 9″w x 7″h x 3″g | 7″w x 4″h |
| Mini Tote | 10″w x 12″h x 3″g | 6″w x 8″h |
| Medium Tote | 14″w x 12″h x 3″g | 10″w x 8″h |
| Flat Tote | 13″w x 14″h | 11″w x 10″h |
| Everyday Tote | 13″w x 14″h x 3″g | 10″w x 10″h |
| Shoulder Tote | 18″w x 14.5″h x 3″g | 14″w x 11″h |
| Jumbo Tote Bag | 19″w x 16″h x 4″g | 15″w x 12″h |
| Large Zipper Pouch | 9″w x 6″h | 7″W x 4″h |
| Market Tote | 18″w x 13″h x 6″g | 12″w x 10″h |
| Med Grocery Bag | 18″w x 15″h x 7″g | 12″w x 11″h |
| Large Grocery Bag | 18″w x 17.5″h x 7″g | 12″w x 12″h |
| Small Drawtop Backpack | 10″w x 16″h | 9″w x 8″h |
| Economist Tote | 13″w x 15″h x 3″g | 10″w x 10″h |
| Small Three–Panel Bag | 11″w x 13″h x 4″g | 8.5″w x 10″h |
| Large Three-Panel Bag | 14″w x 15″h x 6.5″g | 10″w x 11″h |
| Mini Two-Tone Tote | 9″w x 7″h x 3″g | 7″w x 4″h |
| Small Two-Tone Tote | 15″w x 12″h x 4″g | 11″w x 6.5″h |
| Medium Two-Tone Tote | 17″w x 14″h x 4″g | 13″w x 7.5″h |
| Large Two-Tone Tote | 20″w x 16″h x 4″g | 15″w x 9.5″h |
| Mini Boat Bag | 9″w x 7″h x 3″g | 3″w x 4″h |
| Sm Boat Bag | 15″w x 12″h x 4″g | 5.5″w x 6.5″h |
| with pocket | pocket 9.25″h | 5.5″w x 5.5″h |
| Med Boat Bag | 17″w x 14″h x 4″g | 6″w x 7.5″h |
| with pocket | pocket 9.25″h | 6″w x 6″h |
| Lg Boat Bag | 20″w x 16″h x 4″g | 7″w x 9.5″h |
| with pocket | pocket 13.25″h | 7″w x 8″h |
| Six Bottle Wine Bag | 14.5″w x 10″h x 6″g | 8″w x 7.5″h |
| Four Bottle Wine Bag | 11″w x 12″h x 6″g | 5″w x 8″h |
| Two Bottle Wine Bag | 9″w x 12″h x 3″g | 5″w x 8″h |
| Single Bottle Wine Bag | 5.5″w x 12″h x 3″g | 2.5″w x 8″h |
