Printing Planet UK
Few promotional products offer the visibility and longevity of a well-made custom tote bag. Unlike a flyer that gets discarded or a branded pen that runs out of ink, a quality tote bag gets carried in public, used repeatedly and seen by dozens of people every week. For businesses, charities, schools and event organisers across London, custom tote bags are one of the highest-value branded products available per pound spent.
This guide covers everything you need to know before ordering, from bag types and pricing to design best practices and use cases.
The Best Cost-Per-Impression Promotional Product
When marketers calculate the cost per impression of a promotional item, they divide the total cost by the estimated number of times it is seen by someone. Tote bags consistently outperform almost every other category.
A branded tote bag used daily on a commute into London is seen by an average of 20 to 40 people per trip. Over a single year of regular use, that works out to thousands of brand impressions from a product that costs just a few pounds to produce. Business cards, branded mugs and logo pens simply do not generate that kind of passive exposure.
The reusable nature of tote bags also carries an environmental message, which aligns well with modern brand values.
Tote Bag Types and Materials
Choosing the right bag for your use case is as important as the design. Here is a breakdown of the main options we stock at Printing Planet UK:
| Bag Type | Weight | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural cotton, light | 140gsm | Budget giveaways, conferences | Lower cost, wide size range |
| Heavy canvas | 220gsm | Retail, gifts, long-term use | Very durable, handles weight well |
| Organic cotton (GOTS certified) | 180gsm | Eco brands, charity events | Premium feel, certifiable as organic |
| Jute / hessian | N/A | Artisan markets, food events | Natural look, rougher surface |
| Non-woven polypropylene | N/A | One-day events, bulk giveaways | Low cost, lightweight |
For most events and promotions, a 170-180gsm natural or organic cotton bag strikes the best balance between cost, feel and print quality. The heavier canvas options are better suited to retail packaging where the bag itself is part of the product experience.
Design Tips for Custom Tote Bags
Designing for a tote bag is different from designing for a garment. The canvas is larger, the audience is often at arm’s length rather than chest height, and the bag is held and manipulated constantly.
Keep the design bold and simple. A large central graphic, a strong logo or a short punchy slogan works better than a complex multicolour design with fine detail. Tote bags get folded, scrunched and stuffed into other bags; intricate artwork loses legibility fast.
One or two colours print best. Screen printing on tote bags is cost-effective at medium quantities and produces excellent results with flat, bold colour. DTF printing is available for full-colour or photographic artwork with no minimum quantity.
Leave breathing room. A design that fills the entire face of the bag can feel overwhelming. A centred logo with generous white space around it often has more visual impact than a design that crowds the edges.
Tip: For giveaway bags at conferences or trade shows, put your website URL in a bold, readable size beneath your logo. People carrying the bag become walking adverts, and a clear URL converts curiosity into web traffic.
Use Cases for Custom Tote Bags
Custom tote bags suit a remarkably wide range of applications:
- Trade shows and exhibitions: Give delegates something useful to carry their brochures and samples in, branded with your company name
- Corporate gifts: A quality canvas bag with embossed or printed branding is a practical, appreciated gift
- Charity fundraising: Sell branded tote bags as merchandise to raise funds, or include them as donor gifts
- School fairs and community events: Printed bags work well as prize items, merchandise or activity bags for children
- Weddings and celebrations: Personalised tote bags as guest gifts or bridesmaid bags have become very popular
- Retail packaging: Replace single-use plastic carrier bags with branded cotton totes that customers keep and reuse
For fundraising applications specifically, read our guide on fundraising with custom t-shirts which covers similar considerations around pricing, quantities and selling strategy.
The Eco Angle
With plastic carrier bag charges now embedded in UK shopping culture, the reusable tote bag has become a genuinely mainstream product. GOTS-certified organic cotton bags carry independent environmental credentials that brands can communicate to environmentally conscious audiences.
Even a standard cotton tote bag, if used regularly over a year or more, has a significantly lower environmental footprint than the equivalent number of single-use plastic bags. This is a legitimate selling point for brands in retail, food, wellness and lifestyle sectors.
Pricing Guide
| Quantity | Approx. Price Per Bag (1-colour print) |
|---|---|
| 10 bags | From £6.00 each |
| 25 bags | From £5.00 each |
| 50 bags | From £4.50 each |
| 100 bags | From £3.50 each |
| 250 bags | From £2.80 each |
Prices are for a standard natural cotton bag with a single-colour, single-position DTF or screen print. Full-colour prints, organic cotton upgrades, additional print positions and heavier canvas bags are priced separately. Call 020 3669 9854 for a specific quote.
For a full guide to print pricing across all products and methods, see our custom printing cost guide.
Design Dos and Don’ts
Do:
- Use high-contrast colours that stand out on the bag colour you choose
- Supply artwork as a vector (AI, EPS or PDF) for the sharpest results
- Include a clear call to action such as a URL or social handle
Do not:
- Use very thin fonts or fine line detail that will blur on fabric
- Choose colours too similar to the bag colour (dark print on dark bag, light on light)
- Overcrowd the design with too many elements or text lines
For artwork setup guidance, read our artwork file format guide. If you are unsure about quantities, our minimum order quantities guide explains when to order small and when bulk makes sense. Businesses ordering staff uniforms alongside tote bags should also check our corporate workwear guide for bundle pricing options.
Ready to order your custom tote bags? Visit Printing Planet UK at Putney SW15 3BD or call 020 3669 9854. We print from as few as one bag with no minimum order, and our team can help with design, bag selection and turnaround planning.