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Print guide

Printing on dark bags

White ink prints bright and clean on a black bag in a single colour. Most other light or bright inks need a layer of white printed underneath first, called an underbase, or they sink into the dark fabric and look dull. The underbase has its own screen, so it counts as one more colour in the price.

6 min read · Updated 24 September 2026

Black canvas tote bag printed with a bright yellow record shop logo, carried on a city street at dusk

Why dark bags print differently

Screen printing ink isn't paint. Even a thick layer lets a little of the fabric colour through, and on a natural or white bag that works in your favour: the colours look clean and true to your artwork. On black, navy or bottle green, the dark fabric shows through a light ink and drags it down. Yellow turns mustard, pink goes dusky and sky blue looks grey.

Dark inks on dark bags have the opposite problem. There isn't enough contrast, so navy on black or dark red on burgundy can disappear from a few steps away. A logo that looks sharp on screen, where the background is lit from behind, can be hard to read on a real bag in a dim hall.

The fix is simple, and it is the same one every screen printer uses: print white where you need brightness, and put a white underbase beneath any other light colour.

See what an underbase does

Pick a bag colour and an ink. The left panel shows the ink printed straight onto the fabric, and the right panel shows the same ink on a white underbase.

Bag colour

Ink colour

On burgundy, yellow ink needs a white underbase to stay bright. That's one extra screen, so it usually counts as an extra colour in the price: we'll confirm on your proof.

Straight onto the fabric
With a white underbase

What an underbase is

An underbase is a layer of white ink printed first, in the exact shape of the light parts of your design. It is usually set with a quick burst of heat, called a flash cure, and then your colours are printed on top. The white blocks out the dark fabric, so the colour above it looks the way it does on your screen.

The underbase is printed from its own screen, so it counts as one more colour when you price your bags. One underbase sits under every light colour in the design, so it only ever adds one screen:

Design on a black bag Screens Priced as
White logo White 1 colour
Yellow logo Underbase, yellow 2 colours
Pink and yellow logo Underbase, pink, yellow 3 colours
White text with an orange logo Underbase, white, orange 3 colours

We print up to four colours, so on a dark bag that leaves room for an underbase and up to three colours on top. If you're not sure whether your design needs one, send it for our free artwork check and we'll tell you before you order.

Which inks need an underbase?

As a rule of thumb:

Bag colour Prints well in one colour Usually needs an underbase
Black, navy, bottle green, burgundy, dark grey White Yellow, orange, pink, sky blue and most bright or pastel inks
Red, royal blue, kelly green, purple White or black Yellow, light pinks and pale blues
Mid and light grey Black, white and most dark inks Pale pastels
Natural, white, sand and pastels Almost any ink None, but white ink on natural is subtle

Every bag and ink is a little different, so treat this as a starting point. Your proof will show exactly how we plan to print it.

Two black canvas bags compared: pink ink looks dull without an underbase and bright with one

Why choose a dark bag at all?

Dark bags look smart, hide the marks that everyday use leaves behind, and make a white or brightly coloured print stand out. That's why black is such a popular choice for retail bags, band and venue merch, and staff kits.

Most of our range comes in black, and many bags also come in navy, bottle green, burgundy and grey. Browse them all on our black bags, blue bags and green bags pages. Heavier canvas bags have more texture than light cotton, so keep very fine lines a little bolder on those.

Bags that come in black

A few of our bags that come in black, from a light cotton tote to heavy recycled and organic canvas. Prices are live and include printing.

Designing for a dark bag

  • Make white your main colour. It is bright on its own and needs no underbase, so a white design costs the same as one colour.
  • Use bright colours as accents. One underbase covers all of them, so adding a second bright colour only adds one screen.
  • Let the bag do the work. Parts of your design can be left unprinted so the dark fabric becomes a colour in its own right.
  • Avoid dark ink on a dark bag. If your logo is navy or black, reverse it out in white instead.
  • Keep fine detail a touch bolder. The underbase and the colour on top have to line up exactly, and very thin lines leave no room for error.
  • Send Pantone references if your colours must match. We match to your file otherwise. How Pantone matching works
  • Order an unprinted sample from the bag's page if you want to see the exact shade of the fabric first.
  • Navy cotton shopper printed with a white climbing centre logo hanging on a hallway hook
  • Black large canvas tote printed in orange and white standing on a brewery taproom counter

Questions people ask

Can you print white on a black tote bag?

Yes. White ink prints bright and opaque on black, navy and other dark bags on its own, so a white design counts as one colour.

Why does my colour look dull on a dark bag?

Screen printing ink lets a little of the fabric colour through. On a dark bag that darkens light and bright inks. Printing a white underbase first blocks out the fabric, so the colour on top stays bright.

Does an underbase cost extra?

Yes. The underbase has its own screen, so it is priced as one more colour: one more screen charge and a little more per bag. One underbase covers every light colour in the design. See what each colour adds.

Can you print a full colour design on a black bag?

We screen print up to four spot colours. On a dark bag, one of those is usually the underbase, which leaves up to three colours on top. Photographs and fine gradients don't suit spot colours; our print methods guide explains when another method is the better fit.

Can you print black ink on a navy or dark bag?

We can, but it will be hard to see. For a dark logo on a dark bag, we'd suggest reversing it out in white, or choosing a lighter bag.

Do you offer discharge printing?

No. Discharge printing uses a chemical to strip the dye out of dark cotton so the print shows lighter. We use a white underbase instead, which works on all of our fabric colours.

Not sure your colours will show?

Send us your design and the bag you have in mind. We'll check it for free and tell you whether it needs an underbase before you order.

Free artwork check Shop black bags