Made in Leeds
How we print your bags
We screen print every bag ourselves, at our works in Leeds. Each ink colour in your design gets its own screen, and we print the colours onto the bag one at a time. It gives solid, lasting colour, and it's the only method we use.
Screen printing at our works
From your logo to a finished bag
We check your artwork
We check your file for free, make sure it will print cleanly at the size you want, and email you a proof. Nothing goes further until you approve it.
We split it into colours
Your design is separated into one layer for each ink colour. A three-colour logo becomes three layers, and each one is output as a film.
We make the screens
A screen is a fine mesh stretched over a frame and coated with a light-sensitive emulsion. Light shines through the film and hardens the coating everywhere except your design, which washes out to leave an open stencil.
We match the ink
We match each ink to your file, or to the Pantone references you give us.
We print, one colour at a time
The bag lies flat on the press, the screen comes down, and a squeegee pulls ink through the open mesh onto the fabric. For a second colour, the next screen is lined up with the first so every part lands in the right place.
We cure, check and send
Heat sets the ink so the print lasts. We check the bags, pack them and send them by DPD Next Day.
Why we only screen print
Screen printing lays down a solid, opaque layer of ink, which suits bags. It gives crisp, flat colour on cotton, canvas and jute, it lasts, and the cost per bag falls as the run gets bigger. The one-off cost is the screens, one for each colour: see why another colour costs more.
It isn't the answer to everything, and we'd rather say so now than after you've paid. Screen printing uses 1 to 4 solid spot colours, so it can't reproduce a photo or a smooth gradient. For a photo on a handful of bags, a digital method such as direct-to-garment (DTG) printing suits better. For a stitched logo on a heavy canvas bag, you want embroidery. We don't offer either, and our guide to print methods explains the differences.
What prints well
Most logos print beautifully. A few kinds of design need a little thought first.
| Your design | How it prints | Our advice |
|---|---|---|
| A logo in 1 to 4 solid colours | Ideal. This is what screen printing does best | Send a vector file (PDF, AI or EPS) if you have one |
| Fine lines and small text | Crisp on smooth cotton. The weave of jute and heavy canvas can break up very fine detail | Keep lines bold on textured bags. See designing for a tote |
| More than 4 colours | Each colour needs its own screen, and we print up to 4 | Simplify to 4 colours or fewer. Logos often look stronger for it |
| Photos and gradients | Can't be reproduced with solid spot colours | Use a flat, simplified version, or a digital print method elsewhere |
| Light ink on a dark bag | Works well, but light colours need care to stay bright on dark fabric | Read printing on dark bags first |
| A different name on every bag | Not possible: every bag in a run gets the same print | Put every name on one shared design |
Finished bags
Premium Recycled Canvas Tote Bag 
Classic Jute Cotton Canvas Bag 
Premium Organic Cotton Tote Bag 
Cotton Tote Bag Contrast Handle
Questions people ask
What is screen printing?
A way of printing where ink is pushed through a fine mesh stencil, called a screen, onto the bag. Each ink colour has its own screen. How screen printing works goes into more detail.
Do you print in full colour?
No. We screen print in 1 to 4 solid spot colours. Photos and gradients need a digital method, which we don't offer. Most logos work well in a few spot colours.
Where are the bags printed?
At our own works in Leeds, West Yorkshire. We print every order in-house.
Can you match my brand colours?
Yes. We match to your file, or to Pantone references if you give them. Read more about Pantone and spot colours.
Will the print wash out?
Screen printed ink is set with heat, so it lasts well with sensible care. Our wash and care guide explains how to look after printed bags.
Can you print on both sides?
Yes. The same design on both sides reuses the same screens, so there's no extra screen charge. A different design on the back needs its own screens. See double-sided printed bags.
See your logo on a bag
Send us your artwork for a free check, or pick a bag and see live prices for 1 to 4 colours.