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Merch

Merch tote bags

A tote people pay for has to feel worth the money. For merch we'd pick a heavier canvas or organic cotton bag, a design in 1 to 4 spot colours and a bag colour that suits your brand. We print in Leeds with no fixed minimum, so a band, bookshop or café can start with a small first run.

Black canvas totes printed with a band's artwork in white and orange, pinned up on a merch table at a gig

Totes worth selling

Heavier fabric, gussets and good colours: these bags feel like a product rather than a freebie.

Natural recycled canvas tote printed with a bookshop logo, standing on a bookshop table holding books

What makes a tote sell

Weight comes first. A 140gsm cotton tote is soft and light, which is right for a giveaway. A bag customers pay for should feel substantial in the hand: the Recycled Canvas Tote Bag is 280gsm and the Premium Organic Canvas Tote Bag is 340gsm. Our gsm guide explains the numbers.

Then shape. A gusset lets a bag stand up on a shelf and hold a stack of books or a record, and it looks like something from a shop.

Then colour. Black, graphite and navy bags suit bands and bookshops, and natural cotton suits cafés, makers and anything hand-drawn. Light inks on dark bags need a little more thought, so read our guide to printing on dark bags before you choose.

What each colour adds

Merch lives on its margin. See how the price per bag changes with each extra ink colour and with a bigger run, using our Recycled Canvas Tote Bag.

Colours in your logo
Per bag
£2.33
Order total
£582.50

2 colours means 2 screens: a one-off £80.00 to make, plus £0.50 a bag to print the first colour and £0.25 a bag for each extra one. The screen charge is the same whether you print 50 bags or 5,000, which is why bigger runs cost less per bag.

Live prices for the Recycled Canvas Tote Bag, one side, ex VAT.

Pricing your totes

  1. Find your cost per bag

    Build the bag on its page with your colours, sides and quantity. The price per bag includes the screen charge spread over the run. Add VAT and delivery for your true cost.

  2. See what others charge

    Look at what bookshops, galleries and venues near you ask for a tote. Your customers will compare.

  3. Leave room in the price

    Allow for the bags you give to staff and friends, the odd marked one, and your time on the stall.

  4. Order what you can sell

    A smaller first run costs more per bag but ties up less cash. Reorder once you know which colour sells.

Merch ideas by trade

  • Bands and labels

    A black tote with the album artwork in one or two colours sits well on the merch desk next to the T-shirts.

  • Bookshops

    Readers carry books everywhere. A natural or black canvas tote with a simple wordmark becomes the shop's calling card.

  • Cafés and roasters

    A tote with your beans on the front sells at the counter and carries a bag of coffee home.

  • Breweries and distilleries

    A gusseted canvas tote holds a few cans or a couple of bottles, which makes it an easy add-on at the taproom.

  • Museums and galleries

    Gift shop totes that carry the collection home, printed with a piece from it.

  • Festivals and venues

    A dated line-up bag sells on the day and becomes a keepsake afterwards.

Merch tote ideas

  • Natural recycled canvas tote printed with a coffee roaster's logo, hanging from a roastery counter
  • Black recycled canvas tote printed with a brewery logo, holding cans on a taproom bar
  • Natural organic cotton tote printed with an abstract artwork in three colours, in a gallery gift shop
  • Green marl recycled cotton shopper printed with a cinema logo, carried through an autumn park
    Recycled Cotton Marl Tote Bag in green marl for a picture house.
  • Woman sitting beside a black canvas tote printed with a record shop logo in gold
    Premium Recycled Canvas Stand Up Tote in black, with one gold ink for a record shop.
  • Woman in a garden holding a natural cotton tote printed with a Fern & Folly logo and ferns in green and rust
    Premium Cotton Maxi Tote Bag in two inks.

Questions people ask

How many merch totes should I order first?

Enough to sell in a season, not a lifetime. Prices on each bag start from 25 and you can type any quantity. The screen charge is spread over the run, so each bag costs less as the run grows. Start with a number you're confident of, and reorder once you know what sells.

Can you print a detailed illustration?

Yes, if it can be drawn in 1 to 4 flat spot colours. Fine lines and small text need to be bold enough to print cleanly on fabric. We check every file for free and tell you if anything is too fine. For photographs or full colour artwork, direct-to-garment (DTG) printing suits better, and we don't offer it.

Which bag colours can I choose?

It depends on the bag. The Premium Recycled Canvas Tote Bag comes in 16 colours, from sand and rose to fern and bottle green. The Recycled Cotton Marl Tote Bag comes in seven marl colours. The Cotton Tote Bag Long Handle comes in 48 colours. You can also browse by colour, for example our black bags.

Can you match our brand colours?

Yes. We match to your file, or to Pantone references if you give them. Our guide to Pantone and spot colours explains how it works.

Are the bags ethically made?

Our organic bags, such as the Premium Organic Cotton Tote Bag and Premium Organic Canvas Tote Bag, use GOTS certified organic cotton. Our recycled canvas totes use GRS certified recycled cotton. See our organic cotton bags and recycled bags.

Can I print on both sides?

Yes. A small logo on the back is a neat touch on merch. Each colour on each side needs its own screen, which is a one-off charge.

Got a design ready?

Send it with your order, or ask us to check it first. We'll email you a proof before anything is printed.

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