We are manufacturing Canvas Bags since 2002
What are the Best Print Methods for Cotton Cloth Tote Bags in bulk? A comparison:
We have short listed 3 types of Print techniques for Canvas bags. This article is for bulk printing only (for wholesalers and companies who want to buy bags in bulk from manufacturer and need to decide about printing in bulk). Production costs are compared for countries / factories where labor cost is lower (e.g. Pakistan, India, Bangladesh)
Screen Print
Most common for Bags is silk screen table printing (for bags made of Cotton, Canvas, Calico or Muslin fabrics). Colors are sharp, color matching is great, mold cost is medium. Best for quantities from 500 to 100000 pieces. Silk screen table printing is done on unstitched product panels or finished product. Wash ability is good.
Screen cost is minimum; increasing the number of colors doesn’t add too much to final cost however, number of colors means higher number of repeated applications therefore the labor cost increases, as well as the chances of non-aligned screens of different colors. Lower labor cost environments are best for screen printing.
Screen Printing can be done with either Pigments or non-PVC plastisol. Keep in mind your requirements of softness, wash ability, budget and compliance to decide among them.
Screen print is also good for bags made of synthetic fabric like polyester or nylon.
Rotary printing (a type of screen print, done on rotary machines) is used for large batches of same design. For large batches, it is more cost effective. It is also useful where number of colors per design is high. With regular table screen print, the alignment of screens with a number of colors becomes difficult whereas rotary machines manage it effectively. Mold cost and initial operational wastage is high hence it is not feasible for small quantities. Its mold method is same as table screen but its screen cost is very high. One screen is used per color so increasing the number of colors increases the initial expense, which is quite feasible when the quantity per design is high. Wash-ability is great.
DTG (Direct to Garment)
DTG is Good For
- very small number of articles to print
- complex designs, two tones and higher number of colors
- printing on cotton
- printing on finished product
DTG is not good for
- color matching and color sharpness
- wash ability
- printing on synthetic fabrics
Sublimation
Sublimation is done only on synthetic fabrics especially polyester. Poly cotton can also be printed however, higher percentage of polyester brings the best result. Its ink doesn’t sit on the surface so it is soft to touch, in fact its feel is same as dyed fabric. It is highly washable.
Sublimation does well with edge to edge prints, covering maximum area.
Heat Transfer Stickers are also available. They are best for logos. Stickers can be applied on any type of fabric.
Conclusion:
Screen Print is the best for Cotton Tote Bags; cost effective and best results
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