Custom Printed Non-Woven Bags: A Design and Ordering Guide

Key takeaways

Start with the job the bag must do: what it carries, how heavy, how it is carried and how long it should last.
Choose the bag type, size, gusset, handles and GSM to match the load, then the fabric finish.
Supply vector artwork with Pantone colours, keep designs simple and keep artwork clear of seams and handle cut-outs.
Approve a proof, and test a sample for new or large orders, before production.
Our minimum order is 500 pieces per design and size.

Introduction

A branded bag is one of the hardest-working pieces of marketing a business can buy. It leaves the shop with the customer, travels through streets, buses and offices, and comes back again and again every time the customer reuses it. A well-designed bag can be seen by hundreds of people over its life. A poorly designed one, with a cramped logo, the wrong size or handles that tear, is quickly thrown away.

Designing a good non-woven bag means balancing two things: function and branding. The bag must carry what your customers buy, comfortably and reliably. And it must present your brand clearly, attractively and memorably.

As a bag manufacturer with 18 years of experience, and a creative agency within the same group, we bring both sides together. This article walks through the decisions involved in designing a custom printed non-woven bag: what the bag needs to do, choosing the type, size, gusset, handles and GSM, preparing artwork, choosing printing and lamination, proofs and samples, costs and ordering. It ends with a checklist, an illustrative example and answers to common questions.

Start with the job the bag must do

Before thinking about colours and logos, answer a few practical questions:

What will it carry? Clothes, shoes, groceries, books, jewellery boxes, takeaway food or bulk rice all need different bags.
How heavy is a typical load? A pair of earrings weighs grams; a week’s groceries can weigh 10 kg or more.
How will customers carry it? In the hand, on the forearm or over the shoulder?
How long should it last? A one-day event giveaway and a reusable supermarket bag have very different lifespans.
Where will it be given out? At a till, an exhibition stand, a wedding or with home deliveries?
What impression should it create? Economical and practical, or premium and luxurious?

The answers point to the right bag type, size, strength and finish.

Choosing the bag type

Bag type	Best for	Load capacity in our range
D-cut	Clothes, jewellery, pharmacy and boutique purchases; giveaways	Up to 5 kg
W-cut and U-cut	Groceries and everyday supermarket shopping	Up to 5 kg
Loop handle	Fashion, footwear, gifts and general shopping	Up to 7 kg
Promotional box	Promotions, events, premium retail and boxed products	Up to 10 kg
PP woven box	Long-life shopping and home use	Up to 10 kg
Ready-design laminated	Shops wanting smaller quantities and attractive stock designs	Up to 12 kg
Stitched	Heavy shopping, textiles, hampers	Up to 20 kg
Packaging	Rice, grains and bulk products	Matched to the pack weight
Thermal insulated	Takeaway food, delivery, catering	Matched to the order

Insights Article 3 describes every bag type in our range in detail.

Choosing the size

Size depends on what the bag will hold. A simple method:

Measure the largest item customers will usually carry, such as a shoebox, folded saree box or takeaway container.
Add space around it so it slides in easily, typically a few centimetres on each side.
Decide on a gusset, the folded side panel that gives the bag depth. Box-shaped items and groceries need a gusset; flat items do not.
Check the handle length. For hand carrying, shorter handles work; for carrying on the shoulder, choose longer handles. Our loop handles can be made from 34 cm to 56 cm.

Many shops use two or three sizes: small for accessories, medium for most purchases and large for bulky items. Our ready-design laminated bags come in four standard sizes, from small (245 × 230 × 100 mm) to boutique (305 × 430 × 130 mm).

Choosing handles

Handle type	Feel and look	Typical bag
D-cut (punched)	Neat and flat; no separate handle	D-cut bags
W-cut or U-cut	Vest-style; quick to open and fill	W-cut and U-cut grocery bags
Loop handle	Soft, comfortable, classic shopping bag	Loop handle and box bags
Long loop (shoulder)	Carried on the shoulder	Tote and box bags
Woven handle	Strong, premium feel	Stitched bags
Velcro or tape closure (with handles)	Keeps contents secure	Thermal food bags

Choosing the GSM

GSM (grams per square metre) measures the weight of the fabric. Heavier fabric is generally stronger and feels more premium, but costs more. Our bags range from about 45 GSM for light D-cut and W-cut bags to 120 GSM for heavy-duty bags and 130 GSM for packaging bags. Strength also depends on construction: a well-stitched handle on medium-weight fabric can carry more than a poorly welded handle on heavy fabric. Blog Article 1 explains GSM in detail.

Choosing the fabric and finish

Plain non-woven: soft, fabric-like texture in many colours; economical; ideal for screen and flexo printed logos.
Laminated non-woven: smooth, water-resistant surface with bright, photographic print; ideal for premium and promotional bags.
Laminated metallic: shiny metallic finish for jewellery, gifts and festive bags.
Shimmer finish: sparkling, glittering surface for weddings, festive seasons and cosmetics.
PP woven with BOPP lamination: very tough, matte finish, ideal for long-life shopping bags.

Preparing artwork

Good artwork is the key to a bag that looks professional. Follow these guidelines:

File format

Supply your logo and artwork as vector files, such as AI, EPS or PDF, so they can be scaled to any size without blurring. Photographs should be high resolution, ideally 300 dpi at the final print size.

Colours

Tell us your brand colours using Pantone references where possible.
For flexo and screen printing, each colour is printed separately, so fewer colours usually means lower cost.
For rotogravure printing on laminated bags, full-colour designs and photographs are possible.
Remember that printing on coloured fabric changes how inks look; light colours on dark fabric may need a white base.

Print area

Leave a margin around the edges of each bag face, and keep important elements away from seams, gussets and handle cut-outs. On D-cut bags, keep text and logos clear of the punched handle area. Gussets can carry simple patterns or a website address.

Keep it simple

The most effective bags are simple: a bold logo, a short message and one or two key contact details. Too much text makes a bag look cluttered and is hard to read from a distance.

What to include

Element	Tip
Logo	Large and centred, or placed where it is seen when the bag is carried
Brand name	Clear and readable from a distance
Short message	A tagline, offer or reuse message, such as “Reuse me”
Contact details	Website, phone number or social media handle, kept small
Branch details	Optional, on the back or gusset

Choosing a printing method

Method	Colours	Look	Best for
Screen	Usually one to a few solid colours	Bold, solid	Logos and simple designs; shorter runs
Flexographic	A few colours	Crisp, clean	Logos and text; medium to long runs
Rotogravure	Full colour, photographic	Rich, detailed	Laminated promotional and premium bags; long runs
Offset	Full colour	Sharp, detailed	Packaging bags

Blog Article 2 explains each method and its costs in more detail.

Design ideas for different businesses

Every business uses bags differently. These suggestions are a starting point:

Business	Suggested bag	Design tips
Textile and saree shops	Stitched or laminated box bags	Elegant patterns or photography; strong handles for heavy fabric
Clothing boutiques	Loop handle or D-cut bags in two or three sizes	Minimal design with a bold logo; matching sizes create a family look
Supermarkets and grocery shops	W-cut, U-cut or stitched bags	Large logo and a reuse message; strong construction for groceries
Pharmacies	D-cut or small loop handle bags	Clean, simple design; pharmacy name and contact number
Jewellery shops	Metallic or shimmer finish bags	Gold, silver or deep colours for a premium feel
Restaurants and food delivery	Thermal insulated food bags	Logo, website and order number or social media handle
Events and exhibitions	Promotional box or D-cut bags	Event name, date and sponsor logos; large print area
Corporate gifts	Laminated box or stitched bags	Company branding with a premium finish; room for gift items
Rice and grain brands	Packaging bags	Full product artwork, pack weight and required pack information

Common design mistakes to avoid

Too much text. Long lists of products, branches and phone numbers make a bag look cluttered and are hard to read.
Logo too small. A small logo is lost from a distance. Make it big enough to be seen across a street.
Ignoring the gusset and handle areas. Artwork placed across seams, gussets or D-cut handle holes may be cut or distorted.
Poor contrast. Dark text on a dark bag, or pale text on a pale bag, is hard to read.
Low-resolution images. Images copied from websites or social media often print blurred.
Choosing the wrong strength. A beautiful bag that tears under the first heavy load damages the brand it carries.
Not checking the proof. A single wrong digit in a phone number can be printed on thousands of bags.

Designing for reuse

The longer a customer keeps a bag, the more it promotes your brand and the better it is for the environment. Bags are reused more when they are:

strong enough for everyday shopping;
attractive, so customers are happy to be seen carrying them;
the right size for common uses such as groceries, school books or gym clothes;
easy to clean, which laminated bags are; and
free from short-lived messages, such as a sale date that soon becomes outdated.

A simple message such as “Reuse me” or “Carry me again” also encourages customers to bring the bag back.

Proofs and samples

Before production, we send a digital proof showing how the artwork will look on the bag, with dimensions and print positions. Check it carefully:

Is the spelling correct, including phone numbers and web addresses?
Are colours and logo positions as you want?
Is the bag size and handle type correct?

For large or new orders, a physical sample lets you check the size, feel, handles and load in practice. Production begins only after you approve the proof or sample.

What affects the price of a custom bag

Bag prices depend on several factors:

Quantity: larger orders spread set-up costs over more bags.
Size and GSM: bigger bags and heavier fabric use more material.
Bag type and construction: box bags, stitched bags and thermal bags take more work than simple D-cut bags.
Printing method and number of colours: more colours and gravure cylinders add set-up cost.
Lamination and special finishes: lamination, metallic and shimmer finishes add material and processing.
Extras: zips, woven handles and special packing.
Repeat orders: stored tooling makes repeats more economical.

Ways to keep costs down include standardising sizes, using fewer print colours, choosing the lightest GSM that safely carries your load, and ordering larger quantities less often.

Minimum order quantities

Our minimum order is 500 pieces per design and size. That applies to custom printed bags and to our ready-design laminated bags, so even small shops, boutiques and one-off events can order bags printed with their own brand. Larger quantities lower the price per bag, because set-up costs are spread over more bags.

How ordering works

Brief. Tell us what the bag will carry, how many you need, your preferred bag type and your delivery date.
Recommendation and quotation. We recommend a bag type, size, GSM, finish and printing method, and send a written quotation.
Artwork. Send your logo and brand details, or ask our design team to create the artwork.
Proof. We send a digital proof showing the bag with your artwork, size and print positions.
Sample (optional). For new or large orders, we provide a sample bag for testing.
Production. Once you approve the proof or sample, tooling is made and the bags are produced. Our lead time is 7 to 14 working days.
Quality check and delivery. Bags are inspected, counted, packed and delivered with the agreed documents.

Planning ahead helps. Festive seasons, school terms and major events are busy times for bag production, so order early if you need bags for a particular date.

A design checklist

What will the bag carry, and how heavy is a typical load?
Which bag type suits the use?
What size, gusset and handle length do you need?
What GSM and fabric finish?
Is your artwork in vector format, with brand colours specified?
How many print colours, and which printing method?
Laminated or plain?
Ultrasonic welded or stitched?
How many bags, and by when?
Have you approved the proof and, if needed, a sample?

An example in practice

The following example is illustrative and does not describe a real customer.

A bakery chain wants bags for cakes and pastry boxes. The boxes are 30 cm square and 12 cm deep, so we recommend a promotional box bag with a 15 cm gusset and loop handles for carrying flat. Because the bakery’s brand uses a photograph of its signature cake, we suggest rotogravure printing on a laminated bag, which reproduces the photo vividly and wipes clean if icing touches it.

Our designers place the logo on the front, the cake photograph on the back and the website on the gusset, and send a proof. After the bakery approves it, a sample bag is loaded with two cake boxes to check the handles and base. Production follows, and the bakery later orders a smaller D-cut bag for single pastries using the same artwork.

Frequently asked questions

Can you design the bag for us?

Yes. Our design team can create or adapt artwork for your bag, using your logo and brand colours.

What file format should my logo be in?

Vector formats such as AI, EPS or PDF are best. High-resolution images can also be used for photographs.

How many colours can be printed?

Screen and flexo printing usually use one to a few solid colours. Rotogravure printing on laminated bags can reproduce full-colour photographs.

Can I order different sizes with the same design?

Yes. Many customers order two or three sizes with matching artwork.

What is the minimum order?

Our minimum order is 500 pieces per design and size.

How long will my order take?

Our lead time is 7 to 14 working days after you approve the proof. Order early before festive seasons, when demand for bags is highest.

Will I see a proof before production?

Yes. We send a proof for approval, and production begins only after you approve it.

Can bags be printed on both sides?

Yes. Most bag types can be printed on the front and back, and box bags can also carry printing on the gussets.

Can I reorder the same design later?

Yes. We keep your artwork and, where possible, your printing tooling, so repeat orders are faster and more economical.

Which bag type is best for a supermarket?

For everyday groceries, W-cut and U-cut bags are quick to open at the till, while stitched bags carry the heaviest loads and last longest. Many supermarkets offer both: a lighter bag for small baskets and a stronger reusable bag for weekly shopping.

Conclusion

A great non-woven bag starts with its job: what it carries, how it is carried and how long it should last. From there, the right type, size, handles, GSM, fabric, artwork and printing method follow. With clear artwork, a careful proof and, where needed, a sample, you can be confident that every bag carries your brand well.

Ready to design your bag? Talk to our design team.

Start My Bag Design

Sources

CXGIAE, PP non-woven bags: a complete guide for wholesale buyers: https://cxgiae.com/blog/pp-non-woven-bags-a-complete-guide-for-wholesale-buyers/
THE RPS LLC, non-woven bag printing supplier (artwork, sizes and customisation options): https://therpsllc.com/product/non-woven-bag-printing-supplier-dubai/
BK Bags, PP non-woven bags: https://bk-bags.com/shop/pp-non-woven/
Product specifications from the owner's bag catalogue (bag types, sizes, GSM, printing methods, load capacities and minimum order for ready-design bags)