Choose cotton canvas if you want a smooth surface, a crisp print and a bag that can be heavy and sturdy or light and foldable. Choose jute-cotton if you want a textured, natural look and a stiffer bag for gifts and display, and your artwork is bold.
Those are the only two fabrics we use for totes, so the choice of tote bag fabric (canvas or jute-cotton) is quick once you know what the bag is for. This post explains how the two differ and which bags each one suits.
Cotton canvas
Cotton canvas is a firm, tightly woven cotton. It is the fabric most people picture when they think of a tote bag.
How it looks and feels. Smooth, even and matte, with a soft hand that firms up in heavier weights.
Weight options. Heavier canvas stands up on its own and feels sturdy for shopping and retail bags. Lighter canvas folds small and suits event giveaways and packs.
Printing. The tight, even surface takes screen print well, with sharp edges and solid colour. Heat transfers sit flat on it, and embroidery holds well in the firm weave.
Colours. Natural canvas is the classic choice, and dyed colours are available from the fabric options.
Styles. All four of our styles come in cotton canvas: canvas tote, printed tote, zip tote and drawstring bag.
Jute-cotton
Jute-cotton mixes jute and cotton. The jute brings texture and a natural, earthy look; the cotton keeps the fabric easier to handle than jute alone.
How it looks and feels. Textured, with a visible weave and a natural appearance. It is stiffer than canvas.
Printing. The textured surface gives prints a slightly rustic look. Bold artwork with thick lines and solid areas suits it. Fine detail and small text can lose definition on the weave.
Structure. The stiffness helps the bag hold its shape on a shelf or in a display, which suits gift and display bags.
Styles. Canvas tote, printed tote and zip tote come in jute-cotton. Drawstring bags come in cotton canvas only.
Side-by-side comparison
| Point | Cotton canvas | Jute-cotton |
|---|---|---|
| Look | Smooth, even | Textured, natural |
| Feel | Firm, softer in lighter weights | Stiffer |
| Print result | Crisp and sharp | Slightly rustic |
| Artwork that suits it | Detailed or bold | Bold |
| Folds small | Yes, in lighter weights | Less so |
| Stands on a shelf | Yes, in heavier weights | Yes |
| Drawstring bag | Yes | No |
Matching fabric to the bag’s use
Start with how the bag will be used, then pick the fabric.
- Shopping and retail bags for a store. Heavier cotton canvas. It carries weight well and gives a clean surface for a store logo.
- Design-led printed totes. Cotton canvas, especially if the artwork has detail or several colours.
- Gift bags and display bags. Jute-cotton, for its natural look and structure, with a bold print or a simple logo.
- Event and conference giveaways. Lighter cotton canvas, which folds small and packs easily into kits.
- Zip totes for daily carry. Either fabric. Canvas looks cleaner and more urban; jute-cotton looks more relaxed and natural.
- Drawstring bags. Cotton canvas.
How fabric affects branding
The fabric changes how your branding looks, so decide the two together.
- Screen print looks sharpest on cotton canvas. On jute-cotton, choose artwork with thick lines and avoid tiny text.
- Embroidery suits small logos on canvas, where the firm weave holds the stitches.
- Heat transfer suits multi-colour or detailed artwork on canvas.
- A woven label in the side seam or inside works on both fabrics and gives a retail finish.
Bag colour matters as well. A light print on a dark dyed canvas reads clearly; on natural jute-cotton, darker ink colours usually show the design most clearly against the textured, warm-toned surface. If your artwork must sit on both a natural and a dyed bag in the same order, check that it reads well on each before sampling.
Everyday use and care
Think about how the bag will be treated once it leaves the shop. Canvas totes are often washed by their owners, so tell your buyers how to care for the bag on the label or tag. Jute-cotton bags are more often kept for gifts and display and wiped rather than washed. Care wording is yours to decide; send it with your label artwork.
If you are unsure, send us the artwork and tell us the fabric you are considering. We suggest the method and confirm it on the sample. Our post on how to start a tote bag brand shows where fabric fits in the wider plan.
Colour, quantity and the sample
Both fabrics come in natural and dyed colours from the fabric options. The minimum is 50 pieces per style, and more than one colour can sit within it, with the colour split confirmed at quotation. Fabric is sourced to your approved swatch, and the sample lets you check weight, feel, colour and print before bulk production.
To choose, look at the styles on our white label tote bags page. Then send us the style, the fabric you prefer or what the bag will be used for, the size, colours, quantity and artwork, and we will prepare a quotation.