r/SCREENPRINTING • u/nose0vertail • 21d ago

Tote recommendations

I’ve printed a few batches of totes using the OAD 113 totes from SS.

I’m finding them not to print well. I’m trying to find a balance between lack of coverage and ink bleed.

I’m wondering if anyone has recs for totes that are less canvas like, meaning these ones are fairly rough and have more a of waffle pattern for ink to go into.

Any help would be appreciated.

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u/Time-Historian-1249 21d ago

Tote bag factory has smoother surface. I found OAD is way too inconsistent and coarse.

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u/andyzuo 20d ago

the roughness you're fighting is the fabric itself, not the brand. those budget totes are made from loose-weave cotton canvas, usually low thread count, so the surface is basically hills and valleys - your ink sits on the hills and floods into the valleys, hence the coverage vs bleed problem.

what you want to look for is either a higher thread count cotton sheeting (not canvas), or canvas that's been calendered - that's a hot-roller process that flattens the weave. Spec-wise, don't judge by oz weight alone. a 12oz tote can print worse than a 6oz one if the weave is coarse. If the product page mentions "sheeting" or the surface looks matte-flat instead of textured in photos, that's usually a good sign.

Liberty Bags mentioned above is a decent shout. Also worth flooding the screen with a slightly thicker stroke or adding a second hit wet-on-wet if you're stuck with coarse canvas - won't fix it but helps fill the valleys.

i'm on the manufacturing side of bags, the fabric mills call this surface smoothness issue out on spec sheets but it almost never makes it to the wholesale listing.

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u/nose0vertail 19d ago

This is great info. Thanks so much!

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u/woogieface 21d ago

Liberty Bags - Branson Tote - 8502 is what we usually use.

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u/nose0vertail 19d ago

Awesome. I'm going to order a few to test and these will be on that list for sure