Custom tote bags for artists, bands, indie brands, music labels, retail shops, podcasts, and brand teams. Printed on 12oz / 320gsm 100% cotton canvas with two print options: classic screen printing for clean 1-2 color designs, or DTF (direct-to-film) printing for full-color artwork that screen printing can't handle. Standard size fits a vinyl record, with custom sizes available on request.
Alchemy is a production partner built by artists, musicians, and brand owners. We've helped creators produce over 5 million custom products since 2019, and we don't operate like a promotional products company. Whether you're an indie illustrator running your first 50-piece drop, a band making merch for a tour, or a designer ordering for a brand launch, our job is the same: make the best merch we can for you.
Two print options
Screen printed
The classic process. Your design is screen-printed in flat ink, ideal for designs with one or two colors, clean lines, and bold simple graphics. Reads as a real merch tote, not a printed-photo product. Best when your artwork is logo-driven, text-driven, or built around two-color contrast.
DTF (direct-to-film)
For designs with more colors or photo-realistic artwork that screen printing can't reproduce, DTF prints your full-color image onto the cotton canvas via a heat transfer film. The result is a vivid full-color print that handles gradients, illustration, and complex artwork while still landing on the same 12oz canvas tote.
If you want sublimation (printing through the fibers for an extra-permanent vivid result), email us and we'll quote a sublimated cotton tote separately.
What you get
- Material: 12oz / 320 gsm 100% cotton canvas (heavyweight, retail-grade)
- Standard size: 40cm × 35cm (15.7" × 13.8") — fits a 12" vinyl record cleanly, perfect for music merch
- Custom sizes available on request for any dimension your project needs
- 180 cotton fabric color options — pick the bag color that fits your brand, not just natural
- Print options: Screen printing (1-2 colors) or DTF (full color)
- Express shipping included
Why we're not a promo-merch tote vendor
A lot of "custom tote bag" sites in search results are promo-merch operators running cheap thin polyester or 6oz cotton totes for trade-show giveaways. Ours are 12oz heavyweight canvas with retail finish, sized and printed to read as actual brand merchandise people want to carry. The minimum is 50 because we're not running disposable swag; we're running real product. If you're looking for cheap promotional disposables for a one-time event, we're probably not the right partner. If you're looking for tote bags that read as part of a real brand, you're in the right place.
Other tote bag options we offer
- Sublimated full-color tote bags — same 40cm × 35cm size on polyester canvas with all-over full-color sublimation print. Best when your design needs photo-realistic detail or all-over pattern.
- Flat-bottom tote bags — gusseted 13" × 6" × 15" polyester totes for things that need to stand up on their own. Optional zipper closure available.
How a run actually works
Most orders start with a quote, not a cart. You send us your artwork (vector preferred for clean lines, raster works for full-color), and we come back with pricing, a production timeline, and any production notes within a business day or two. We'll flag anything in the file that won't translate well at production size before we move forward.
From proof approval, most overseas products are about a month to your door. That's the nature of producing 100% custom merchandise overseas vs. shipping a stock promotional item. Shipping is express and included in the price.
If you have a hard deadline, tell us before you order. We don't charge rush fees. We'll either confirm we can hit your date or tell you up front that we can't, so you can plan around it.
Why our minimum is 50
It's a factory math thing, not a quality stance. The factories we work with charge a labor minimum that covers setup, mold use, proofing, and the production run itself. That floor barely changes between a 25-piece and a 50-piece order, so a 25-piece run costs almost the same as 50 with half the output. 50 is where the per-piece price actually starts to make sense.
We can run smaller hard sample runs if you really need to (the factory will do it), but it's not financially viable for most people: you're paying close to 50-piece pricing for a fraction of the output. If you're set on a small run, email us first and we'll walk through whether it's worth it. Larger runs (100, 200, and up) bring the per-piece cost down meaningfully.
Who we work with
Artists running their own work: illustrators, bands, indie brand owners, podcasters, comic creators, convention sellers. Designers ordering for a brand launch, an event, a campaign, or a customer giveaway. Agencies and design studios producing merch for their clients. Merch companies running production for the artists they represent. The common thread is that the merch matters: it's representing a brand, a band, an artist, or a project that someone cares about.
What you get with Alchemy
- 5+ million products produced for creators and brands since 2019.
- 100% money-back guarantee. If it's not right, we remake it at no cost or refund you in full.
- Long-standing factory relationships. We've been working with the same vetted overseas factories for years. Consistent quality, predictable timelines, no chasing the lowest quote at the cost of the product. You get a US-based partner who handles the production logistics for you.
- Quality good enough for licensed brands. We've produced merch for officially licensed properties and large brands. The same standard goes on every order, including yours.
- A team of artists, musicians, and brand owners. Not customer-service reps trained on a script. Everyone proofing your file knows what it feels like to send their own art to a factory and hope it comes back right.
Common questions
What's the difference between screen printing and DTF?
Screen printing uses ink pushed through a mesh screen, applied directly to the fabric. Best for 1-2 color designs with clean flat color and crisp lines. DTF (direct-to-film) prints your full-color image onto a transfer film and heat-presses it onto the fabric. Best for designs with multiple colors, gradients, photo-realistic detail, or fine illustration. We pick the right method based on your artwork; you don't have to know which one to ask for.
What size are the totes?
Standard 40cm × 35cm (15.7" × 13.8"), which fits a standard 12" vinyl record cleanly. We can produce nearly any size you need; email us with your size and quantity for a custom quote.
Can I pick the color of the tote bag itself?
Yes. We have 180 cotton fabric color options, so you can pick a tote color that matches or contrasts your design instead of being stuck with natural canvas. Tell us in your order notes which color you want; we can send swatches if you want to see colors in hand before deciding.
How heavy is the canvas?
12oz / 320 gsm. That's heavyweight, retail-grade canvas — significantly thicker and more durable than the 6oz canvas commonly used for cheap promo totes. The bag holds shape and stands up to actual everyday use rather than disintegrating after a few trips to the grocery store.
Can I do multiple designs in one order?
Yes. Multiple designs are fine as long as each design hits the 50-piece minimum at the same size. Different designs are quoted as separate runs because each needs its own print setup.
What artwork format works best?
For screen printing, vector files (AI, EPS, PDF) with clean color separations are ideal. For DTF, high-resolution raster (300 DPI at print size) works well, including PSD or PNG with transparent background.
How long do tote bags take?
About four weeks from proof approval to your door, including express shipping. No rush fees.
Do I see a proof before production?
Yes. Digital proof for review before printing. Revisions until you approve.
Are these made in the USA?
Tote bags are produced overseas at long-vetted factories. Our team is US-based and handles file prep, proofing, and customer success. Our wooden products and stickers are made in the USA.
Start a quote
Send us your artwork and a rough quantity, and we'll come back with pricing and a timeline within a business day or two. Not sure if your file will work? Send what you have. We'll tell you what we'd need to make it production-ready. Start a quote.
Design Templates
Set up your artwork at the correct size with proper bleed and safe zones using our production templates. Vector files (PDF/AI/EPS) are preferred for clean lines and scaling; raster (PSD) works for full-color artwork at 300dpi.
- ToteBag Templates Raster + Vector (Vector + Raster bundle)
