Custom tote bags reign supreme in the world of promotional products. They’re up there with branded pens in terms of popularity, and it’s not difficult to see why. As a marketing professional, you likely love handing out custom totes at trade shows and events since they’re wonderful at advertising your brand – totes get over 8,000 impressions in their lifetimes. The promotional tote bags leave the house, acting as walking billboards, so they bear good fruits on investment.
Another selling point to branded totes is that there’s so much space to work with – literally. If you have a particular logo, phrase or image that you want to clearly render front-and-center on some swag, the promo tote will do the job. Tote bags are preferred by recipients, too: they’re practical, versatile, and perfect for collecting swag at industry events. Everyone has a use or three or twelve for another tote, so people would like to hang on to them for a long time.
Here, we make designing your promotional products super simple, and we always have helpful customer service agents available for guidance, but it does help if you know some simple tricks and tips before embarking on your first promotional tote endeavor. Use this guide before getting started, and make sure to check out some perfecy branded tote bag ideas to ensure that your giveaways hit the mark.
As you probably know, promotional bags come in many shapes, sizes and styles that can be customized to meet your particular needs. We can help you choose the right promo totes based on your specific event. Often, we recommend affordable, quick-ship tote bags for events like trade shows, job fairs, and conventions. These are lower cost options that can be full of literature and other swag items for a relatively cheap price.
First things first: Before you place your promo tote order, make sure to review our artwork requirements. We prefer print-ready vector artwork delivered in .ai, .eps or .pdf formats, but we can accept some other file types as well.
File type is crucial. Proper print-ready vector artwork will ensure that you get a high-quality, vividly printed result that won’t be compromised when resized. We will send you a digital proof to approve before creating your order.

The new year is here and we have a lot to expect! Some of the trends from last year are sticking around and are expanding their influence into the apparel industry. It promotes one to enjoy comfortable time; whether that’s snuggling up in a soft sweatshirt, enjoying sofa-side chat with a loved one, taking a candlelit bath, or glass of wine in hand. The hygge trend has encouraged the apparel industry with luxe, rich and soft fabrics, muted, earth-tone color schemes, and unique silhouettes. Apparel brands in the promotional industry are no longer sitting back until these new retail trends come to life, but instead are right alongside the latest innovative styles.
Big apparel name brands such as Hanes and Gildan are incorporating new t-shirts made from 100% ring spun and combed cotton. These processes create garments that are softer and more luxurious than regular cotton. Customers will benefit from purchasing a ring spun or combed cotton t-shirt because the smooth, low textured fabric is more comfortable, will last longer, and is easier to print on. We will more than likely see brands start to incorporate these types of fabrics into their full lines as consumers move in the direction of comfort and style.
J.America is another brand that is taking full advantage of the luxurious and soft fabric trend by marrying on-trend styles with leisure comfort. They offer layered performance tops and hoodies which allow a person to go from a more casual office to lunch to the gym.
Apparel brands have decided to hit the mute button when it comes to color palettes. Chocolate browns, reddish clays, sandy tans and forest greens are taking off in the apparel industry. Earthy neutrals are perfect for a monochromatic look and often emulate natural colors that derive from moss, dirt, trees and rock.
Alternative promotional Apparel is another well-known apparel brand in both retail and wholesale. The brand concentrates on eco-friendly apparel with sustainable materials & processes, low-I mpact dyes & water conserving washes. Even though your company’s logo does not fit the muted color scheme, it is a great way to think outside the box and show customers that you are keeping with the times. For instance, your company could do an internal eco-friendly campaign and provide shirts for the office to spread awareness as well as increase participation!
The loose fitting trend goes back to the leisure comfort style which is taking the apparel industry full force. The larger silhouettes allow for more movement and air circulation, which means that they’re a lot more comfortable than their closely fitted styles in many situations.
The special silhouettes that are premiering in the promotional world will provide customers a wider range of options for employees to wear to the office. All in all, the promotional apparel suppliers and distributors have their fingers on the pulse of the most relevant fabrics, cuts and colors. By following these trends, your company will have a competitive edge by staying one step ahead.