Custom Drawstring Bags Minimum Order: What 100 Bags Actually Buys
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The minimum order for custom printed drawstring bags is 100 pieces, and the reason is the screen, not the bags. Screen printing needs a mesh screen burned for each colour in your artwork. That setup costs the same whether you print 20 bags or 2,000, so below about 100 pieces the setup is worth more than the order.
Where the money actually goes
A custom order has two costs stacked on top of each other, and they behave completely differently.
- The bags themselves scale linearly. Two hundred bags cost roughly twice what a hundred cost.
- The setup does not scale at all. Burning a screen, mixing the ink to your colour and registering the press takes the same work either way.
That is why the per-bag price falls so sharply between 100 and 1,000, then flattens. Once setup is spread thin enough, you are mostly paying for cotton. It is also why adding a second print colour hurts a 150-piece order far more than a 2,000-piece one: you have doubled a fixed cost that only a few bags are sharing.
What "no minimum order" suppliers are really selling
Suppliers advertising custom drawstring bags with no minimum are not doing screen printing. They are almost always doing digital transfer or direct-to-garment, where there is no screen to burn and therefore no setup to amortise. That is a genuinely useful service, and it comes with genuine trade-offs.
| Screen printed (100 minimum) | Digital transfer (no minimum) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per bag at 20 pieces | Not viable | Highest |
| Cost per bag at 500 pieces | Lowest | Roughly flat, so far more expensive |
| Durability | Ink sits in the weave; survives washing | Sits on the surface; can crack or peel over time |
| Finish on natural cotton | Matte, absorbed into the fabric | Can look slightly glossy or plasticky |
| Best for | Events, retail packaging, ongoing supply | Samples, prototypes, one-off gifts |
If you need twelve bags for a wedding, digital is the right answer and we would tell you so. If you need three hundred for a conference, screen printing is cheaper per bag and will still look right in two years.
Three honest routes to small quantities
1. Buy a blank pack and decorate what you need
Blank bags carry no screen setup, so they cost far less than printed ones. Buy a 100-pack of blank cotton drawstring bags at the listed price, brand as many as you need with a stamp, iron-on transfer or a local print shop, and keep the rest for later. For under about fifty branded bags this is almost always the cheapest route, and it gives you complete control over timing.
2. Order 100 anyway and use the spares
The gap between what fifty printed bags would cost and what a hundred actually cost is usually small, because you are paying for the setup either way. Most buyers who do the arithmetic order the hundred and keep the remainder for the next event, sample mailers or staff gifts. Cotton bags do not expire.
3. Simplify the artwork
If budget rather than quantity is the constraint, cut print colours before you cut bags. Going from three colours to one removes two screen setups and two press passes. On a small run that is a far bigger saving than dropping the order from 150 to 120, and a clean one-colour mark on natural cotton usually looks better anyway.
How the price ladder behaves
Per-unit pricing steps down at recognisable thresholds. The meaningful ones are 500, 1,000 and 5,000. If you are ordering 460 bags, ask what 500 costs before you commit - the total is often close enough that the extra forty bags are nearly free. The same logic applies at 900 and at 4,500.
For a full breakdown of what drives the number, see how much custom printed cotton bags cost. If you already know you are buying at volume, our guide to buying cotton drawstring bags in bulk covers sourcing and wholesale terms instead.
Does the minimum apply per size?
No. The 100-piece minimum applies to the order, not to each size, as long as the artwork stays the same. You can split a hundred bags across a 4x6, an 8x10 and a 12x16 in one run. What does trigger a second setup is different artwork per size, and we price that openly rather than burying it.
Does it change by bag style?
No. The same 100-piece minimum applies right across the custom range, because the screen setup is identical regardless of which style it prints onto. That covers custom drawstring bags with your logo, custom cinch bags worn as drawstring backpacks, and promotional drawstring bags for events and giveaways. What changes between them is the fabric consumption and the size of the print panel, not the minimum.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum order for custom drawstring bags?
100 pieces for screen printed bags. The minimum exists because burning a screen and registering the press costs the same whether you print twenty bags or two thousand, so below roughly a hundred the setup is worth more than the order. Blank bags are sold in packs from 100.
Can I get custom drawstring bags with no minimum order?
Yes, from suppliers using digital transfer or direct-to-garment printing rather than screen printing. There is no screen to burn, so there is no setup to spread. The trade-off is a much higher price per bag at any real volume, and a print that sits on the fabric surface rather than in the weave, so it can crack or peel over time.
Is it cheaper to order 50 printed bags or 100?
Usually only slightly cheaper to order 50, because the screen setup is charged either way. Most buyers order the 100 and keep the spares for the next event or for samples. If budget is the real constraint, cutting from three print colours to one saves far more than cutting the quantity.
Does the minimum apply to each bag size separately?
No. The 100-piece minimum applies across the whole order, so you can mix sizes in one run as long as the artwork is the same. Different artwork for each size means a separate screen setup, which is priced separately.
Does the minimum differ for cinch bags or promotional bags?
No. It is 100 pieces across the custom range, because the screen setup is the same whatever style it prints onto. Cinch bags and larger event bags use more fabric per unit, so the per-bag price is higher, but the minimum quantity does not move.
How do I get branded bags for under 50 pieces?
Buy a 100-pack of blank cotton bags, then decorate the ones you need with a stamp or iron-on transfer, or take them to a local print shop. Below about fifty branded bags this is nearly always cheaper than any custom-printing route.
Tell us the quantity, we will tell you the price
Send your size, quantity and artwork. Factory-direct pricing and a delivery date, usually within one working day - and we will say if a blank bag is the better answer.
Request a quoteShop blank bags
