Where the number comes from
Almost every cost in bag manufacturing is either per-piece or per-run. Fabric, thread, handles and labour are per-piece: 100 bags use a tenth of the material of 1,000. Setup is per-run and does not care how many bags follow it.
Setup includes making the print screens or plates, mixing and matching the ink to your Pantone reference, setting the cutting die to your dimensions, threading and calibrating the machines, and producing and approving a pre-production sample. That work is the same whether the run is 100 bags or 100,000.
MOQ is simply the quantity at which the per-run cost stops dominating the unit price. Below it, you are mostly paying for setup and the price per bag becomes absurd.
Why the MOQ changes with the print method
This is the single most useful thing to understand, because it is where the flexibility lives.
| Method | Typical MOQ | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Digital | ~100 pieces | No screens or plates — artwork goes straight to the printer |
| Screen | ~500 pieces | One screen per colour must be made and registered |
| Offset | ~1,000 pieces | Plate-making and colour calibration are the heaviest setup |
| No print | ~250 pieces | Only cutting and stitching setup |
Five ways to get a smaller order made
- Switch to digital print. It removes the screen cost entirely and is usually the fastest route to a sub-500 order. Per-piece cost is higher, but on a small run that is the cheaper trade.
- Reduce the colour count. Every additional spot colour is another screen, another setup and another registration step. A one-colour version of your logo can move the MOQ meaningfully.
- Take a stock size. If your dimensions match a size already tooled, the cutting-die setup disappears.
- Split one setup across variants. Two colourways of the same printed design share the screens, so 250 of each can clear a 500-piece MOQ.
- Combine it with a larger future commitment. A small first run against a committed follow-up order is a normal arrangement and worth asking about directly.
What MOQ is not
It is not a per-order minimum across your whole purchase. It is per design and per specification. Ordering 500 of one printed design and 500 of another is two runs, not one 1,000-piece run, because each needs its own setup.
It is also not the same as a sample. Sampling exists precisely so you can hold the product before committing to a run, and a sample charge that is credited against your order is the normal arrangement.
Common questions
- Can I order 50 custom printed bags?
- Rarely as a production run, because the setup cost per bag becomes prohibitive. At that quantity you are better served by a sample order, or by digital print if the supplier offers a short-run tier.
- Does MOQ apply per colour or per design?
- Per specification. Changing fabric colour usually means a separate fabric batch and counts separately; changing only the print colour on the same fabric can sometimes share a run. Ask before assuming either way.
- Why is the MOQ higher for offset printing?
- Offset requires plate-making and full colour calibration, which is the most setup-heavy process of the three. It earns that back on long runs with photographic reproduction no other method matches.