How to measure a bag before you ask for a quote
Three numbers, a tape and a flat table. That is all it takes, and it saves a week of back-and-forth emails.
A lot of bag enquiries start with a photo and the words “this size, please.” We understand why. But a photo has no scale, and a bag that looks medium on a model can be anything from 35 to 45 cm wide. So before anything else, we ask for three numbers.
Here is how to take them. It takes five minutes.
In this guide: Lay the bag flat first · Width (W) · Height (H) · Gusset (G) · Handles: length or drop? · Write it in this order · Three mistakes that change your price · What about small differences? · Questions buyers ask us
Lay the bag flat first
Empty it. Put it on a table, front facing up, and smooth it out with your hand. Don't stuff it with paper to “show the shape”. A filled bag bulges, and the numbers grow.
Every size on our website is an outer measurement taken this way, flat. When you measure the same way, we are comparing like with like.
1. Width (W)
Side to side, across the bag. Measure at the top opening and again near the base. On most totes the two are the same. If they are not (beach bags are often wider at the top), send us both.
2. Height (H)
From the bottom edge up to the top opening. Not to the top of the handles. Handles are measured separately, and mixing them into the height is one of the most common mistakes in bag enquiries.
3. Gusset (G)
This is the one people skip. The gusset is the extra fabric at the base (and sometimes the sides) that lets a bag stand up and hold a box. Pinch the bottom open and measure how deep it is, front to back.
A flat tote has no gusset, so G is zero. A grocery shopper usually has 10 to 15 cm. If you write 40×35 and forget the 15 cm gusset, you will get a quote for a different, cheaper bag. Then the sample arrives and it looks wrong.
Handles: length or drop?
Two different numbers, and both are useful.
- Handle length is the whole handle, end to end, as if you cut it off and laid it on the table.
- Handle drop is the gap between the top of the handle (held up) and the bag opening.
Drop tells you how the bag will be carried. A short drop is a hand-carry bag. A longer drop goes over the shoulder, even with a winter coat on. If you only know one of the two, tell us which one it is. That small note saves a resample.
Write it in this order
Width × Height × Gusset, in centimetres. For example 38 × 35 × 10 cm. Inches are fine too, just say so (1 inch is 2.54 cm, and we show both on every size page).
If you picked a size from our sizes and drawings pages, you can skip all this and quote the reference code instead, such as TX-TOTE-35x40. The code already holds the numbers.
Not sure of the gusset? Send the bag's width and height, and a photo of the base from the side. We can usually work out the rest. Or choose “Not sure, please advise” in the bag brief builder.
Three mistakes that change your price
Measuring the inside. Seams take up fabric. An inside measurement is a centimetre or two smaller, depending on the seam. Measure the outside.
Counting the handles in the height. Already said it, saying it again. It turns a 40 cm bag into a 65 cm bag on paper.
Copying a size from a different style. A 38×42 cm flat tote and a 38×35×10 cm shopper are close in fabric but very different to use. One folds into a handbag, the other carries milk and bread. Pick the style first, then the size.
What about small differences?
Natural fabrics move a little when cut and sewn, jute more than cotton. The small difference allowed between the ordered size and the finished bag is called the tolerance. We agree it with you on the sample, before bulk production, so nobody is surprised later.
If you want our honest opinion: don't chase the gusset number down to the last millimetre. We've had buyers spend three email rounds arguing over 1 cm, and in a natural fibre that difference disappears the moment the bag is loaded. Spend that energy on the handle drop instead — that's the one people actually notice when they're carrying the thing.
Once you have W, H and G, the rest of the conversation gets a lot easier: fabric, handle, print. And the quote you receive is for the bag you actually had in mind.
Questions buyers ask us
Should I measure a bag inside or outside?
Outside, with the bag empty and laid flat. All sizes on our website are outer measurements, so measuring the same way keeps the numbers comparable.
Is the gusset included in the width?
No. Width is the front panel, side to side. The gusset is a separate number for the depth at the base. Write them as W × H × G.
I only have a photo of the bag. Can you still quote?
Yes, roughly. A photo with a tape measure or an A4 sheet next to the bag helps a lot. We confirm the exact size on the sample before bulk production.
Do you make sizes that are not on your website?
Yes. Every size on the site is an example. We make bags to the size you need.
Tell us what you need.
Product, quantity and destination is enough to start. We review your requirement and reply with a quotation.