Demystifying Canvas (Cotton) Ounce Counts: A Complete Guide to Choosing the Right Weight Canvas (Cotton) for Custom Bags

I have received many inquiries lately about customizing canvas bags. When providing quotes, many customers do not understand what the “ounce count” of canvas means and ask: “What does the ounce count of canvas mean?” and “What are the differences?”. Let’s take a look together!

Canvas is a relatively thick cotton or linen fabric, named after its original use for ship sails. It is usually woven in plain weave, with a small amount in twill weave. Both the warp and weft yarns are made of multiple plies. Canvas is usually divided into two categories: coarse and fine.

There are two types of canvas – 100% cotton and polycotton (a blend of polyester and cotton, as the name implies). It is mainly used to make protective work clothing and related products. After dyeing or printing, it can also be used as a shoe material, a facing fabric for luggage, gloves, backpacks, tablecloths, and more. For bags, fine canvas is more commonly used.

The ounce count of canvas refers to the density of the warp and weft yarns in the fabric. It indicates the coarseness of the fabric texture. The higher the ounce count, the heavier the weight, the rougher the surface, and the larger the texture. The lower the ounce count, the lighter the weight, the smoother the surface, and the finer the texture.

The gram weight of canvas usually refers to the weight per square meter, indicating the thickness of the canvas and other fabrics. The higher the gram weight, the greater the thickness. Cotton canvas is a relatively thick fabric. The common yarn counts are 10S, 7S, 16S, 21S, 32S, etc. The warp and weft yarns are generally made of 2 or more plies of spun yarns, while the weft can be single ply. Plain weave is most common, with some twill and dobby weaves. Common ounce counts are 6 oz, 8 oz, 10 oz, 12 oz, 14 oz, 16 oz, 18 oz, 20 oz, 22 oz, 24 oz. Here, “oz” is just a customary term for ounces. The gram weights range from 160-700 g/m2.

Those with gram weights between 160-340 g/m2 are often used for gloves, shopping bags, hats, apparel, crafts, toys, etc. Over 500 g/m2 is used for tool bags, hammocks, sandbags, etc.

So in order of weight and surface texture, 6 oz < 8 oz < 10 oz < 12 oz < 14 oz < 16 oz < 18 oz < 20 oz. In order of surface smoothness and fineness, 6 oz > 8 oz > 10 oz > 12 oz > 14 oz > 16 oz > 18 oz > 20 oz.

6 oz canvas: Yarn: 21s/2×10s Density: 51*40

8 oz canvas: Yarn: 21s/2×10s Density: 72*40

10 oz canvas: Yarn: 10s/2×10s Density: 43*30

12 oz canvas: Yarn: 10s/2×10s/2 Density: 43*27

14 oz canvas: Yarn: 10s/2×10s/3 Density: 46*28

16 oz canvas: Yarn: 10s/3×10s/3 Density: 39*24

18 oz canvas: Yarn: 10s/3×10s/4 Density: 39*25

20 oz canvas: Yarn: 10S/4*10S/4 Density: 32*22

If you want a smooth bag surface, choose lighter weight canvas. If you need a coarse texture and durability, choose heavier canvas.

The above is a simple introduction to the “ounce count of canvas”. Now you should have a general understanding of which canvas specification to use for a custom canvas bag. We also regularly summarize other customization knowledge to help you. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!