Printed cotton tote bags for elections
· Pro Miikka Soivio ry
Printed cotton tote bags for elections – black artwork on natural
Printed cotton tote bags for elections appear in this February 2019 project for Pro Miikka Soivio ry, the support association for a Finnish parliamentary election campaign. We printed 1,000 natural cotton bags. Black printing on one side brought together a short line of text, a central graphic and a campaign hashtag. The pale fabric remains visible between these three elements.
A layout built around a central symbol
Five hand silhouettes surround a star-shaped area of unprinted fabric. Above them sits the line “Ihminen edellä”, while the campaign hashtag appears along the lower part of the bag.
The dark print covers both the solid hand silhouettes and the finer lettering, giving the design a consistent appearance across the front. Using one colour keeps the relationship between the text and graphic straightforward.
The graphic occupies most of the printed area. The upper and lower lines remain separate from it, so the lettering does not compete for space with the central shape.
A lightweight bag with long handles
The project used a 38 × 42 cm tote bag made from 140 g/m² cotton, with long handles for carrying over the shoulder. Its natural colour provided the background for the black artwork.
The difference in size between the central image and the shorter lines gives each part its own place in the layout. The unprinted star and the surrounding pale fabric are as much a part of the composition as the black shapes.