Cups, Cones and Ice Cream

A Cup Is a Moving Sign

A takeaway cup leaves your counter, walks down the street and sits on a desk for an hour. It is seen by far more people than the person holding it, which is why cafés and juice bars treat their cup as part of the shop front. A clear logo on a plain background is often more effective than a busy design, because it can be read at a glance from across a room.

Cup size matters as much as print. Most cafés settle on two or three sizes that match their menu, from small espresso cups to large iced drinks, and order a matching lid for each. Tasting events and sampling stands use tiny 3 oz tasting cups that let customers try something without committing to a full drink.

Hot Drinks: Walls, Sleeves and Carriers

Single wall cups are the lightest and cheapest, but they get hot in the hand, so they are often paired with a sleeve. Double wall cups add an outer layer of board with an air gap, which keeps fingers comfortable without a sleeve. Ripple wall cups have a ridged outer layer that grips well and feels pleasant to hold.

Cup sleeves are an easy way to brand a plain cup, and they can be changed to promote a new drink or offer without reprinting the cup itself. For orders of several drinks, a cardboard carrier holds two or four cups steady on the way back to the office. A printed coffee cup sleeve is often the first piece a new café brands.

Ice Cream Tubs, Cones and Cups

Ice cream needs packaging that copes with cold and condensation. Tubs and cups for scooped ice cream are made from coated board that will not go soft as the ice cream melts, and lids are available for take-home portions. Cone sleeves wrap around a wafer cone to catch drips and give the customer something to hold.

Parlours, dessert bars and mobile vans often combine a printed tub for sit-in customers, sleeves for cones and a holder for twin scoops. Crêpe and paper cones also suit dessert stalls and events. If you serve both cones and cups, an ice cream cup printed with your logo gives a consistent look across the menu.

Printing, Sizes and Ordering

Cups are printed in one or more inks, or full colour, around the full wall. Cup sizes are listed by capacity so you can match them to your menu, and the board, coating and inks are specified for drinks and food in your custom quote. Lids are ordered separately and are matched to the rim diameter of the cup.

Every order starts with a free design proof that shows your artwork wrapped on the cup. Minimums are quoted per job, and reorders are simple because we keep your files on record. For cold drinks, smoothies and shakes, a printed milkshake cup with a domed lid leaves room for cream and toppings.