Custom Paper Cups for Hot and Cold Drinks

Matching Cup Sizes to Your Menu

Cup sizes are usually described by capacity in ounces. An espresso or cortado sits happily in a 4 oz cup, a flat white in 8 oz, a standard latte or cappuccino in 12 oz and a large drink in 16 oz. Smoothies and iced drinks often go up to 16 or 20 oz. Pick sizes that line up with the drinks on your board, so staff never have to guess which cup to grab.

Lids are matched to the rim diameter rather than the capacity, so two cups of different heights can sometimes share one lid. That simplifies stock: if your 8 oz and 12 oz cups share a rim size, you only need one lid. We will point out which sizes share lids when we quote. The 90 mm rim shared by the larger sizes is the one used on our 90 mm rim paper cups.

Designing Artwork That Works on a Curve

Paper cups are printed flat and then formed into a cone, so artwork bends around the curve and narrows towards the base. A logo placed in the middle of the printed area looks centred on the finished cup, but text near the edges can distort. Our proof shows the artwork on the cup shape so you can see exactly how it will look.

Simple designs with one or two strong colours work best. A bold logo, a band of colour and perhaps a short line such as your website or social handle is plenty. Busy designs with lots of small text become hard to read once the cup is in someone's hand. If you want to show off, a full wrap pattern or illustration can look stunning, especially on double wall cups. Upload the logo through the free proof request and we will show it wrapped on a 12 oz cup.

Board, Linings, Lids and Sleeves

Hot drink lids come in sip-through domed and flat styles, in white or black. Cold drinks usually use a clear flat lid with a straw slot or a domed lid for drinks with toppings. A good lid fit is essential for takeaway, so we always confirm rim compatibility before your order goes into production.

For single wall hot cups, a printed cup sleeve adds grip and another branding surface. Drinks carriers keep multiple cups stable on the way back to the office, and a printed carrier completes the look for larger orders. Those sleeves are sized to each rim on our printed coffee cup sleeves page.

Paper cups are made from food-contact grade board with a thin lining that stops liquid soaking through. The board is chosen to be stiff enough to hold its shape when full of hot liquid, and to take printing cleanly. White board gives bright, crisp colours, and kraft-style board gives a natural, earthy look that suits independent coffee shops.

Ask us about the lining options available when you request a quote. We will explain the differences in performance for hot and cold drinks and help you pick the right cup for your menu.

Cups for Events, Offices and Coffee Vans

Not every printed cup is for a café counter. Event caterers use them to brand a conference coffee station or a festival bar, often with a special design for that single event. Offices and co-working spaces put printed cups beside the coffee machine so visitors see the company name every time they help themselves. Coffee vans and kiosks rely on cups more than anyone, because the cup is usually their only piece of printed packaging.

Each of these settings has its own priorities. A conference station needs plenty of one size and a lid that will not pop off in a crowded hall. A coffee van needs cups that stack compactly and survive being stored in a small space. An office kitchen needs a cup that is comfortable to hold without a sleeve. Tell us where the cups will be used and we will suggest the wall type, size and lid that suit.

For short-lived events, a simpler single colour design can keep costs sensible while still looking smart. Save the full wrap artwork for cups you will reorder again and again. Ice cream and dessert stands pick the tubs from the same cups, cones and ice cream range.

Check Which Sizes Share a Lid Before You Order

The ordering detail that saves cafés most money is the rim size. Lids fit the rim, not the volume, so our 12 oz and 16 oz cups both take a 90 mm lid and one lid stock covers both; the 8 oz needs its own at 80 mm. Pick your two best-selling drinks from the board, match them to sizes, and tell us which lids you already use so we can confirm the fit before anything is printed. Choose double wall for hot drinks unless you already stock sleeves.

Send a vector logo, the sizes, the wall type and a rough weekly count, and a custom quote comes back by email within one working day, with cups from £0.25 on larger runs and low minimums quoted per job. The free proof shows the artwork wrapped on the cup shape so the curve is visible. Production takes 4–7 working days after approval and tracked delivery to UK mainland addresses is free, taking 2–3 working days. Cups that arrive misprinted or crushed are reprinted or refunded when reported within 10 days. Counters that send out orders of four or more usually add printed carriers for four cups to the same artwork.