Custom Paper Cups with Handles

Sizes and Capacities

Handled cups come in the same common capacities as regular paper cups. Smaller cups of around 4 to 7 oz suit tastings, espresso-based drinks and hotel rooms, where a cup is used for one quick drink; the standard printed paper cups cover the rest. Mid-size 8 oz cups are the classic tea and coffee size for events. Larger 10 to 12 oz cups suit lattes, soups and longer drinks.

The handle size usually scales with the cup, so a small tasting cup has a neat, compact handle and a larger cup has a handle big enough for two fingers. If you plan to use lids, check that the lid fits your chosen cup rim size; we can supply matching lids where needed.

Think about how many drinks each guest will have and how big each serving should be. Events often over-order large cups when a medium cup would do, which wastes both product and drink.

Construction and Board

The cup body is made from food-contact grade paperboard with a lining that keeps liquids in. Single-wall cups are the most common for handled designs because the handle already provides the heat protection, so a printed coffee cup sleeve is rarely needed. The handle itself is cut from board and glued to the side of the cup so it can fold flat against the wall, which means the cups still stack and store like normal cups.

For cold drinks, handled cups are less common, but they can be useful for children's drinks or for smoothies at events where cups are carried around for a while. Let us know what you will serve so we can suggest a suitable lining and board.

Printing Your Cups

The cup wall gives you a wraparound print area, and the handle itself can carry a small detail such as a logo or pattern. Full colour printing works well for photographic or multi-colour designs, while one or two colours give a clean, bold look and keep costs down on large runs.

Because handled cups are often used at events, they are a good place for an event name, a sponsor's logo or a hashtag. Hotels often print a simple logo with a pattern in their brand colour. Tasting events might print the producer's name and a short line about the drink. Keep the area around the handle simple, because the handle sits across part of the print when folded flat and when held.

Food-grade inks are used throughout, and we keep print clear of the rim area that touches the mouth.

If you order cups for several events in a year, consider a core design with your brand and a blank area for a sticker or a small event-specific print. That way you can order larger quantities of the core cup at a better price and still personalise each event without reprinting everything.

Practical Tips for Events

Handled cups store flat like normal cups, but the handle needs to be folded out before use. At a busy coffee station, it helps to have staff fold out a stack of handles in advance, or to place a small sign showing guests how to pop the handle out. Pair the cups with stirrers, sugar sachets and napkins printed in matching colours for a coordinated refreshment station.

Order a few extra beyond your guest list, because people often take a fresh cup for a second drink rather than reusing their first.

Plan where the empties will go too. A clearly marked bin beside the refreshment station keeps the area tidy and stops cups being left on window sills and tables. For outdoor events, weigh down stacks of cups so they do not blow over, and keep them covered if rain is likely, because damp board can soften before it is used.

Finally, think about the drinks themselves. Handled cups suit drinks served very hot, but for drinks served at a gentler temperature, such as children's hot chocolate, a smaller cup with a handle can be easier for small hands to manage, and paper soup cups with a handle do the same job for broth.

Count the Drinks per Guest, Not the Guests, Before Fixing the Quantity

Handled cups are nearly always ordered for an event, and the quantity goes wrong the same way each time: one cup per head. At a conference or a wedding breakfast most guests take two or three hot drinks, and a cup with a handle is rarely reused, so count the serving sessions and multiply. Pick the size by the drink, 8 oz for tea and coffee, 4 to 7 oz for tastings and espresso, 10 or 12 oz for soup, and say if the handle gets a logo too. Have the sponsor logos ready at the largest size you hold.

Tell us the cup size, the quantity, the number of colours and the date you need the cups, and a custom quote comes by email within one working day, from £0.25 a cup depending on size and print, minimums low and quoted per job. A free design proof shows the wraparound print and the handle position. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval and free tracked delivery reaches UK mainland addresses in 2 to 3 working days, so order early. Organisers who serve cold drinks too usually add printed promotional cups in the same artwork.