Custom Ripple Wall Coffee Cups

Cup Sizes and Matching Lids

Ripple cups are made in the usual coffee shop sizes, from small cups for cortados and flat whites to large cups for lattes and hot chocolates. The key detail is the rim diameter, because it decides which lids fit. Most menus run on two rim sizes: one for small cups and one shared by regular and large.

Tell us the lids you already use or the sizes on your menu, and we will match the rim specification. If you are starting fresh, we can recommend a lid range that fits both your cups and your carry trays.

Check your cup holders and carry trays too. The extra thickness of the ripple layer can make cups sit higher or tighter in a holder designed for single wall cups.

Height affects how a drink feels too. A taller, narrower cup keeps a latte hot longer and looks generous, while a shorter, wider cup suits flat whites where the microfoam and latte art are part of the appeal. Four-cup cardboard cup holders cut for 90 mm rims take the ripple cup without squeezing it.

Printing on Ripples

The ripple layer is printed before it is fluted and wrapped around the cup. The ridges catch light and shadow, so artwork takes on a textured appearance. Bold logos, solid colours and simple patterns work best; fine detail and small text can be broken up by the flutes.

One or two colour designs on white or kraft-coloured ripple paper look striking and are economical for high volume use. Full colour printing is also available for brands that want a richer design.

Place your logo where it will face the customer when the cup is held in the right hand, and repeat it on the opposite side so it is visible from both directions in the queue and on the street.

Kraft-coloured ripple cups have become a favourite with independent roasters because the brown paper and ridges suggest care and craft. A single dark colour, or white ink on kraft, keeps the look simple and confident.

If you also print sleeves, napkins or carry bags, match the ink colour across them. A consistent tone ties the whole takeaway order together and makes your brand look established even if you have only one shop.

Behind the Counter

Ripple cups take a little more storage space than single wall cups because the outer layer adds thickness. They still nest neatly in sleeves of cups, and they stack well in dispensers.

Keep cups in their cartons until needed, away from the steam of the espresso machine and the heat of the dishwasher, so the outer layer stays crisp and clean.

Food-contact grade inner cups are standard for hot drinks; ask for confirmation of the cup specification on your quote if your customers or your insurer require it.

Work out how many cups of each size you use in an average week, and reorder before you drop to around a fortnight of stock. Running out of printed cups on a busy Saturday and falling back on plain ones is a missed opportunity. The storage advice is the same for everything in our cup and cone packaging range: cool, dry and off the floor.

Who Serves Drinks in Ripple Cups

Independent coffee shops and roasteries use them as their signature takeaway cup. Mobile coffee vans and kiosks at stations, markets and festivals choose them because customers often carry drinks a long way. Bakeries, delis and farm shops offering takeaway coffee use ripple cups for comfort without sleeves.

Office canteens, universities and hospitals serving hot drinks to staff and visitors favour them too, and event caterers use branded ripple cups for conferences and exhibitions.

Garden centres, leisure centres, cinemas and car washes with a coffee counter all buy them as well, along with mobile catering businesses that serve hot drinks at sports fixtures, where spectators hold a cup for a long time in the cold. The free proof shown on the ripple wrap flags any fine detail that would break up across the flutes.

Match the Rim to Your Lids Before Anything Is Printed

Ripple cups are ordered by rim diameter, not by the oz size on the menu, because the lid has to fit. Take a lid you already use, measure across its inside edge, or send the maker's code, and the cups are matched to it. If you are starting fresh, order lids with the cups so the pairing is checked once. Then count drinks per size for a fortnight rather than guessing: most shops find the regular cup is two thirds of sales and the small and large split the rest. Shops that want the ripple look on a smooth cup for cold drinks use the printed cold cups for juices and iced drinks in the same colours.

Design for the ripple by keeping the logo bold and avoiding fine lines, and send it as a vector. Email the sizes, rim or lid details, quantity per size and artwork and a custom quote comes back within one working day with a free design proof. Cups are printed in 4 to 7 working days after approval and delivered free and tracked on the UK mainland in 2 to 3 days. A sleeve that arrives misprinted or crushed is reprinted or refunded when reported within 10 days.