Min. 100 units · 3–5 days
22 made-to-order formats
Cups: wall construction decides cost and feel
Single-wall with a sleeve or double-wall is the decision that sets both your unit cost and how the cup feels in a customer’s hand. Everything else follows from it.
- Minimum
- 100 units
- Production
- 3–5 days
- Delivery
- US, UK, Canada, Australia
Single-wall plus sleeve, or double-wall
A single-wall cup with a separate sleeve is usually cheaper than a double-wall cup and performs comparably on insulation. It also lets you change branding on the sleeve without reprinting cups, which suits seasonal work.
Double-wall feels better in the hand and needs no second component to manage, which matters at a busy counter. Neither is right in general; it depends on whether you value the unit cost or the operational simplicity more.
Cup constructions compared
What each build is actually for.
| Construction | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Single-wall | Cold drinks, short-hold hot drinks | Hot to hold without a sleeve |
| Single-wall plus sleeve | Hot drinks, seasonal branding | Two components to stock |
| Double-wall | Hot drinks, premium feel | Higher unit cost |
| Ripple wall | Maximum insulation and grip | Highest cost, bulkier to store |
Lids are sized to a cup family
Lid fit is determined by the rim diameter, which is set by the cup family rather than by volume. Two 12 oz cups from different families can take different lids, and changing cup supplier mid-year is how operators end up with stranded lid stock.
Tell us what lids you already hold and we will match the rim, or tell us you are starting fresh and we will specify a family that covers your full size range with one lid.
The range
Custom Printed Cups We Produce
No format matches that. Try a shorter word, or describe what you need in a quote request.
Specification
Choosing a Printed Cups Specification
Materials
- Single-wall PE-lined paperboard
- Double-wall paperboard
- PLA-lined compostable board
- Ripple-wall board
Capacity and wall construction. Single-wall plus a sleeve is cheaper than double-wall; double-wall feels better in the hand. Our guide to packaging board and film grades compares them on strength, print quality and cost.
Printing
- Offset lithography
- Flexography
- Digital press
Run length usually decides this. Digital wins on shorter quantities because there is no plate cost; beyond that, offset and flexo overtake it on price per unit.
Finishes
- Matte outer
- Gloss outer
- Uncoated kraft outer
- Soft-touch outer
Finishes are applied in the same production run. Each one adds a step, so we price them individually rather than bundling them into the base rate.
Applications
- Coffee shops and cafés
- Quick-service restaurants
- Events and catering
- Office and hospitality
Most orders here come from food and beverage, retail and grocery brands.
Specification builder
Specify your printed cups in under a minute
Set what you know, leave the rest. Everything here travels with your request, so nothing gets retyped.
- 100-unit minimum
- 3–5 day production
- Free dieline
- No obligation
YOUR BRAND
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Recent work
Printed Cups We Have Produced
What catches cup buyers out
Four practical problems, all avoidable at ordering.
- Changing cup supplier without checking rim diameter, which strands existing lid stock.
- Ordering a hot-service cup for cold drinks, which then sweats and slips.
- Underestimating storage — cups nest, but a bulk order still takes considerable space.
- Printing to the rim, where the lid then covers the artwork.
Worth reading before you specify
- cup linings and what each one suitsPE, PLA and aqueous linings compared.
- where cup costs actually sitConstruction and volume rather than print.
Get a price
Quote a Printed Cups Run
Send the product details and the quantity you have in mind. We reply with a specification and a written price, usually within one business day.
Prices start from $0.30 per piece for large-volume orders. Final pricing depends on size, material, printing, finishes, and quantity.
No obligation
Quote Custom Printed Cups
Send us the product details and quantity. We reply with a specification and a written price, usually within one business day.
Answers
Custom Printed Cups Questions
Should I choose single-wall with a sleeve, or double-wall?
Single-wall plus a sleeve is usually cheaper and lets you change branding without reprinting cups. Double-wall feels better and is one component instead of two. It comes down to unit cost versus operational simplicity.
Will one lid fit all my cup sizes?
Only if the sizes share a rim diameter, which depends on the cup family rather than the volume. Tell us your size range and we will specify a family that takes one lid across it where possible.
Can the same cup be used for hot and cold drinks?
Not well. A hot cup lining and a cold cup lining behave differently, and a hot-service cup will sweat with a cold drink. Tell us which service you need, or both if you want a compromise stock item.
Are your cups recyclable or compostable?
PLA-lined cups are certified compostable through industrial facilities; standard PE-lined cups are recyclable only through specialist streams. We will tell you honestly what is realistically available to your customers.
How much storage do cups take?
More than most operators expect. Cups nest, but a bulk order still occupies significant space, so tell us your capacity and we can phase deliveries against it.
Where should print stop near the rim?
Below the lid line, or the artwork disappears once a lid goes on. We mark the lid line on the template so this is decided before design rather than after.
Can you print inside the cup?
On some constructions, yes, though the lining limits ink options. It is an unusual request and worth discussing before you design around it.
What is the minimum order for printed cups?
A flat 100 units on any format, though cup economics improve sharply with volume because the forming setup is the same regardless of quantity.
Can you match our brand colour on a cup?
Flexo on a cup holds a spot colour well. Bear in mind the substrate is slightly absorbent, so a colour will read marginally softer than the same ink on a coated carton.
How much do custom printed cups cost?
From $0.30 per piece at large volumes. Wall construction is the biggest lever — ripple and double-wall sit well above single-wall — with print a secondary factor.
Related ranges
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Next step
Ready to Specify Your Printed Cups?
Send the product dimensions and the quantity you need. We come back with a specification, a lead time and a written price.