Custom Printed Paper Cups

A printed paper cup is held for the length of a drink and carried past everyone between the counter and a desk. For cafes, events, and offices it is working stock that happens to be a billboard, which makes it one of the few promotional items that pays for itself as packaging.The range covers hot cups, cold cups and containers, and plastic-free compostable cups in sizes from small espresso through pint. For reusable options see Cups.

Showing 46–65 of 65 resultsSorted by price: low to high

Showing 46–65 of 65 resultsSorted by price: low to high

The lining decides the environmental claim

A standard paper cup is lined with a thin layer of polyethylene, which is what makes it hold liquid. That lining also means it is neither widely recyclable nor compostable, despite being made mostly of paper.

A plastic-free cup uses an alternative lining and can genuinely be composted or recycled where facilities accept it. Be precise in how you describe it: compostable usually means commercially compostable, requiring an industrial facility, not a garden heap. If the venue has no organics collection, both cups end up in the same place.

Claiming more than the cup delivers is the fastest way to attract criticism, and customers increasingly check.

Hot, cold, and double wall

Hot cups have a thicker wall or a double wall and are designed for lids that seal. Cold cups handle condensation and are often used for food as well as drink.

Double wall cups remove the need for a separate sleeve, which saves cost and waste and gives a larger uninterrupted print area.

Printing and ordering

Flexographic printing applies spot colors from a plate, which is economical at volume. Digital printing handles full color and short runs with no plate charge.

Minimum order quantities are high, because production is a press run rather than a decoration. Order one larger run rather than several small ones, and remember that cups are bulky to store, so check you have somewhere to put them. Browse the wider range in Drinkware.