Beverage Sleeves

Custom Cold Drink Sleeves

A cold cup sweats. Within a couple of minutes the outside is wet, slippery and unpleasant to hold, and any paper wrapped round it starts to soften.

A cold drink sleeve solves the grip problem and has to survive the moisture that causes it.

Get a quote WhatsApp us

Cut to your own product, not a stock size
Board, print and finish confirmed in writing
Delivered across the UK on national carriers

Short enquiry

Quote for This Product

Tell us the quantity and any date you are working to. We reply with the board, print and finish, plus the minimum order quantity and lead time.

Design Your Own

Design Your Custom Cold Drink Sleeves

Pick a colour, put your name on it, and see how the idea reads before you ask anyone for a price. It is a sketch rather than a manufacturing proof — the real shape is cut from the product you already serve.

Sleeve colour

Name on the pack

Finish

Show a repeating pattern

A printed sleeve brands a plain cup you already buy, which is why a single site usually reaches for one before it reaches for a printed cup.

Carry this into the full designer

The full page adds the size, board, print and quantity, then sends the whole specification over in one go. Nothing is committed to at any point.

Condensation Is the Whole Design Problem

Unlike a hot sleeve, which deals with dry heat, a cold sleeve is wet from the outside in for its entire life.

An unlaminated board absorbs that and goes limp. A laminated or coated outer face keeps its shape and stays gripped for the length of the drink.

What Operators Notice

Print that softens and smears where condensation collects at the bottom edge.
Sleeves that slide down a wet cup rather than gripping it.
Ink that transfers onto a customer's hand on a hot day.
Board that curls at the edges after twenty minutes in a car.

All four are solved by specifying for moisture rather than reusing a hot drink sleeve.

For iced coffee in particular, sleeves designed specifically for iced coffee deal with the same problem at longer holding times.

Specification

Board	Coated or laminated outer face
Construction	Flat board or corrugated; both work if the surface is protected
Print	Full colour; inks selected for moisture resistance
Sizing	From the cold cup circumference, which often differs from your hot cups

Ordering, Artwork and Delivery

Getting a Quote

Send a cup, or the brand and size code printed on its base. We reply with a written specification, the minimum order quantity and the lead time for your job.

Artwork

Keep key elements clear of the glued seam, which moves between cups. Full file requirements are set out in our artwork guidelines.

Turnaround

Lead times depend on the print method, run length and press schedule, so we confirm yours on the quote rather than publishing a single figure.

Delivery in the UK

Orders are dispatched on national carriers to any UK address. Seedelivery information for how dates are given.

Custom Cold Drink Sleeves: Common Questions

Can we use our hot cup sleeves on iced drinks?

Physically, if the cups are the same size. In practice an unlaminated hot sleeve goes limp on a sweating cup within minutes, which is why cold drinks usually need their own specification.

Do cold cups need sleeves at all?

For comfort and grip rather than temperature. A very cold cup is genuinely unpleasant to hold for long, and a wet one is slippery, which is the more common complaint.

Why do cold drink sleeves need a coating?

Because a cold cup sweats and the sleeve is wet from the outside in for its whole life. Uncoated board absorbs that and goes limp.

Do cold drinks really need a sleeve?

For grip rather than temperature. A wet cup is slippery, which is the complaint customers actually make.

Will the ink transfer to hands?

Not on a coated or laminated print. Uncoated ink on a wet surface is where transfer happens, which is why coating is specified.

Are cold cups a different size from hot ones?

Often. Cold cups are commonly larger and can have a different taper, so send a cold cup rather than assuming.

Corrugated or flat for cold?

Either works if the surface is protected. Corrugated absorbs condensation well; flat board laminated resists it.

Will the sleeve slide down a wet cup?

It can, since moisture reduces friction. Sizing slightly tighter than a hot sleeve helps considerably.

Do these suit milkshakes?

Yes, and a thick shake is held for longer than a soft drink, which strengthens the case for a coated surface.

Can we run one design across hot and cold sleeves?

Yes, if the cup circumferences match. Where they differ the artwork carries over but each needs its own layout.

Prefer to Talk It Through?

Sizing questions are usually quicker on the phone, especially if you have the product in front of you.

+44 7458 651107 info@conesleeves.co.uk