Custom Cardboard Beverage Sleeves
Flat board sleeves with a smooth surface for detailed printing.
Specification & quote
Beverage Sleeves
Custom Printed Coffee Cup Sleeves
A printed sleeve is the cheapest way to brand a takeaway coffee. It costs a fraction of a printed cup, it works with the plain cups already in the cupboard, and it can be changed seasonally without writing off stock.
For an independent café testing branded packaging for the first time, it is almost always the right place to start.
- 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 Printed Coffee 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
Finish
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 designerThe 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.
Cheaper than Printing the Cup, and More Flexible
Printed cups carry die costs and minimum quantities that put them out of reach for a single site. Sleeves do not, and they work across every cup size that shares a circumference.
They also let you change design four times a year without holding four cup lines.
Groups running several sites often move on to printed cups, once volumes justify them as quantities grow.
Specification
| Construction | Corrugated for insulation, flat board for print detail |
|---|---|
| Sizing | From the cup circumference at the grip point |
| One colour to full CMYK | |
| Board | Kraft or white |
| Finish | Usually unlaminated; laminated for cold cups |
| Designs | Single design, or several split across one run |
Minimum quantities depend on print method and are confirmed per quote.
Designing for a Hand
- A right-handed grip covers roughly a third of the sleeve — repeat key elements.
- Keep the wordmark away from the glued seam, which sits differently on every cup.
- Put a QR code where a thumb does not land, or it will not scan.
- Kraft board shifts colour; check a proof rather than judging from screen.
A design that repeats around the circumference reads correctly however the cup is held.
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 Printed Coffee Sleeves: Common Questions
Will these fit the cups we already buy?
That is the intention. Send us a cup or the brand and size code from the base, and the sleeve is cut to that circumference rather than to a nominal size.
Corrugated or flat board?
Corrugated insulates properly because of the air channels in the flute, and suits very hot drinks. Flat board holds finer print detail and suits cold cups and double-walled cups that are already insulated.
Can we run several designs in one order?
On digital printing this is straightforward. The cost depends on how the quantity splits between designs, so send the split rather than a total.
Will these fit cups we already buy?
That is the intention. Send a cup or the brand and size code from the base, and the sleeve is cut to that circumference.
How many sleeve sizes will we need?
Usually two across three cup sizes. One sleeve rarely covers more than two adjacent sizes without spinning or refusing to fit.
Do we need sleeves on double-walled cups?
Not for heat. Plenty of cafés still use them for branding, because a printed sleeve is far cheaper than printing the cup.
Where should a QR code go?
Where a right-handed thumb does not land, and large enough to scan at arm's length. Test a printed sample rather than a screen.
How many sleeves does a café use?
Count a typical week of takeaway hot drinks and whether every one gets a sleeve. Most people are surprised in one direction or the other.
Will kraft board change our colours?
Yes, warmer and darker. If a colour has to be exact, that means white board or a white underbase.
Do you supply plain sleeves alongside printed ones?
Yes, and some cafés run plain stock for quiet periods and printed for promotions. Send the split between them.
Prefer to Talk It Through?
Sizing questions are usually quicker on the phone, especially if you have the product in front of you.
Related to Custom Printed Coffee Sleeves
Custom Iced Coffee Sleeves
Sleeves for larger iced coffee cups held for a long time.
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Custom Tea Cup Sleeves
Sleeves for takeaway tea, where the water goes in hotter than coffee.
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Paper Cup Sleeves
Sleeves cut to the circumference of the cups you already hold.
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