Packaging · 3 min read
Single-wall or double-wall? Choosing printed coffee cups for your café
When a single-wall cup with a sleeve is enough, when a double-wall cup is worth it, how to pick sizes and lids, and how to get your logo printed on paper cups.
Jais Brandworks · Lower Parel, Mumbai ·
A takeaway cup leaves your café and spends the next twenty minutes in someone’s hand, on an office desk, in a car and probably in a photo. For a café, it is the piece of packaging that works hardest. Getting it right mostly comes down to one decision: single wall or double wall.
Single-wall cups
A single-wall cup is one layer of coated paperboard. It is light, it stacks well behind the counter and it is the most economical printed cup.
The catch is heat. With a fresh espresso-based drink, a single-wall cup gets hot to hold. Most cafés solve that with a cup sleeve. A printed sleeve is also a second branding surface, and it can carry a seasonal message or a loyalty offer while the cup stays the same.
Single-wall cups are a good fit for:
- Cold drinks, iced coffee and juices
- Tea and smaller hot drinks served at a slightly lower temperature
- High-volume counters where storage space is tight
- Events, offices and pantries
Double-wall cups
A double-wall cup has an outer paper layer with a small air gap. That gap insulates, so the cup is comfortable to hold without a sleeve and the drink stays hot a bit longer. It also feels sturdier and more premium in the hand.
Double-wall cups suit specialty coffee, larger hot drinks and cafés where the cup is part of the experience. You print one cup, not a cup and a sleeve, so the design is cleaner.
Which one should you pick?
| Single wall + sleeve | Double wall | |
|---|---|---|
| Hot to hold | Yes, without a sleeve | No |
| Feel | Light | Sturdy, premium |
| Branding surfaces | Cup and sleeve | Cup |
| Storage | Cups and sleeves stack separately | Bulkier stacks |
| Best for | Cold drinks, tea, volume | Hot specialty coffee |
Plenty of cafés use both: double-wall for hot drinks and single-wall for cold ones, in the same design.
A double-wall cup. Brand shown is a sample.
Sizes and lids
Most cafés settle on two or three sizes. Common ones are around 8 oz for a small hot drink, 12 oz for regular and 16 oz for large. Before you decide, check that one lid fits more than one size. Fewer lid types means less stock to manage and fewer mix-ups during the rush.
For cold drinks and shakes, look at taller milkshake cups with a dome lid. If you sell several drinks per order, a branded cup carrier keeps them upright and puts your logo on top.
Designing for a cup
A cup is a cone, so artwork that looks right on a flat screen can curve or stretch when wrapped. A few things that help:
- Keep the logo away from the seam. Every paper cup has a vertical join. We place the logo so it faces the customer, not the seam.
- Leave room at the top and bottom. The rim is rolled and the base is crimped. Print too close to either and it gets lost.
- Bold beats detailed. A cup is seen from a metre away. One strong mark reads better than a full illustration.
- Think about the lid colour. A black lid on a white cup, or white on kraft, changes the whole look.
We take care of all of this when we set up your artwork, and the mockup shows the cup the way your customer will see it.
Reusable options
Some offices and cafés also want something people keep. A branded reusable to-go cup works well as merch or a staff gift, alongside the paper cups at the counter.
Getting started
Tell us roughly how many cups you go through and which drinks you sell. We suggest the cup, set up your logo for free and send a mockup with a quote within one working day. You can also see your logo on a cup right now in the Try-On.
If you are setting up a new café, the restaurant opening print checklist covers what else you will need on day one.
