The Ultimate Guide to Designing Branded Paper Cups for Your Business

Key Considerations for Designing Branded Paper Cups

When designing your branded paper cups, it’s important to keep the following considerations in mind:

1. Consider sustainability and, therefore, eco-friendly paper cups

In addition to promoting your brand, it is also important to consider the environmental impact of your branded paper cups. Consider using recycled materials or biodegradable and compostable alternatives to traditional paper cups to reduce your environmental footprint. Choosing eco-friendly paper cups also impacts the design. Depending on which cups will you choose, you will have to use or not the “Plastic in product” logo (dead turtle logo) required for products containing plastics in the EU by the SUP Directive. Therefore, choosing ECO paper cups makes your brand and products more appealing to eco-cautious customers. You can find more information on sustainable and eco-friendly paper cups solutions from rainbowcups on our environmental sustainability webpage.

2. Select high-quality printing methods

To ensure that your branded paper cups look professional and long-lasting, it is important to select a high-quality printing method. Some popular printing methods include offset printing, digital printing, flexographic printing, pad printing and screen printing. Each of these methods has its own benefits and limitations, so it is important to choose the right one for your needs. At rainbow cups, we only use the first two printing methods, as these provide the overall best paper cups print quality among all the printing methods available.

3. Choose the right size and type of customised paper cups and other custom-printed products like printed sugar or transparent cups

The size and type (SW/DW/TW) of your branded paper cups will have a significant impact on their overall appearance and functionality. Consider your target audience and the type of drinks you will be serving when choosing the right size and type for your cups. You can also consider using different sizes and types for different types of drinks, such as smaller cups for espresso and larger cups for coffee. The type of cup mainly depends also from the drink. For hot drinks, the best are TW paper cups, and for cold drinks or just water, SW paper cups are good enough. For lemonade, beer, shake, bubble tea, fresh juice or any other drink you want to be visible, the best will be transparent PET cups. To find the type of cup that best suits your needs, check our comparison of customised paper cups page.

4. Design Templates for Paper Cups and other custom printed products

To simplify the graphic design process of a printed paper cup, rainbowcups offers free design templates. These PDF templates can be easily customised with your brand colours and logos, making it simple to create a professional-looking design. These paper cup design templates contain all guidelines and technical requirements, as well as a simple method for checking the finished design and how it will look on the cup. They are definitely worth checking.

Tips for a Successful Branded Paper Cup Design

To ensure that your branded paper cup design is both effective and professional, consider the following tips:

1. Start your paper cups design journey with a clear brand identity

Before you begin designing your branded paper cups, it is important to have a clear understanding of your brand identity. This includes your company’s logo, colours, and messaging, as well as any additional images or graphics that you want to include on your paper cups. Having a clear brand identity will ensure that your paper cups are consistent with your overall marketing efforts and will help you create a cohesive and memorable look for your business. This will help reinforce your brand identity and make your paper cups easily recognisable.

2. Consider Your Target Audience

When designing your branded paper cups, it’s essential to keep your target audience in mind. What type of customer are you trying to attract, and what type of design will resonate with them?

3. Use vibrant colours and eye-catching graphics

To make your branded paper cups stand out, it is important to use vibrant colours and eye-catching graphics. Consider using your brand colours and logo, as well as additional images and graphics that will help you promote your brand and get noticed. But at the same time, remember to…

4. Keep it simple

While you want your branded paper cups to be eye-catching, it is also essential to keep your design simple. Too many colours, images, or graphics can make your cups look cluttered and difficult to read. Such a cup can be overwhelming and detract from your brand message. A clean, simple design is often the most effective. As often, also in this case, a “less is more” approach is the right one. Check our portfolio to get inspired by other clients designs.

Additional Products Offered by RainbowCups

In addition to custom printed paper cups, RainbowCups also offers custom-printed portioned sugar, eco-friendly fibre lids for paper cups, and wooden coffee stirrers as well as other accessories. All of these products can be printed with your brand’s colours and logos, providing a complete, eco-friendly solution for your business. We can also take over the graphic design of your individualised paper cups as we got quite experienced with it so far. You just tell us what you dream about, and we will take care to make it true.