Cold Drink Cups Printed for Water, Juice and Shakes

Cold drinks ask different things of a cup

Hot cups are mainly about protecting hands. Cold cups are about holding their shape when they get damp, coping with ice and looking bright on a sunny counter.

Condensation is the big one. A cup full of ice-cold juice will sweat on a warm day, and a thin wall can feel soft by the end of the drink.

That is why the cold cups on this page differ in wall, height and lid more than in print. Choose the cup for the drink, then make it look like yours.

Cold cups also get handled more at events, passed along rows and left on tables. A clear logo on a cold cup travels further than you might think.

• Juice bars and smoothie shops
• Shake shops and diners
• Offices, gyms and schools with water points
• Event organisers and sports clubs
• Hotels, holiday lets and dental practices

All five cold drink cups side by side

This is a short range, so each cup has a clear job. The table shows which drinks each one is made for.

If your drink falls between two rows, think about thickness and ice. A thick shake and a glass of squash need very different cups even at the same size.

Water at work, at races and at reception

Water cups are the plainest drink cup we print and often the most seen. They sit next to a cooler in an office or on a table at the end of a fun run, and hundreds of people pick one up.

Our printed paper water cups for coolers have a flat base so they stand on a tray, and 7oz or 9oz covers most needs. A logo on both sides means it faces out whichever way the cup is picked up.

Race organisers often print the event name and year. Offices tend to go for a simple logo that matches the reception sign.

If your cooler takes cups from a dispenser tube, measure the tube before ordering. A cup that is slightly too wide jams, and that is an easy thing to check first.

Soft drinks for canteens and parties

Squash at a children's party, lemonade at a school fair and cola at a takeaway all need a cup that holds a decent pour without folding. A 9oz or 12oz single wall cup is usually right.

Our everyday paper drinking cups for soft drinks come in bright solid colours or your own artwork. Add flat lids with a straw slot if drinks go out with food orders.

For parties and themed events, Halloween and Easter designs work well on these. Pick a pattern that wraps all the way round so the cup looks right from any side.

Thick shakes need a tougher cup

A shake is cold, heavy and often topped with cream that sits above the rim. It is also drunk slowly, so the cup has to cope with condensation for longer.

That is why tall milkshake cups with dome lids usually run at 12oz, 16oz and 20oz, with double wall suggested for the thickest drinks. The dome leaves room for toppings, and the straw hole is wide enough for a proper shake straw.

Retro diner designs, bold stripes and bright patterns are the classic look. A full wrap uses the tall wall well.

Plan for the straw too. A narrow straw in a thick shake frustrates customers, so match the lid hole to the straws you stock.

Shake shops that also sell iced coffee can often use the same 16oz cup for both. One cup design across two drinks keeps stock simple and the counter tidy.

Juice and smoothie bars

Fresh juice is sold on its colour, so a cup that clashes with a green blend does the drink no favours. White board keeps your print bright and leaves the drink to do the talking through a clear lid.

Our printed juice cups for fresh blends run from 8oz breakfast shots of orange to 20oz smoothies. Single wall suits most juice, and double wall helps with icy smoothies that sweat.

Some juice bars use a different colour band for each blend. Staff pick the right cup faster, and customers learn the menu by colour.

• 8oz: breakfast juice or a wellness shot topped up
• 12oz: regular juice
• 16oz: smoothie or iced tea
• 20oz: large smoothie or protein shake

Rinse cups for bathrooms and surgeries

Bathroom cups are the smallest cold cups we print, and they are mostly seen by guests and patients. Hotels, holiday lets, salons and dental practices use them for rinsing and a quick sip of water.

Our small paper bathroom cups for dispensers run from 3oz to 5oz and stack neatly in a wall unit. A soft pattern or a small logo looks smarter than plain white without shouting.

Lids are not needed here. Keep the design calm and the colours light to suit a bathroom or treatment room.

Holiday let owners often print the property name on these. It is a small touch, but guests notice it and it looks cared for.

How to choose a cold drink cup

Cold cups are quicker to choose than hot ones because the wall question is simpler. These steps cover the rest.

Our team gives free design help if you are not sure which size or lid suits your drink.

If you serve one standard pour, a 9oz paper cup for soft drinks is a sensible default. It holds a can's worth over a little ice without looking half empty.

Still unsure between two sizes? Ask for a quote on both and compare the price per cup against the drink you sell.

1. Name the drink and whether it is served with ice.
2. Choose a size that leaves room for ice, foam or toppings.
3. Pick single wall for most drinks, or double wall for thick or very cold ones.
4. Decide whether you need a flat straw lid, a dome or no lid.
5. Choose white board for bright colours or kraft for a natural feel.
6. Send artwork and approve your free digital proof.

Carrying cold drinks away

Two iced coffees and a juice are hard to carry without help, and a dropped tray of cold drinks is a messy loss. A carrier sorts that out and gives your logo one more place to appear.

Our printed card cup carriers take cups from 8oz up to 20oz with dome or flat lids. They stack flat until they are needed, which matters behind a small counter.

Make sure you pair carriers with lidded cups. An open cold drink in a carrier will still spill on the first step.

For bigger rounds, a holder with a centre handle takes four or six cups at once.

Common mistakes, price and delivery

The most common mistake is ordering the same size for hot and iced versions of a drink. Ice takes up space, so the iced version usually needs the next cup up.

The other is picking a dome lid for a drink that does not need one, or a flat lid for a shake with cream. Match the lid to what sits on top of the drink.

Cold cups start from £0.25 each, and your written quote confirms the real price. Approve the free proof and printing takes 4 to 6 working days, followed by 2 to 3 working days of tracked delivery that is free anywhere in the UK.