Custom Paper Cups With a Card Handle

What the handle actually does

A single wall paper cup gets hot to hold once it is filled with tea or coffee. The card handle gives fingers something cool to grip, so the cup can be carried and sipped from like a mug.

That one detail removes the need for a sleeve or a double wall build. It keeps the cup light, simple and quick to hand over at a busy break.

The handle is not built to carry heavy loads, though. It suits drinks of up to around 9oz, held for sipping, rather than large cups carried a long way.

Think of it as a halfway house between a plain paper cup and a china mug. It is disposable, but it is held and drunk from in the same relaxed way.

Who uses handled paper cups

Handled cups turn up wherever people want the feel of a mug without washing up. Hotels put them on room trays, and clinics, garages and showrooms offer them in waiting areas.

Conference venues use them for mid-morning breaks, where guests hold a cup in one hand and a pastry in the other. Coffee and tea brands hand them out at tastings, where a small handled cup feels more generous than a plain one.

What these settings have in common is a short, seated or standing drink rather than a walk down the street. That is exactly where a handle beats a sleeve.

• Hotel room trays and guest lounges
• Waiting rooms in clinics and garages
• Car and furniture showrooms
• Conference and training breaks
• Coffee and tea tastings
• Farm shop tea rooms

Sizes that suit a handle

Handled cups work best in small and medium sizes. A 4oz cup suits espresso and tasting samples, while 7oz, 8oz and 9oz cover a standard cup of tea or coffee.

Above 9oz the cup gets heavy for a card handle, and most people would rather hold the cup itself. For larger drinks, a double or ripple wall cup without a handle is the better tool.

Many venues pick one size for everything. An 8oz handled cup covers tea, filter coffee and hot chocolate for most guests, which keeps stock simple.

Our small 4oz paper cups are popular for coffee tastings with a handle added. They look neat lined up on a tray.

A 7oz handled cup is a good middle ground for tea served with a biscuit at a meeting. It is big enough to satisfy without leaving half-finished drinks on every table.

Planning your print around the handle

The handle covers a strip of the cup wall, and it hides a little more when someone is holding it. Your logo should sit on the front panel, opposite or beside the handle, never underneath it.

Full wrap patterns work well, because a repeating design does not mind being partly covered. Single logos and text need more care, and our designers will mark the handle position on your proof.

Our guide on how to design a printed coffee cup covers seams and safe areas in more depth.

Brown kraft board hides the handle edge more softly than white, because the board colour and the card handle blend together. On white cups, a handle in plain white sits quietly against most designs.

Left hand, right hand

A cup with one handle shows a different face depending on which hand holds it. Right-handed people see one side, while the people around them see the other.

If you only print one panel, put it where onlookers will see it when a right-handed guest holds the cup. Printing both sides avoids the question and suits venues where the cup is photographed.

Our designers can show you both views on the proof. Seeing the cup from the drinker's side and from across the table makes the choice easy.

A full wrap pattern makes the whole question disappear. Whatever hand holds it, the cup shows the same design from every side.

Single wall and why it is enough

Because the handle keeps fingers off the hot board, a handled cup rarely needs a second wall. That keeps the price close to a plain single wall paper cup while making it far more comfortable to use.

Single wall cups are also lighter, which matters when a hotel stocks a cup on every tray. Lining is applied inside as normal, and recyclable lining options are available on request.

Food-contact board can be requested too. Mention it alongside your sizes so it is set against the order from the start.

Storing and serving handled cups

Handles make a stack a little wider than plain cups, so allow more shelf room than you would for the same quantity of standard cups. Keep the handles lined up on one side to stop them catching and bending.

On a self-service table, stand cups upright with handles facing out. Guests pick them up by the handle, which keeps fingers away from the rims other people will drink from.

For room trays, set the cup next to the tea and coffee sachets with the handle turned towards the kettle. It looks tidy and guests reach for it naturally.

Ordering handled cups

The order process follows the same steps as any printed cup, with one extra check on handle position. Artwork can come as AI, PDF, EPS, SVG, PNG or JPG files.

Once you have chosen sizes, you can send your handled cup request with your logo attached.

1. Choose your sizes and quantity
2. Send your logo or pattern
3. Tell us if one side or both should be printed
4. Check the handle position on your free proof
5. Let us know what to tweak on the layout
6. Approve the proof to start printing

Mistakes to avoid with handled cups

Most problems with handled cups come from treating them like ordinary cups. These are the ones to watch for.

The first item is by far the most common, and it is easy to miss on a flat artwork file. That is why we always mark the handle on the proof.

• Placing the main logo where the handle sits
• Ordering large sizes the handle cannot carry well
• Adding a second wall the handle makes unnecessary
• Stacking cups with handles facing every way
• Forgetting the view from a left-handed drinker
• Expecting a lid to suit drinks served on the spot

Price, timing and reprints

Paper cups with handles start from £0.25 per cup, and your written quote confirms the price with the handle included. Design help and the proof cost nothing.

Hotels and venues that reorder regularly can keep the same artwork on file. A repeat order with no design changes skips the proof and goes straight to production.

Printing takes 4 to 6 working days after you approve the proof, and tracked delivery follows in 2 to 3 working days. Handled cups travel free of charge to the UK.

If any cups arrive misprinted or with handles damaged, our returns page for printed cups explains how to report it. Send photos within 10 days for a reprint or refund.