Red Paper Cups in the Shade Your Brand Uses

Who buys red paper cups

Red is the colour of fast service and strong flavour, so it turns up all over food and drink branding. Burger bars, chicken shops and pizza places often want a cup that matches the box and the shop sign.

Sports clubs order red cups in club colours for match days and bar sales. Cafés also run a short red cup for Valentine's week or a winter spiced drink, then switch back to their usual cup.

• Takeaways with a red logo or shopfront
• Football, rugby and cricket clubs
• Cinemas and leisure venues
• Cafés running a Valentine's drink
• Charity events with a red theme

Getting your brand red right

Red is one of the hardest colours to match by eye. A screen shows red with light, while a printed cup builds it from ink, so what looks perfect on your laptop can come out slightly orange or slightly pink.

The surest way to avoid that is to give us a Pantone number from your brand guidelines. If you only have a logo file, we will pick the nearest match and show it on your proof, and you can ask for it warmer or cooler.

1. Find the Pantone reference in your brand guide if you have one
2. Send your logo file in AI, PDF, EPS, SVG, PNG or JPG
3. Tell us if the cup should be solid red or red on white
4. Check the red on the free digital proof
5. Ask for adjustments until you are happy

Solid red, red bands or red patterns

A solid red wrap gives the strongest shelf presence and suits bold brands. A white cup with a red band or logo is calmer and lets the brand mark do the talking.

Red patterns, such as hearts, dots or stripes, work well for themed menus and parties. The table below shows how each style tends to be used.

Sizes for red cups

Takeaways tend to choose larger red cups, often 16oz (455ml) or 20oz (568ml), for fizzy drinks and shakes. Cafés stick to 8oz and 12oz for hot drinks, which hold 227ml and 341ml.

We print anywhere from 2oz to 20oz, and we can quote other sizes on request. Using the same red across two sizes makes a menu look joined up.

For a cinema or a leisure venue, the big 16oz paper cups for cold drinks are usually the workhorse. A solid red wrap at that size gives a lot of space for a logo and a short message.

Ripple, double or single wall in red

Ripple wall is a favourite for red cups because the ridges catch the light and make the colour look richer. It also gives a firm grip, which matters with a full 12oz of hot coffee.

Double wall has a smooth outer surface, so it is better if your design includes fine text or a detailed logo. Single wall is the light, lower cost choice for cold drinks and suits a red full wrap well.

Not sure which to choose? Our ripple wall coffee cups page shows the textured finish up close.

Artwork tips for red cups

Black text on red can be hard to read from a distance, so we often suggest white text on a red background. A white logo knocked out of solid red is one of the most striking looks you can print on a cup.

Large areas of solid red need clean artwork, so send vector files where you can. A blurry logo is far more noticeable when it sits on a bright block of colour.

Give small text plenty of size, at least as big as you would use on a business card. If you want help laying it out, use our free Design Your Cups preview and we will tidy the layout for you.

Lids and sleeves that suit red

Black lids on red cups give a sharp, confident finish that suits takeaways and coffee bars. White lids feel lighter and fresher, which can suit a Valentine's or summer cup.

Measure your lids by the rim of the cup rather than by ounces alone. You can browse matching lids sized to your cup rim and add them to the same quote.

Sleeves are worth a thought on single wall red cups used for hot drinks. A plain kraft or black sleeve leaves the red showing above and below it, which still looks neat.

Valentine's and themed red cups

Valentine's Day is the most common reason for a short run of red cups. A simple heart pattern with your logo on one side works for coffee, hot chocolate and milkshakes.

Think about how long the design will be useful. A cup that says only your name and a heart can carry on into the spring, while a dated design should be ordered close to what you expect to sell.

Allow 4 to 6 working days for production after proof approval, plus 2 to 3 working days for tracked delivery.

Red cups for clubs and match days

Clubhouse bars get busy in short bursts, at half time and after the final whistle. A red cup in club colours makes it obvious which drinks came from your bar, and supporters often take one home as a small keepsake.

Choose a design that works all season rather than one tied to a single fixture. Your crest, the club name and the ground can sit on one side, with a sponsor on the other if you have one.

When volunteers carry rounds back to the stands, a sturdy cup carrier for four drinks stops spills on the steps. Single wall red cups are the usual pick for beer, squash and soft drinks.

Mistakes to avoid with red cups

Most issues with red cups come from colour expectations or from too much detail. A short checklist before you approve the proof helps a lot.

If anything looks off on the proof, say so. We revise the proof for free until you approve it.

• Approving the red on a phone screen in a dim room
• Using thin black lettering on a solid red background
• Mixing two different reds in one design
• Ordering a dated Valentine's design in huge numbers
• Forgetting to check the lid colour against the cup

Pricing, delivery and returns

Red paper cups start from £0.25 per cup, and your written quote confirms the exact figure. Every red cup order ships by tracked delivery at no cost to the UK.

If any cups arrive misprinted or damaged, send photos within 10 days and we will reprint or refund them. To begin, request a quote for red cups with your logo and the size you need.