Custom Printed Plastic Cups
Custom printed plastic cups are PET or PP cold-drink cups printed with your logo, bought by iced coffee and smoothie bars, bubble tea chains, juice concepts and event and stadium caterers. Each of those buyers needs a different cup: clear PET for a layered iced drink, a translucent PP cup that a sealing machine can close, or a hard reusable cup that survives a dishwasher.
The cup is only half the order, because the lid, the print and the rules in each selling country decide whether it works at the counter. This page covers custom printed plastic cups for cold drinks as 9 Packaging, a printed packaging manufacturer and exporter in Istanbul, approaches them: materials, round-bottom and standard shapes, lids, 1-2 colour print, compliance and what to send for a quotation.
What are custom printed plastic cups?
Custom printed plastic cups are single-use or reusable cups made from PET or PP and printed with a brand's logo or pattern, usually in one or two spot colours. They are made for cold and ambient drinks such as iced coffee, smoothies, juice, milkshakes, bubble tea and soft drinks, and they are paired with a plastic lid that fits the cup rim.
The range this page covers:
| Option | Typical choices |
|---|---|
| Material | PET (clear), PP (translucent or opaque) |
| Shape | Standard cup, or round-bottom cup (rounded base, common for smoothie and bubble tea service) |
| 1-2 colour spot-colour print around the cup wall | |
| Lids | Plastic cup lids: dome and flat styles, with or without straw slot |
| Typical drinks | Iced coffee, smoothies, juices, milkshakes, bubble tea, soft drinks |
Plastic cups are cold-drink cups. PET softens at temperatures well below the serving temperature of coffee, and most PP cups are not designed for hot service either unless the manufacturer specifies it. Hot drinks belong in custom printed paper cups, which also cover cold paper cups.
PET or PP: which material suits your drink?
PET is the default for clear cold cups because it is glass-like and shows the drink. PP is chosen when the cup needs more heat tolerance, flexibility, a sealed film lid or repeated reuse. The decision usually follows from drink, service format and the rules in the selling country.
| PET | PP | |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Clear, high gloss | Translucent or opaque, softer look |
| Rigidity | Rigid, can crack when dropped cold | Flexible, tolerates impact |
| Heat | Cold and ambient drinks | Higher temperature tolerance; check the maker's rating |
| Typical use | Iced coffee, smoothies, juice | Bubble tea with film seal, reusable cups, some hot-fill uses |
| Lid | PET or compatible plastic snap-on lid | PP lid or sealing film |
| Recycling stream | PET | PP |
Recycled PET, PLA and other options have their own trade-offs in recyclability, clarity and regulation. The full comparison is in PET vs PP vs rPET vs PLA cups.
Round-bottom or standard: which cup shape?
A round-bottom cup (often sold as a U-shape cup) curves into a small base and gives a distinctive look for smoothies, bubble tea and shaken drinks, while a standard cup has a flat base and a straight taper. Standard cups sit more stably on a counter and in car holders, so they suit iced coffee. Depending on the design, a round-bottom cup stands on a small flat foot or needs a holder, so check stability in carriers and cup holders before choosing it for takeaway.
Both shapes accept 1-2 colour print around the wall. Where the logo sits relative to the curved base and the rim differs between shapes, so the print area is set on the specific cup profile at technical review.
How are plastic cup sizes and lids matched?
Cold cups are specified by nominal volume in oz or ml and by rim diameter, because the lid fits the rim, not the volume. Several volumes in one range often share a rim diameter and therefore one lid. A 12 oz cup is about 355 ml nominally, but brim-full capacity and fill-line volume are different numbers.
Lids matter as much as cups for a drink to travel well:
- Flat lids with a straw slot suit iced coffee and soft drinks
- Dome lids add headroom for whipped cream, foam or thick smoothies, and are available with a wide slot for boba or smoothie straws or a tight slot for standard straws
- Sip lids are mainly for hot cups and rarely used on cold plastic cups
- Sealing film (PP cups) gives a spill-proof closure for bubble tea
Rim diameters, size tables and lid compatibility are in plastic cup sizes and lids. To convert oz to ml, use the cup size converter. For paper cup sizes see paper cup sizes.
How are plastic cups printed?
Round plastic cups are most often printed with dry offset, a waterless offset process that prints directly onto the tapered wall in one or more spot colours. Other options are screen printing for hard cups, in-mould labelling (IML) for PP cups with full-colour graphics, and shrink sleeves for full-body decoration.
This page covers 1-2 colour printed cups, which is the typical route for logo-and-pattern cups on clear PET or white or coloured PP. Points to settle early:
- On clear PET, a single spot colour is seen through the cup wall; opaque effects usually need a white print layer under or alongside the colour
- Spot colours are matched to Pantone references; shade tolerance and the colour on transparent versus opaque cup material are agreed at technical review
- Artwork must allow for the cup taper, the seam or mould parting line and a clear margin from the rim and base
- Ink choice is a food-contact question for the outer wall: set-off and migration controls apply (see the compliance section)
The detail on each method, with a decision table, is in printing on plastic cups. Colour matching principles are in Pantone vs CMYK for packaging and the packaging printing methods guide.
Are single-use plastic cups banned?
PET and PP cups are not banned across the EU, UK or US, but they are regulated. Expanded polystyrene cups are banned in the EU since 3 July 2021, and PET and PP cups fall under the SUP Directive's marking, extended producer responsibility and consumption-reduction rules. National law adds specific duties for reuse and on-site service.
The points a buyer meets most often (always confirm current rules with the relevant authority or compliance scheme, this is not legal advice):
- EU: Directive (EU) 2019/904 (SUP Directive) and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2151 require a marking on beverage cups in the language of the market: "MADE OF PLASTIC" on cups made wholly of plastic, "PLASTIC IN PRODUCT" on cups made partly of plastic. Cups made wholly of plastic may carry it printed or embossed; the specification applies to the cup, not to separate lids. The PPWR, Regulation (EU) 2025/40, applies from 12 August 2026 and sets takeaway reuse duties (accepting own containers from 12 February 2027, offering a reusable option from 12 February 2028) and restrictions on single-use plastic packaging for food and drink consumed on HORECA premises from 1 January 2030.
- Germany: the Mehrwegangebotspflicht (reusable offer duty) applies to takeaway outlets since 1 January 2023, and the Einwegkunststofffonds levy has applied since 2025, with a per-kilogram rate for beverage cups (€1.236/kg in the EWKFondsV); the cup category in the Einwegkunststofffondsgesetz includes lids. Packaging registration runs through LUCID under the VerpackDG, which replaced the VerpackG from 12 August 2026.
- Netherlands: single-use cups containing plastic may not be used for drinks consumed on the premises since 1 January 2024, with a limited exception where cups are collected for recycling. Reusable-option duties for takeaway apply, and the to-go surcharge has been announced to end from 1 January 2027, although the amending regulation is not yet final.
- UK: no EU marking in Great Britain; packaging EPR and, for plastic-predominant packaging with under 30 % recycled content, the Plastic Packaging Tax apply.
- US: no federal cup ban; state and local rules, packaging EPR laws and food-contact requirements apply.
The market-by-market guide is single-use plastic cup rules. For the same rules applied to paper cups, see paper cup regulations; for the wider framework see PPWR explained, packaging compliance in Germany and Austria and Netherlands packaging compliance.
When does a reusable plastic cup make sense?
A reusable plastic cup is a thicker-walled PP (or similar) cup designed for many wash cycles, used for events, deposit schemes and Mehrwegangebot compliance. It is a different product from a thin-wall single-use cup: wall thickness, print durability, dishwasher resistance and food-contact testing for repeated use all differ.
Reusable cups are also where the rules are heading. Germany's reusable offer duty already exists, the PPWR requires a reusable option from February 2028 for most takeaway outlets, and Dutch rules cover on-site service. Buyers comparing reusable and single-use cups, including who pays for washing and how deposits work, will find the detail in reusable plastic cups for events and deposit systems.
How does cup design affect recyclability and recycled content?
A PET cup with a PET lid and no sleeve is the simplest design to sort and recycle, but recycling of thermoformed cups is less established than bottle recycling. Mixed materials, shrink sleeves, heavy ink coverage and PLA are the usual obstacles. Design choices today also affect the PPWR recyclability grades due from 2030 and recycled-content targets: 30 % for contact-sensitive PET packaging from 1 January 2030 at the earliest, according to the PPWR.
How a cup's design affects its grade is explained in PPWR recyclability grades and recyclable vs compostable packaging. Avoid generic claims such as "eco-friendly" or "biodegradable" on cups: the EU's Empowering Consumers Directive (EU) 2024/825 restricts them from 27 September 2026.
Which food-contact documents should come with plastic cups?
Plastic cups are food-contact plastic articles. In the EU, Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 sets the general safety principles, Regulation (EC) No 2023/2006 covers good manufacturing practice (including printing inks on the non-food side), and Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 covers plastic materials, with a declaration of compliance and an overall migration limit of 10 mg/dm². Germany's Printing Ink Ordinance applies a positive list for inks on food-contact materials from 1 January 2027. In the US, plastics for food contact must comply with FDA rules in 21 CFR. In Great Britain, the assimilated versions of the EU regulations apply.
Buyers typically ask for a declaration of compliance for the cup and lid material, covering the polymer, any additives, and for the cup wall the printing inks. What is documented for a specific order is confirmed at quotation and technical review. For the full picture see food-contact packaging compliance and the PPWR declaration of conformity.
What do chains need from a plastic cup range?
For a chain, the cup system matters more than any single cup. A chain with iced drinks, smoothies and desserts across several markets usually wants a small cup range sharing as few lid sizes as possible, one print layout adapted per cup size, and stable colour across repeat orders. Marking language per country, the right importer of record for levies and a consistent carton and pallet configuration matter as much as the print.
9 Packaging has experience supplying fast-food and chain-style foodservice packaging, and the sourcing approach is covered in restaurant chain packaging. Quality checks you can ask for are listed in the packaging quality control guide.
Terminology by market
| Market | Typical terms |
|---|---|
| Germany | Plastikbecher or Kunststoffbecher, PET-Becher, Trinkbecher; Plastikbecher bedrucken (printing); Domdeckel and Flachdeckel (lids); Mehrwegbecher (reusable cup) |
| Austria | Same German terms; Mehrwegbecher is common in event and festival use |
| Netherlands | plastic beker, PET-beker, drinkbeker; koepeldeksel (dome lid) and platte deksel (flat lid); herbruikbare beker |
| UK | plastic cups, cold cups, smoothie cups, iced coffee cups, disposable cups |
| US | cold cups, clear cups, boba cups; sizes in oz |
Sourcing custom printed plastic cups from Türkiye
Plastic cups made in Türkiye can enter the EU without customs duty when the goods are in free circulation and accompanied by an A.TR movement certificate under the EU-Türkiye Customs Union, with import VAT payable in the country of import. Customs classification of plastic cups and lids is confirmed with your customs broker. UK imports follow the UK-Türkiye trade agreement and its origin rules. For the US, tariff rates on Turkish goods have changed repeatedly and must be checked on the USITC tariff database or with a customs broker at the time of order.
Minimum order quantity, price and lead time depend on cup size, material, print method and run configuration. See what determines MOQ, packaging cost drivers and packaging lead times. More on the route in sourcing packaging from Türkiye.
What to send for a plastic cup quotation
A precise enquiry lets a manufacturer quote a specific cup and lid pair. Send:
- Drinks served and the maximum and minimum serving temperatures
- Material preference (PET or PP), or the drink and service format so one can be recommended
- Shape: standard or round-bottom
- Sizes in oz or ml, plus fill volume and rim diameter if you have an existing lid
- Lid type per size: flat or dome, straw slot width, or sealing film
- Print: number of colours (1 or 2), Pantone references, artwork files, print placement
- Destination countries, for marking language and documents
- Single-use or reusable, and if reusable, the number of wash cycles expected
Use the packaging RFQ template and the RFQ guide to structure the request, then request a quotation.
Guides for this product
Plastic cups
- PET vs PP vs rPET vs PLA Cups: Cold Drink Cup Materials Compared PET vs PP cups compared for cold drinks: clarity, heat limits, lids, print, rPET recycled content, PLA compostability and recycling streams, with a decision table.
- Plastic Cup Sizes and Lids: Rim Diameters, Dome and Flat Lids Plastic cup sizes from 7 to 24 oz in ml, typical 78, 90, 95 and 98 mm rim diameters, and how to choose dome, flat or sealing-film lids for cold cups.
- Single-Use Plastic Cup Rules in the EU, UK and US Are single-use plastic cups banned? EU SUP marking and PPWR duties, German Einwegkunststofffonds and Mehrwegangebotspflicht, Dutch on-site ban, UK PPT and US rules.
- Printing on Plastic Cups: Dry Offset, IML and Shrink Sleeves Printing on plastic cups compared: dry offset, screen printing, IML and shrink sleeves, with colours, cup types, artwork rules for tapered cups and ink compliance.
- Reusable Plastic Cups for Events and Deposit Systems Reusable plastic cups for events and deposit systems: PP cup specification, print durability, German, Dutch and PPWR reuse duties, and cost drivers vs single-use.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between PET and PP cups?
PET cups are clear, rigid and best for cold drinks where the drink should be visible. PP cups are translucent or opaque, more flexible and tolerate more heat, which suits bubble tea with sealing film and reusable cups. They also sort into different recycling streams, so the choice affects end-of-life.
Can plastic cups be used for hot drinks?
Standard PET cups are for cold and ambient drinks only, because the material softens at temperatures far below coffee serving temperature. Some PP cups are rated for higher temperatures. Hot drinks are normally served in paper cups. Confirm the maximum serving temperature with the manufacturer before specifying a plastic cup for anything warm.
How many colours can be printed on a plastic cup?
This range covers 1-2 colour print, usually spot colours matched to Pantone references and printed around the cup wall. Full-colour graphics need other methods such as in-mould labelling for PP or shrink sleeves, which have different tooling, cost and recycling consequences.
Do plastic cups need a lid from the same supplier?
Not necessarily, but the lid must fit the rim diameter of the cup. A snap-fit lid from another source can work if the rim diameter and profile match. Sourcing cup and lid together avoids fit problems, particularly for dome lids and straw slots.
Is there a ban on plastic cups in the EU?
There is no EU-wide ban on PET or PP cups. Expanded polystyrene cups have been banned since 3 July 2021. PET and PP cups must carry the SUP marking and fall under producer responsibility, and national rules such as the Dutch on-site ban and German reuse duty add further limits.
Do custom printed plastic cups need a SUP marking?
In the EU, yes: beverage cups made wholly or partly of plastic fall under the marking duty in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2151, in the language of the country of sale. Great Britain does not use the EU marking. The marking specification applies to the cup itself and sets no separate marking for lids.
Can printed plastic cups be recycled?
They can be, but less reliably than bottles: a plain PET cup with a matching lid is the most recyclable design, and cup recycling is less established than bottle recycling. Shrink sleeves, heavy ink coverage, mixed materials and PLA reduce recyclability. Actual recyclability depends on local collection and sorting infrastructure.
More in this category
Custom Printed Cups and Food Containers
Custom Printed Paper and Plastic Cups
Products in this category- Custom Printed Paper Cup Carrier, White or Kraft A branded paper carrier for handing over takeaway drinks, made from 300 gsm white or kraft paper and offset printed on one side. It has the lowest entry point in our cups and lids range, starting at 100 pieces.
- Custom Printed Double Wall Paper Cups, Full Colour Matt or Gloss A two-layer printed cup built from a 300 gsm PE-coated body and a second 300 gsm paper wall, offset printed in full colour CMYK. It is available in four sizes with a choice of matt or gloss finish.
- Custom Printed Plastic Cups, 1-2 Pantone Colours A standard-profile plastic cup printed all around in one or two Pantone colours by dry offset. It comes in 350 ml, 400 ml and 450 ml, including a 14 oz size not offered in the round bottom version.
- Custom Printed Round Bottom Plastic Cups, 1-2 Pantone Colours A round bottom plastic cup with an all-around dry offset print in one or two Pantone colours. Sizes run from 350 ml to 530 ml, making it the largest cup in our range.
- Custom Printed Single Wall Paper Cups, Full Colour CMYK A one-layer printed cup made from 300 gsm paper with a 14 gsm PE coating, offset printed in full colour CMYK. Four sizes are available, from a 4 oz espresso size to 16 oz.
- PS Lids for Paper Cups, Black or White, Ø80 mm and Ø90 mm Plastic lids in PS for closing paper takeaway cups, offered in black or white. Two diameters cover 8 oz, 12 oz and 16 oz cups.
- Plastic Cup Lids: Dome, Flat and Sip Hole Styles Lids for plastic drinks cups in four styles, from dome lids with straw slots to flat and sip hole versions. Choose the opening that suits each drink on your menu.
Tell us what you need. We'll ask about the rest.
Fill in what you know, mark the rest “not sure”, and attach samples, photos or artwork if you have them.