32 oz Clear Cups

A quart of drink, and the color is the advertisement

A 32 oz cup holds a full quart: four US cups, close to 950 ml. At that size, people are not buying a drink so much as an afternoon's supply of it. Smoothie shops sell it as the largest blend on the board. Bubble tea stores use it for jumbo milk teas and fruit teas loaded with tapioca pearls or jelly. Drive-thru sweet tea and lemonade stands sell it to customers who want something to sip all the way home. Gyms and nutrition clubs use it for protein shakes and meal-replacement drinks.

The reason these businesses pick a clear cup is simple: the drink sells itself when people can see it. Layers of mango and strawberry, brown sugar streaks running down the inside, swirled cold foam on top of iced coffee, the dark pearls settled at the bottom. A paper cup hides all of that. A clear 32 oz cup puts it on show in the customer's hand, on the dashboard and in every photo posted from your shop.

Clear plastic and paper: picking the right material

These cups are made from clear plastics rather than paper board. Each one has a different feel and job.

If you were looking for a paper cup at this capacity instead, perhaps for hot soup or popcorn, see our custom large paper cups, which go up to 32 oz in board.

Dome lid or flat lid

A flat lid sits low with a straw slot, keeps the cup compact for cup holders and stacks neatly in a carrier. It is the right choice for teas, lemonades and iced coffee without toppings. A dome lid rises above the rim, leaving room for whipped cream, cold foam, fruit garnish or a mound of blended ice. It also has a wider opening for the thick straws used with smoothies and bubble tea.

Lids need to match the cup's rim exactly, so order them together. Bubble tea shops that heat-seal their cups with a printed film should mention the sealing machine they use, because rim size and material both need to suit it. Shops that also pour hot drinks often keep a matching paper cup for those, chosen from our full range of drinking cups, printed with the same logo.

Printing on clear plastic

Designing for a clear cup is a different job from designing for paper. The drink is your background, and it changes with every order. A logo that looks great over a pale vanilla shake may disappear against a dark cold brew.

• Choose one strong color. A single solid ink, often black, white or your main brand color, reads against most drinks. PMS printing keeps it consistent run after run.
• Leave the window open. Keep printing to a band or a single logo panel so the drink still shows. Full wraps defeat the point of a clear cup.
• Mind the ice line. The top third of a cold drink is often ice and foam, and the bottom is pearls or fruit. Place the logo in the middle where the color is richest.
• Add a fill line. A printed line near the top helps staff pour consistent portions on every quart.
• Consider the back. A short message or your social handle on the reverse side shows through the drink from the front, mirrored, unless the background is opaque. Keep text on one side if that bothers you.

Gloss, matte and spot UV finishes are available, and a frosted cup softens everything for a calmer look.

Serving quart-sized drinks

A full 32 oz drink weighs around two pounds, so it needs support. Hand it over in a carrier or a bag, especially at drive-thrus where customers juggle several drinks. Many cars will not hold a 32 oz cup in every holder, so a tapered cup design helps. Smoothie bars sometimes sell a 24 oz or 20 oz cup alongside the quart for customers who want a big drink that still fits a standard holder. For loaded iced coffee in the 20 oz range, printed 20 oz paper cups are an option when you prefer a paper look.

Store cups in their cartons, away from direct sun and heaters, and keep lids sealed in their bags until use so they stay clean. Clear cups show smudges, so staff should handle them from the base.

What to prepare before you order

1. Decide on PET, rPET or PP, and whether you want a clear or frosted finish.
2. Pick flat, dome or sealing-film closure, plus the straw width you use.
3. Send vector artwork with your PMS color numbers. Free design help is available if you want the layout adjusted for clear plastic.
4. Choose a quantity from 100 cups. Volume discounts apply on larger runs.
5. Approve the proof. Production follows in 4 to 6 business days, and rush options are available.

Ask for free samples to test with your own drinks, and enjoy free shipping to the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia.