Ice cream cup printing and lid fit

The body layout

The cup body is wrapped from a fan-shaped sheet; it has a glue overlap on the side and a base fold at the bottom. Printing is done on this fan, and once the cup is formed the design wraps all the way around. So the design has no beginning and end, only two edges that meet at the seam; nothing important goes on the seam.

Gepako uses separate layouts for single and double scoop cups. The proof is prepared on the layout of the size you are ordering; you do not redraw the design for each size, the same logo is adapted to each cup in its own proportion.

What happens to the logo when it curves?

Text that sits as a straight line on the layout draws an arc parallel to the rim once the cup is formed. Correct placement is the reverse: text is set on the arc in the layout and reads straight when the cup is curved. Gepako's proof draft places the logo in the middle of the safe area with this logic; the vertical direction follows the radius, the horizontal direction follows the arc.

The strip near the rim turns inward because of the roll; it gets background colour, not text. The strip near the base is a fold allowance too. A logo close to the middle of the body looks best both in the hand and on the shelf.

Safe area and bleed

Because every cut may shift slightly, important elements stay inside the safe area, while the background colour and pattern extend 3 mm beyond the cut line. The proof draft shows the cut line, the safe area and the bleed line separately; the PDF sent to you carries crop marks and the product name.

Matching lids and spoons

A cup should be seen as part of a service set, not on its own. If you serve with lids, the lid must match the mouth diameter of the cup; write the lid choice together with the cup size in the quote form and our team suggests the matching set. Spoons come in plastic or wood; wooden spoons suit natural-looking brands, coloured plastic spoons suit lively designs.

If you use foam or PET tubs, the printing goes not on the tub itself but on the tub sleeve that wraps it. The sleeve is printed on bristol board, laminated and cut to the size of the tub, so even an unprinted tub looks branded.

Proof and production

After you send your logo, our design team prepares the print file; on your order tracking page you see the proof and either approve it or request changes. With an approved proof, production takes place in our own facility with food-safe raw materials, and the cartons leave by courier. Before printing, you can see your cup in 3D on the See Your Logo page and add the products you like to a single quote basket.