CyanSunCoffee chain · United States
Cold Cups for a US Coffee Chain
A regional coffee chain needed three cold cup sizes, one lid family and split delivery to two US warehouses before a summer launch.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Customer | Regional coffee chain, United States |
| Product | 12 / 16 / 24 oz cold cups + 98 mm lids |
| Two spot colours, logo + drink markers | |
| Delivery | Two US warehouses, mixed pallets |
| Timeline | Artwork to ship in 8 weeks |
The brief
The chain was moving from stock cups to a printed cup for summer. Three sizes had to share one lid family so stores would not stock three lid SKUs, and the first shipment had to reach two warehouses before the season.
The challenge
- One lid family across three cup heights, without leaks at the seam.
- Condensation on iced drinks in a humid market.
- Two warehouses with different receiving labels and pallet heights.
- Artwork had to work on a tapered wall, not a flat label.
What we did
- Confirmed the 98 mm rim across all three sizes and sent a lid fit sample before printing.
- Tested the coating with iced water for 24 hours, including the base and seam.
- Split production into two packing runs with separate carton marks and pallet plans.
- Laid out artwork on the actual dieline, keeping the logo off the seam.
- Ran a pre-shipment leak check on a sample from each production batch.
The outcome
The first shipment arrived at both warehouses inside the window, and the chain standardised on one lid family for the three sizes. The reorder kept the same print and carton specification.
No customer name, product line or commercial terms are disclosed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why one lid family?
Fewer SKUs at store level and fewer mis-matched lids during a rush.
How was the leak checked?
Iced water for 24 hours on samples from each batch, plus a lid pull test.
Can the same artwork fit all sizes?
Yes if it is laid out per dieline; the taper changes with height.
Planning a similar project?
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