Custom beer mats put a brewery or pub's identity directly beneath the drink it serves. They are useful table items, but they also give a guest something tangible to notice during a visit. A clear illustration, recognisable mark or well-chosen colour can carry more character than a coaster crowded with information.
The right brief starts with service. Think about who will use the mats, where they will be placed and how long the design needs to remain relevant. A permanent taproom identity requires a different approach from a limited beer launch or a weekend event. Keep those orders separate in your planning, even when they share a logo and colour palette.
What is the difference between beer mats and coasters?
In British hospitality, beer mat usually describes the absorbent board piece placed under a glass. Coaster is a broader term that also covers cork, ceramic, silicone and other materials. When discussing a print order, specify paper beer mat board so the material is clear.
Hey Coasters prints on 470 g beer mat board in round and square formats, both 93 mm wide. The weight describes the board specification, not a guarantee about a particular thickness or absorption capacity. If a technical property matters to your operation, ask for confirmation instead of inferring it from the weight alone.
Choose the job of your custom beer mat
A core venue mat should help people recognise the pub or brewery. A launch mat might introduce a new beer. An event version could point guests towards a tasting evening. Decide which job comes first, because a small surface cannot give equal emphasis to every message.
For an everyday design, a strong brand mark and a simple visual system are often enough. For a campaign, use a distinctive image or short title that connects with your posters and menus. Avoid printing a price or offer that will become incorrect while you still have thousands of mats in storage.
Artwork ideas for breweries
Illustrations from a can label can translate well if they remain recognisable at coaster size. Crop thoughtfully and remove small legal or packaging details that do not belong on the mat. Keep the main visual identity, rather than shrinking an entire label into a smaller circle.
Another approach is to build a brewery pattern from ingredients, local landmarks or abstract shapes used in your branding. Treat any historic or provenance claim carefully: print only information you can substantiate. The coaster should express your brewery's identity without adding an invented story about its origins.
Artwork ideas for pubs and taprooms
A pub can focus on its name, building silhouette or a simple emblem associated with the venue. A taproom might use colour to distinguish a guest-beer evening from normal service. In both cases, check how the design looks beneath the glassware actually used at the counter.
If the pub already has strong menus and signage, repeat their visual language. A completely unrelated coaster can make the table feel fragmented. Browse coasters for bars and restaurants for suitable starting points, or use your own finished artwork for a closer brand match.
Round or square beer mats?
Round beer mats work naturally with badges and central illustrations. Square mats offer more space around a wide wordmark or a rectangular composition. The best choice depends on the artwork and glass base, rather than whether a venue feels traditional or contemporary.
Compare round coasters with square coasters at actual size. A shape change may require repositioning the artwork, particularly near the corners. Do not assume the same square file can be cut into a circle without losing important elements.
Plan quantities from observed use
Count how many mats your team uses during a representative service period. Include replacements, takeaway pieces and busy sessions, then multiply by the period you want the order to cover. A week containing a special festival may not represent ordinary demand, so keep those figures separate.
For example, a hypothetical taproom using 120 mats per week over eight weeks needs 960 before adding a reserve. The sensible order depends on available tiers, storage and upcoming artwork changes. The bulk pricing page explains how to compare pack prices and unit costs without choosing volume blindly.
Make brewery collaborations easy to use
Co-branded mats can work for a brewery and the venue serving its beer. Agree on the artwork owner, logo hierarchy and approval process before preparing the final file. One contact should collect feedback so the printer does not receive conflicting versions from different people.
Also decide how stock will be divided between participating venues. A design with one pub's address may not suit the whole distribution network. A shared campaign image with carefully chosen destination information can be more flexible, provided every business has approved how its identity appears.
Prepare a clean print file
Use the current artwork specifications rather than exporting a social media graphic without checking it. The document needs bleed beyond the cut line and a safe margin for essential content. Small pale lettering can be difficult to read in a dim pub even when the source file looks sharp.
Print the layout at full size and place a pint glass on it. Ask a staff member to look from a seated position. If the message is unclear, simplify the layout before ordering. This is usually more effective than adding another outline, shadow or small explanatory sentence.
Order for service and for the next reorder
Keep the approved artwork, chosen shape and quantity in a shared purchasing record. Add the date stock arrived and a simple reorder trigger. This gives the next manager a usable reference instead of relying on someone remembering which file was printed months earlier.
Explore custom coaster options or upload your artwork in Hey Coasters Studio. Start with a clear purpose, check the real-size design and order a quantity supported by your own service figures. A useful beer mat should fit the venue as comfortably as the drink above it.
Before approving a large run, also check whether the artwork depends on a specific beer being available. A flexible core design can remain useful when the tap list changes, while a launch-specific mat needs a quantity matched to that campaign.
