A custom coaster is one of the smallest things you will ever design, and one of the most looked at. It sits under a glass for the whole evening, right in front of the person holding it. That makes every millimetre count. This guide walks you through the decisions that matter, from the first idea to a file that prints sharp and cuts clean.
Start with one job for the coaster
The best coasters do one thing well. Before you open a design tool, decide what you want people to remember or do after they look at it:
- Recognise you: a bold logo or wordmark on a strong background.
- Take an action: scan a QR code for the menu, a review page or your Instagram.
- Remember a moment: names and a date for a wedding, or an event title and year.
- Try something: a signature drink, a seasonal special or a happy hour.
Trying to do all four at once is the most common reason a coaster looks busy. Pick one main message and let everything else support it.
Round or square?
Both shapes have the same 93 mm width, so the choice is about your artwork, not the size.
- Round coasters (93 mm diameter) feel classic and work best with centred logos, badges, emblems and circular lettering.
- Square coasters (93 × 93 mm with rounded corners) give you more usable space for wide logos, wordmarks, short lines of text and patterns.
If your logo is much wider than it is tall, square is usually the better fit. If it is already round or compact, round will feel natural.
Design for a glance, not a read
People see a coaster from a seated distance, often in low light, with a glass covering part of it. A few rules keep it legible:
- Keep text short. A name, a short line or a call to action. Not a paragraph.
- Go big on the main element. Your logo or headline should fill a good part of the safe area.
- Use strong contrast. Dark on light or light on dark. Avoid pale grey text or colours that are close in tone.
- Limit your palette. Two or three colours usually look stronger than six.
- Respect the minimums. Text at least 6 pt and lines at least 0.25 pt. In practice, larger is safer.
The technical specs that matter
These are the numbers our team checks on every file. Getting them right before you upload saves time and avoids surprises.
- Finished size: 93 mm round or 93 × 93 mm square.
- Document size: 99 × 99 mm, which includes 3 mm of bleed on every side.
- Bleed: extend backgrounds and colour all the way to the 99 mm edge, so no white line appears after cutting.
- Safe area: keep text, logos and QR codes at least 4 mm inside the cut line, within an 85 mm area.
- Resolution: 300 DPI at the final size, which means about 1,170 × 1,170 pixels for the full document.
- File types: PDF (preferred), JPG or PNG, up to 20 MB.
- Colour: CMYK is ideal. RGB files are accepted and converted for print, so very bright screen colours can look slightly calmer on paper.
You can download free round and square templates from our artwork and file upload guide. They show the cut line, the bleed and the safe area, so you can place your design with confidence.
Adding a QR code
A QR code turns a coaster into a shortcut to your menu, a booking page, a review site or your social media. To make sure it scans first time:
- Print it at least 25 mm wide.
- Use a dark code on a light background, never the other way round.
- Leave a clear margin around it, with no artwork touching the edges.
- Add a short line next to it, such as "Scan for the menu", so people know why to scan.
- Test it with two or three phones before you upload the final file.
Our free QR code generator creates a clean, print-ready SVG or PNG you can drop straight into your design.
Round coasters need a little extra care
If you prepare a square file for a round coaster, anything in the corners will be cut away. Centre your artwork, keep important elements well inside the circle and check the preview before you order. A background colour or pattern can still run to the edges, because it is simply trimmed with the circle.
How to upload and check your design
When your file is ready, open Hey Coasters Studio:
- Choose round or square.
- Upload your PDF, JPG or PNG. The preview places it on the coaster straight away, with the cut line and the safe area on top.
- Zoom and move the artwork until it sits right. Studio estimates the resolution at the final size and warns you if it is too low.
- Choose your quantity, from 100 to 250,000 coasters, and look at the "On the table" view.
- Approve the preview and add it to your cart.
A person on our team then reviews every file before production. If something could affect the print, such as low resolution or text too close to the edge, we contact you before printing. Custom artwork ships within 5 working days once your file has passed our check.
Mistakes we see most often
- Blurry logos. Images copied from a website or social media are usually too small. Use the original logo file, ideally a vector PDF.
- A thin white edge. The background stops at 93 mm instead of running into the bleed.
- Text too close to the edge. Cutting has a small tolerance, so keep everything important inside the safe area.
- Too many messages. Logo, slogan, website, QR code, address and opening hours will not all fit comfortably on 93 mm.
- Neon colours. Screens glow and paper does not. Very bright greens, pinks and oranges will print a little softer.
Quick answers
What size should my coaster file be?
99 × 99 mm, including 3 mm of bleed on each side, at 300 DPI. The finished coaster measures 93 mm.
Can I print a photo on a coaster?
Yes, as long as it is at least 300 DPI at the final size. Simple, high-contrast photos work best at coaster size.
What is the minimum order for custom coasters?
100 coasters. You can order up to 250,000, and the price per coaster drops as the quantity grows.
Ready to create yours?
If you already have artwork, upload it in Studio and see it on a coaster in seconds. If you would rather start with something finished, browse our ready-made designs, which ship within 2 working days. For large or recurring orders, our business page explains how we work with bars, hotels, agencies and brands.
