Why settle for ordinary mug designs when your customers can sip in style? From morning brew to their favorite beverages, elevate their daily cup game with simple yet beautiful cup design ideas.
To spark your creativity, we’ve listed 50 designs for different types of mugs. We’ll also show first-time designers how to create custom mugs and where to get designs for your business. So without further ado, let’s get started.
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Table of Contents
50 Creative Design Ideas for Cups
We’ve researched top eCommerce stores and found many cool mug ideas for all tastes, occasions, and events.
Cups are a great option for presents, from birthday gifts to special occasions like Christmas and Mother’s Day. Let’s look at some fun and heartwarming mug designs to help you spruce up your brand offers.
White Coffee Cup Design Ideas
Most of us have a white coffee mug at home – and for a reason. Apparently, the color of the mug can affect the taste of coffee. And with no surprise, coffee tastes the most intense in a white mug. Whether true or not, appeal to coffee enthusiasts with creative white mug designs.
Greet the day with a cheerful design – suns, rainbows, stars, anything that brings you joy.
2. No Talkie Before Coffee
Grumpy cat demands silence for your morning brew. Or an adorable bunny – your choice.
Adorable capybara chilling with (in) a cup.
4. Coffee Spelled Backwards
A playful design for the sleep-deprived. Grumpy cats fit everywhere.
Cartoon transformation with caffeine.
A straightforward and relatable message for all coffee lovers.
A funny message for those who run on caffeine.
Convey hope and inspiration with a mug decorated with bright and cheerful floral designs.
Purrfect and pawsome design ideas for pet lovers.
Let your coffee mug be a miniature art piece.
Black Coffee Mug Ideas
If white mugs ain’t your cup of tea (pun intended), go for black. While the study mentioned above claims white is the superior mug – intensifying flavor – that’s only because they never gave black mugs a chance. But you can. Pair black mugs with creative designs and give the world a black cup to enjoy.
Bold and bright designs pop against the black background.
Geometric or floral patterns for a sophisticated look.
13. Wears Black, Loves Coffee
A statement for the dark and caffeinated soul.
Techie designs for the coding caffeine addicts.
Black canvas for captivating designs.
Celebrate new statuses with a black mug. Even a simple design in muted colors will make the occasion unforgettable.
Add funny or sentimental design elements for the household hero.
Hilarious excuse for almost any questionable behavior.
Write your own favorite quote or funny to-do list.
Simple and to the point for those who can’t get enough.
Color Changing Cup Design Ideas
Who doesn’t like a little magic in their life? Creatively designed color-changing mugs can be your next best project. And placement is key. From sarcastic to cute mug ideas, add images or words that appear in different temperatures and spruce up your business with inspired mug designs.
Reveal a hidden family photo with a hot beverage.
Unveil a motivational or philosophical quote as the cup warms up.
Reveal a hidden, ironic message with heat.
Show your grilling expertise with a hot coffee design.
Propose with a hidden message revealed by heat.
Show a charging battery design that fills with coffee.
Hidden patterns emerge with hot coffee, creating an elegant and lovely surprise.
28. Surprise Announcements
Reveal a pregnancy or big news with a heat-activated design.
Adorable cat pictures that are hidden until your coffee is hot.
30. Coffee is a Hug in a Mug
Let the design reveal a heartwarming message.
Tumbler Cup Design Ideas
Some people prefer their beverages on the go. For them, the world has created tumblers and travel mugs. With safe, spill-proof packaging and quality designs, these sustainable products make daily liquid consumption easier and more enjoyable while out and about.
A tumbler with fun printed designs celebrating the joys (and chaos) of motherhood.
Showcase your own goals or affirmations to stay motivated on the go. Choose colors that speak to you and match your motivation.
33. I Make Pour Decisions
Funny message for the accident-prone owner with a taste for drinks.
Tumbler adorned with beautiful floral decoration.
Personalized tumblers with matching designs for the bridesmaids and groomsmen.
Decorate your tumbler with your favorite photos.
Make it yours with a stylish name design.
A humorous design for the multi-tasking master.
Encouraging quotes to keep you going throughout the day.
Tumblers with cool designs your employees will love. A great place to add the company logo.
Two-Tone Accent Mug Design Ideas
Why stick with one color when you can have two? This type of mug shows extra creativity and makes things a little more special with an accent. Spruce up your brand and attract customers with two-color mug designs and turn a simple product into a masterpiece everyone will love.
Relatable designs for the stressed and caffeinated student.
Share your love with a contrasting color design and heartfelt statements.
Playful patterns with a contrasting accent.
Celebrate your furry friend with a two-tone design.
45. Tempered Measurements
A fun and functional design with measurement markings.
The perfect gift for Father’s Day. Combine with other designs, such as “charging,” or “loading,” if your dad is tech-savvy.
47. Fa-Boo-Lous Halloween Designs
Spooktacular mug design ideas with contrasting colors for Halloween.
A mug design that encourages staying home with your favorite beverage.
Match your mug color to the mug design theme.
50. Shh, My Cup is Talking
A playful design for those of few words (at least, before their morning coffee).
Resources for Creating Custom Designs for Mugs
Printify’s Product Creator
If low on inspiration, the Product Creator is a powerful tool for outsourcing mug designs. Here’s some of its features:
- AI-powered design inspiration, pattern creator, and background removal
- Image cropping, fit and fill, directional scaling, positioning and snapping
- Apply designs to all print areas, improved magnifier
- New fonts, multiline text editor
- Improved layer alignment and reduced layer limitations (up to ten layers per print area)
- Free graphics library (over 150 free high-resolution images), Shutterstock integration
- Low-resolution image enhancement
- Save templates
- SVG file support
Online Design Resources and Social Media
The online world is a great resource for design ideas. Sites like Pinterest and Instagram have millions of photos for your inspiration. From popular mug designs to memes and unique projects – use the power of social media to get your creative juices flowing.
Professional Designer Services
If you want something truly original but don’t have the skills or resources, hire a designer to do the work for you. Sites like Fiverr and Upwork are great for outsourcing professionals. Buy original mug designs or hire an expert to make your cup idea a reality.
How to Start a Print-On-Demand Business Selling Mugs
Sign Up and Pick a Cup
Sign up for Printify with your email address and browse our Catalog for mugs. Our ever-expanding product vault stores plenty of options to choose from. Filter mugs by type, Print Provider, location, print type, and other criteria, pick your favorite and click Start Designing.
Check our blog anytime for tips and instructions on how to print and apply your cute cup designs to mugs.
Apply Your Mug Design
Our free and user-friendly Product Creator has all the tools and features needed – making the design process as easy and smooth as possible. Decorate your mug with text, photos, patterns, and various elements, and bring your epic idea to life in a few clicks.
Connect a Store
Based on your skills, needs, and eCommerce preferences, choose any of the leading sales channels and integrate them with Printify under My Stores – Add new store. Printify cooperates with all the top marketplaces and platforms, like Shopify, Wix, Etsy, eBay, WooCommerce, Walmart, and more.
Cup Design Ideas: FAQ
How do you decorate a cup?
- Sign up for Printify and choose a cup from our Catalog.
- Click Start designing.
- Upload photos, add text, create patterns, change colors and fonts, and customize the mug design to your liking.
- Click Save, and your personalized mug is done.
How are designs put on mugs?
Designs are put on custom mugs using various methods, including:
- Dye Sublimation Printing: Transfers dye into the mug using heat, creating vibrant and durable designs.
- UV Printing: Uses ultraviolet light to cure the ink directly on the mug for detailed and durable prints.
- Digital Printing: Prints designs directly onto mugs using inkjet technology, suitable for detailed, full-color prints.
- Direct Screen Printing: Applies ink through a mesh screen directly onto the mug, ideal for large quantities and simple designs.
- Transfer Printing: Transfers designs from special paper to the mug using heat or water.
Are mug designs supposed to face in or out?
When you design mugs, the orientation of the design can vary depending on personal preference and intended use. Generally, there are two common orientations:
- Facing Out: This orientation means the design is visible to others when the mug is being used. It’s best for mugs meant to display messages, logos, or artwork to onlookers, making it great for promotional items or gifts that aim to share a message.
- Facing In: Here, the design faces the user holding the mug. This is often preferred for personal or motivational messages meant for the person drinking from the mug, providing a more intimate and personalized experience.
What is the packaging like for mugs?
Each Print Provider has their own packaging methods. But most mugs are shipped in either polystyrene boxes or cardboard boxes with additional inserts for padding, such as bubble wrap. If you want to know the specifics for each mug, choose a product, click More details and Production.
Create Your Unique Collection of Cool Mug Designs Today
You don’t need to be a seasoned designer to bring your coffee mug designs to life. With Printify, it’s a simple three-step process.
Infuse the mugs with your brand identity and a splash of creativity to combine functionality with aesthetics – and boost the morning routine with minimalist elegance or whimsical charm on your one-of-a-kind mug designs.
