White SBS cardstock
A bright, smooth sheet. Photography, gradients and fine type all hold their detail, and colors sit where the proof says they will.
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- Paper Cone Sleeves
Lightweight paper stock · Printed to your artwork
Custom Paper Cone Sleeves
The thin, flexible cone wrap. Paper stock costs less per piece than board, folds tight to the cone and takes full-color print edge to edge, which makes it the sensible choice for high-volume counters.
- 500 piece minimum
- Lighter than board
- Full bleed printing
- Free digital proof
500
Minimum per design
Volume pricing from 1,000
6–7 days
Standard production
After you approve the proof
Free
Dieline and proof
Built around your item
Worldwide
Tracked shipping
Quoted with the job
In short
Paper cone sleeves are printed food-safe paper wraps rolled around a cone so it can be held without touching the food. The Cone Sleeves prints them in any cone diameter from a minimum of 500 pieces per design, with a free dieline and digital proof, and 6–7 business day production after approval.
Why shops order paper cone sleeves from us
Cheapest per piece
Paper uses less material than board, so a run of ten thousand costs noticeably less than the same run in cardstock.
Prints edge to edge
A smooth paper surface takes a full bleed cleanly, so patterns and photographs run right to the cut line with no white border.
Folds tight
Thin stock wraps close to the cone instead of standing proud of it, which suits narrow gelato and churro cones.
Stacks flat
Sleeves arrive nested and flat, so a thousand pieces take a shelf rather than a pallet in a small back room.
Food-safe inks
Printed with inks rated for direct contact with dry and frozen food, on stock intended for food service.
Short runs welcome
Five hundred pieces is enough to trial a design or run a seasonal flavor without committing to a pallet.
Printed work
Paper Cone Sleeves we have printed
Every run below started as somebody's artwork on plain board. Yours is quoted the same way, whatever the shape.
Specifications
Everything this order includes
These are the options we quote against. If you need something outside them, ask — most custom sizes and finishes are possible, and the quote will say so plainly.
| Stock | Food-safe paper from roughly 60 to 120 gsm; heavier grades on request |
|---|---|
| Shape | Rolled cone wrap or flat die-cut sheet, cut to your cone diameter |
| Sizes | Any cone from a mini kids cone up to a jumbo waffle; custom dielines free |
| Printing | Full-color CMYK edge to edge, single-color logo, or Pantone spot colors |
| Finish | Uncoated as standard; gloss or matte varnish where the artwork needs it |
| Minimum order | 500 pieces per design; volume pricing from 1,000 pieces |
| Turnaround | 6–7 business days after proof approval; 3–4 day rush on request |
| Artwork | PDF, AI or EPS at 300 dpi with 3 mm bleed; we build the dieline free |
Paper or board: which one fits your counter
The choice comes down to how long the cone sits in a hand and how wet the filling is. Paper is thin, cheap and prints beautifully, but it takes on moisture faster, so it suits a cone that is eaten within a few minutes of leaving the counter.
Board is stiffer and absorbs more melt before it softens. If your cones travel across a park or sit in a car, the heavier stock used for cardboard cone sleeves that resist melt is the safer specification.
There is no rule that you must pick one. Plenty of shops run paper for the everyday flavors and a heavier board for a signature cone, and both share the same dieline once we have measured your cone.
Getting the diameter right
A cone sleeve fails in one of two ways: too tight and the cone cracks as it goes in, too loose and it slides down as the ice cream warms. Both are avoidable with one measurement.
Measure the outside diameter of the cone at the point where the sleeve will sit, usually about 25 mm below the rim, and send that figure with your quote request. If you would rather not measure, post us two cones and we do it here.
We then cut a dieline with a small allowance for the seam and print a proof on the real stock so you can slide a cone in before the full run goes on press. There is no charge for the dieline or the proof, and we keep the file for reorders.
Printing that survives a freezer
Cones move between a warm counter and a cold cabinet, and condensation is the enemy of a cheap ink. Everything here is printed with food-grade inks that hold color after repeated temperature swings.
Full-color CMYK is the usual choice when the artwork is photographic or has a gradient in it. A single-color logo on plain paper costs less and, on a natural stock, often looks more considered than a busy four-color design.
If a brand color has to match exactly across every reprint, ask for Pantone spot inks. The team behind our recycled and unbleached cone sleeve options uses the same ink set, so a mixed order stays visually consistent.
Where these are used
- Gelato counters and scoop shops
- Churro and donut carts
- Cinema and stadium kiosks
- Festival and fair stalls
- Bubble waffle and crepe bars
- Franchise groups reordering monthly
Not sure on size?
Send a sample or a photo with a ruler beside it and we cut the dieline to fit. There is no charge for the dieline or the digital proof.
Ask a questionHow the order runs
- You send sizes, quantity and artwork, or just a photo of the item.
- We build the dieline and come back with a written price.
- You approve a digital proof with your artwork laid on it.
- We print, cut and ship, with tracking on the carton.
Materials and printing
Board and print, side by side
Three boards and three ways to print on them. Every combination below is quoted the same way, so the choice is about how you want the packaging to feel in the hand.
Choose the board
Natural kraft
Unbleached brown board. Ink sits into the surface rather than on top of it, which mutes bright colors and reads as craft and small-batch.
Recycled board
Post-consumer fiber with a slight fleck through it. It takes a one or two color mark well and tells the customer what it is without a claim printed on it.
Choose how it prints
Full-color CMYK
Four process inks. The right choice when the artwork is a photograph, an illustration or anything with a gradient in it.
Single-color logo
One ink on plain board. It is the least expensive way to print a run and, on kraft, it is often the better looking one.
Pantone spot colors
A mixed ink matched to a Pantone reference. Use it when a brand color has to be exact across every reprint.
Quote configurator
Configure your paper cone sleeves
Five short steps. Answer what you know, skip what you do not, and we come back with a written price and a free dieline.
Questions
Paper Cone Sleeves: common questions
How thin is the paper you print cone sleeves on?
Most orders run on food-safe paper between roughly 60 and 120 gsm. Lighter grades hug a narrow gelato cone; heavier grades hold their shape on a jumbo waffle cone. If you are unsure, ask for a proof on two weights and pick the one that feels right in the hand.
Will a paper sleeve go soggy before the ice cream is finished?
A paper sleeve absorbs melt faster than board. In practice that is fine for a cone eaten within a few minutes. If your customers walk with them, choose a heavier board or ask for a light varnish on the inside face, which slows absorption without changing how the sleeve prints.
Can I print on both the inside and outside?
Yes. Inside printing is a nice touch on a cone that gets photographed, and it costs less than most people expect because the sheet passes through the press either way. Keep inside artwork simple, since the fold and the seam hide part of it.
Do you supply plain paper cone sleeves with no printing?
We do. Plain stock still needs a dieline cut to your cone, so the minimum of 500 pieces per size applies. Many shops order plain sleeves for everyday service and a printed run for weekends and events.
What file do you need from my designer?
A print-ready PDF, AI or EPS at 300 dpi with 3 mm bleed. We send the dieline first so your designer lays the artwork onto the exact cut shape. If you only have a logo, send that and we will lay it out for you at no charge.
How many designs can I run inside one order?
As many as you like, provided each design reaches 500 pieces. Splitting a 2,000 piece order into four flavors is common and the price per piece stays the same because it is one press run with four plates.
Are these sleeves recyclable?
Uncoated paper sleeves go into the paper stream in most municipal systems. A laminated finish makes that harder, so if curbside recycling matters to you, ask for uncoated stock and we will keep the finish off the quote.
Related products
Often ordered alongside
Cardboard Cone Sleeves
500 piece minimum · Rigid, self-supporting
View product
Ice Cream Cone Sleeves
500 piece minimum · 6–7 day turnaround
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Eco-Friendly Cone Sleeves
Recycled board · No plastic lamination
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Waffle Cone Sleeves
Sized to the waffle flare · 500 piece minimum
View productFree quote · No obligation
Tell us your cone, we will price the sleeve
Send your size, quantity and artwork. You get a written quote and a free digital proof before anything goes to press.