Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about coasters. Browse through and click on any of the question titles below to read the corresponding answer. If you have a question that isn't answered in this list, send us a message through our Contact Us page and we will be sure to respond with the answer to your question.

Our Custom beer and drink coasters are mainly shipped throughout North America and the Caribbean with the majority going into the United States market. There are no special duties or taxes to ship our drink coasters. If you need a shipping estimate - please contact us.

Coaster Factory produces standard shaped coasters in circle or square shapes and come in either 3.5" or 4" sizes.

We can also produce just about any custom shape you want with our custom die option. We are equipped to design printed custom coaster shapes as well as standard shapes, with standard pricing for most custom shapes under 4"x4", but if your custom shape is bigger than that we can do that too! We've made many custom shapes, including an enormous 18" coaster!

We also have a few library shapes you can choose from and you can find downloadable templates here - http://coasterfactory.com/products/StockCustomShapes

If you would like a quote for a shape you have designed, contact us through our contact page with a description of the shape, along with the dimensions, and we will price it for you.

Yes. All of our offset printed coasters are eco-friendly. We print our drink coasters on European pulp board manufactured from fully managed forests. Our off-set printed coasters are printed using vegetable based inks making the drink coasters 100% recyclable. Digitally printed coasters do not use vegetable-based inks.

Drink Coasters are mainly thought of as a protector of your table or surface against spills or scratches. Coasters have multiple other uses such as:

- A cost effective way to advertise your Business. Product. Service. Message.
- Great giveaway item for trade shows and special events.
- Coaster Wedding favors and coaster place card holders.
- Scrapbooking and Crafts.
- Promotional Branding; use a coaster as a product tag to help increase brand awareness.
- Coasters for bars and restaurants.
- Coasters, such as Photo Coasters make great calling cards and business cards.
and many more unique ideas...

Check out a few other ideas on our Coaster Uses Page

Pulp board is the material of choice for coasters due to its ability to absorb liquid and maintain its shape over multiple uses. It is also known as coaster board or beermat board. Our coasters are made from high quality coaster board that is derived from fully managed forests. Our offset printed coasters are fully recyclable and bio-degradeable.

A note of caution - coaster board is designed specifically for the manufacturing of drink coasters. It often happens that other paper products are sometimes substituted for coasterboard. These products are easy to spot as they tend to fall apart very quickly when any moisture is introduced or they are laminated and coated leaving them with no absorbency at all. There are very few true coaster manufacturers so be careful when picking your supplier of custom drink coasters.

For Value Pack Drink Coasters, Advertising Coasters, or Custom Beverage Coaster Shapes, placing your coaster order is done in 3 easy steps:


1) Send us your graphic files.
2) Coaster Factory will create a digital proof and send it to you for your approval.
3) Once you have approved the proof, we'll manufacture your promotional beer coasters and ship them directly to you.

If you are looking for a short run order (available for quantities as little as 25, you can design your order directly on our Coaster Designer page.

In the coaster industry there are 3 main thicknesses of the coaster board to choose from. A lightweight coaster is approximately 1 mm (40 point) thick. A mediumweight coaster is approximately 1.4mm (60 point) thick. And a heavyweight coaster is approximately 2.00 mm (80 point) thick. There are many things to consider when deciding on the thickness of coaster board for your promotional drink coasters. What will they be used for, where will they be used and how long do you need them to last must be considered.

Basically the thicker your coasters, the more moisture they will absorb and the longer they will last. Of course the thicker beverage coasters are a little more expensive and you must decide if the added cost makes sense. The most common coaster thickness that is ordered is the mediumweight option.

Absolutely! Actually, we encourage you to print on both the front and backside of your Advertising Coaster for maximum promotional impact. Graphics can be different for both sides, however, if you prefer to print just on one side of your coaster, that can be done too.

Currently our Short Run option is available with single or double sided print. For larger quanities, consider our Value Pack or High Volume options.

Yes, all of our beverage coasters are reusable. Pulpboard drink coasters can take the abuse. If they become soaked, just lay them on a flat surface to air-dry. Once dry, your coasters will be able to absorb moisture again.

If you order Value Pack coasters, your custom drink coasters are normally ready to ship approximately 3 weeks from proof approval. For High Volume Coasters orders, turnaround time would be a bit longer (depending on the quantity ordered)

If you order Short Run coasters, your order will ship out in approx. 3-5 business days from approval.

To help expedite receipt of your order, consider using rush/expedited shipping methods.

Please send your coaster artwork as vector art (*.eps, *.ai) with all text converted to outlines. We have some coaster art guidelines that can be found on our File Specs Page. You will also find downloadable templates to assist you when you are creating your coaster design(s).

If you are using the Coaster Designer and would like to upload your own artwork, you can use .jpg, .gif or .png files.

We use European pulp board, which comes from a managed forest (more trees are planted than are felled). The pulp board (a board made from pulpwood) is specifically designed for the production of drink coasters.

With our Short Run Printing option, you can order as little as 25 coasters.

With our Value Pack coasters that are offset printed, you can order a minimum run of 1,200 coasters. Our Value Pack Coasters run from 1,200 to 25,000 coasters for standard orders, however we will run orders in almost any quantity. Feel free to request a quote.

Yes. Coaster Factory accepts MasterCard, Visa and Amex.

Yes. Email your request for a sample to sales@coasterfactory.com

Yes. Although we offer the quickest standard turnaround time in the industry, we understand you may need your order as quickly as possible.

Our Rush production options are:

  • Guaranteed to ship in 3 business days: Add $100 +25%
  • Guaranteed to ship in 7 business days: Add $100 +15%
  • Guaranteed to ship in 10 business days: Add $100
  • (Must be confirmed by your Sales Rep for availability)

    *Rush production is only available for 4 inch Circle/Square, Medium weight (approx. 60pt) CMYK coasters in quantities between 1,200 and 25,000 and is subject to availability.

    If you are ordering a large quantity (25,000+) and need a quick turnaround, discuss your time frame with one of our dedicated Customer Service team members and we'll speak with our Production Team and do our best to accommodate your request. Additional costs may apply.

    Consider using rush shipping methods to help expedite receipt of your order.

    We require 100% payment in full for first time customers. Limited credit is available after your 3rd order with us. Fill out the limited credit application form and send it in to us and we can get you set up. Here is how it works: We would need a valid Credit Card # on file. We would invoice you and require payment within 30 days. If we do not receive payment within this timeframe, we will contact you to follow up on payment. At this time, we will also request to run the Credit Card # on file for the amount due. For orders over $4000, we would still require a 50% deposit.

    We ship using our account and provide you a quote on shipping costs. If you would like us to ship using your shipping number - if you provide us only the account #, there would be a $15 admin fee. If you would like to avoid these fees, you can supply us with the account # along with all required shipping documents (eg. Bill of lading, commercial invoice, brokerage documents-if required).

    Yes. If you are trying to get your coasters to match a printed item (such as a menu, placemat, banner, etc), we ask that you send us a sample of that item. We'll then be able to use that item for color matching when your order is in production.

    Please note pulpboard is an uncoated (not glossy) material and we'll do our best to match your coasters to your sample item as best as possible. If we anticipate issues with color matching to your item, we'll advise you immediately and offer possible solutions.

    How to make coasters? It's super easy! All you have to do is upload your own art using our handy Coaster Designer, place your order, and you'll have your very own personalizaed custom coasters shipped right to your door.

    Currently our Short Run option is available with single or double sided print. For larger quanities, consider our Value Pack or High Volume options.