Tapered tumbler & cup template generator
Enter the top and bottom diameter and the height. Get the exact template at true size and bend your design to fit it. Free, no sign-up, nothing leaves your device.
Template generator
02Bend a design · optional
The best pixel size for your flat design shows here once the measurements are in.
03Options
04Download
How to use it
- Measure where the print goes. Top and bottom outside diameter (or circumference) and the height between them. Skip the lid, the lip and any base bevel the wrap won’t cover. Measuring guide.
- Check the shape. The preview on the mat is drawn to scale. A straight cup gives a rectangle; a tapered one gives a curved band, and the readout shows every length you might want to check with a ruler.
- Download the template as SVG for a cutting machine or laser, PDF to print, or PNG at 300 dpi. Print PDFs at 100%, then check the scale square.
- Bend your design. Add a flat PNG or JPG and it is warped into the same curve. Tick Mirror for sublimation, then download the 300 dpi PNG or PDF.
Which file to use
| File | Use it for |
|---|---|
| SVG | Cutting machines, laser software and design apps. The size is written in inches or centimetres, and the cut line and bleed line are separate paths. |
| Printing a paper pattern. Pick your paper; the page carries a 1 in (or 2 cm) square so you can check the printer kept the scale. | |
| PNG 300 dpi | Sublimation printing and print-then-cut. The file stores its resolution, so it opens at true size. |
Whatever software you use, compare its size readout with the numbers on the mat before you cut or print a batch.
How the template is worked out
A tapered cup is a slice of a cone. Unrolled, the slice lies flat as part of a ring, centred on the cone’s tip. With top diameter D1, bottom diameter D2 and straight-up height h:
Worked example: a cup 3.5 in across the top, 2.75 in across the bottom and 4 in tall. The side is 4.018 in, the outer radius 18.749 in, the inner radius 14.731 in and the angle 33.60°. The top edge then measures 10.996 in, which is π × 3.5, and the bottom edge 8.639 in, which is π × 2.75, so the paper wraps exactly once at both ends. The whole template needs a 10.84 × 4.65 in piece of paper. Open this example.
When the top and bottom are the same, the template is a plain rectangle π × D wide. A handle gap shortens the top edge by the gap and the bottom edge in proportion, so the ends stay straight seams. The bent design uses the same geometry in reverse: every pixel of the template is traced back to the point of your flat design it came from, so the top of the design follows the top edge and the bottom follows the bottom edge.
Guides
Pro · one-time
For when you print a lot of cups
Everything above stays free. Pro adds the parts that save time on a production run.
- Print across several sheets. Letter, Legal, A4, 13 × 19 in, Tabloid or A3, with overlap, alignment marks and a map page.
- Batch bending. Drop in a folder of flat designs and get every one bent at 300 dpi in a single ZIP.
- Blank sizes in one click. Published sizes from manufacturer and supplier pages, plus your own measured blanks saved in this browser.
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Payment, receipt and license key come from Gumroad. Enter the key once per browser. How keys are checked.
Questions
What measurements do I need for a tapered tumbler template?
Three: the outside diameter where your design should start at the top, the outside diameter where it should end at the bottom, and the height between those two lines. You can enter circumferences instead of diameters, and the length along the side instead of the straight-up height. The measuring guide shows where to put the tape.
Why is a tapered tumbler template curved?
A tapered cup is a slice of a cone. When you unroll a cone it lies flat as part of a ring, so the top and bottom edges become arcs around the cone’s tip. The bigger the difference between the top and bottom diameter, the stronger the curve.
How do I make sure the PDF prints at the right size?
Print at 100% or “Actual size”, not “Fit to page”. The template PDF has a 1 in (or 2 cm) square on it; measure it before you print a batch.
Should I mirror my design for sublimation?
Usually yes: the transfer paper goes face down on the cup, so text and one-sided designs need to be printed mirrored. Some printer software mirrors for you, so check that you don’t mirror twice. Tick Mirror before you download the bent design.
Is the tumbler template generator free?
Yes. Templates in SVG, PDF and 300 dpi PNG and bending a design are free with no watermark and no sign-up. Pro is a one-time $19 purchase that adds printing across several sheets, batch bending to a ZIP and a library of published blank sizes.
Are my designs uploaded anywhere?
No. The template and the bent design are made by your browser on your device. Your images are not sent to a server.