How to measure a tumbler for a sublimation wrap

Most seam gaps and crooked wraps come from a measurement that's a little off. Here's how to measure straight and tapered tumblers so the wrap meets cleanly all the way around.

Turn my measurements into a template

What you need

• Your actual tumbler blank. Cups sold under the same ounce size often differ by a few tenths of an inch.
• A soft sewing tape measure, or a strip of paper and a ruler
• A pencil or a washable marker to mark where the print starts and ends

The three measurements

1. Top circumference: around the cup where the print starts, usually just under the lid line.
2. Bottom circumference: around the cup where the print ends, just above the base or bottom ridge.
3. Height: the distance between those two lines, measured along the side of the cup.

On a straight (skinny) tumbler the top and bottom circumference are the same, and the template is a plain rectangle. On a tapered tumbler the top is larger than the bottom, and the template has to be curved.

Step 1: Mark the print area

Decide where the design should start and stop. Leave room under the rim for the lid, and stop above any ridge or rounded edge at the base, since paper won't press evenly over it. Make a small mark at the top and bottom lines.

Step 2: Measure around the cup

Wrap the tape around the cup at the top mark. Keep it level and snug against the cup, but don't pull it tight enough to stretch. Read where the tape meets its start. Repeat at the bottom mark.

Paper-strip method: if you don't have a soft tape, wrap a thin strip of paper around the cup, mark where the end overlaps, then lay the strip flat and measure it with a ruler. It's often more accurate than a worn tape.

Step 3: Measure the height along the side

Lay the tape flat against the side of the cup and measure from the top mark to the bottom mark. On a tapered cup, measure along the slanted side, not straight up and down with a ruler held away from the cup. The wrap lies on the side, so that's the length it needs.

Only have diameters?

Product listings often give the diameter (straight across) instead of the circumference. Circumference is diameter × 3.1416. For example, a 3 inch diameter is about 9.42 inches around. In TaperWrap you can switch to Across and enter diameters directly. Measuring your own cup is still better, because listings are often rounded.

40 oz tumblers with a handle

These usually have two printable areas: a near-straight upper body and a tapered lower part, with a band or ridge between them. Measure each area separately (top circumference, bottom circumference and height), plus the height of the band in between. Keep the tape against the cup body, not around the handle. See the 40 oz tumbler template guide for how the pieces are lined up.

Common measuring mistakes

A gap at the seam

The circumference was measured too small, often because the tape was pulled tight or wasn't level. Measure again, or add a small seam overlap (about ¼ inch or 6 mm) so a slight error doesn't leave a white line.

The wrap overlaps too much

The circumference was measured too large, usually because the tape sat over a ridge or slipped at an angle.

The top edge doesn't follow the rim

On a tapered cup this usually means the height or one of the circumferences is off, so the curve is wrong. Check all three numbers.

Mixed units

Take all three measurements in the same unit, inches or millimetres, and make sure the tool is set to that unit.

From measurements to template

Enter your three numbers in TaperWrap and it draws the exact curved shape for your cup. You can download the blank template for free, or upload your straight design and have it warped to fit. Print at actual size (100%), then test-fit the paper around the cup before pressing. More on that in how to warp a design for a tapered tumbler.