Custom water bottle or mug with your photo: how to design it

The print for a custom water bottle or a custom mug with a picture is designed as a long, flat strip that wraps around the product. On a bottle the print goes all the way around; on the mug the strip covers the front and both sides. On the mug, the middle of the strip is the front; on a bottle, the two ends of the strip meet.

Which custom water bottle to choose

All three bottles are insulated steel with two walls. They differ in size and lid:

• Straw Lid Water Bottle, 500 ml (17 oz): a straw lid you drink from without removing it, and a carry handle. Hot drinks stay hot for as long as 12 hours, cold ones stay cold for a full day.
• Sport Lid Water Bottle, 710 ml (24 oz): a wide mouth and a sport lid, for more water on a long day.
• Magnetic Lid Water Bottle, 710 ml (24 oz): a straw to sip from and a magnetic handle that can carry a compatible phone.

For a short trip or a small bag, the 500 ml straw bottle is the lighter choice. For sports, travel or a long workday, take one of the 710 ml bottles. On every bottle, the lid can go in the dishwasher; wash the bottle itself by hand.

The custom mug with a picture

The White Glossy Mug holds 325 ml (11 oz). It is white ceramic with a glossy finish, printed by sublimation, and it can go in the dishwasher and the microwave, so it is made for daily use, not just for a shelf.

How a wrap print works

The designer shows the whole print area flat, in its real proportions. On the mug, the shaded parts on the left and right are the sides and the middle is the front. On a bottle the whole area is printed and wraps around. A few rules follow:

• Keep faces and words in the middle of the strip, away from the left and right edges.
• A wide photo, such as a landscape or a group, fills a wrap better than a tall portrait. A portrait often works best with Fit and a background color for the rest of the wrap, because filling the full width would crop a lot of it.
• Use Fill to cover the whole area and Fit to show the whole photo with the background color around it. Drag the photo to move it and use the zoom slider to resize it.

A personalized water bottle with a name

The designer for bottles and mugs uses one picture and a background color; it has no separate text tool. To make a personalized water bottle with a name or a date, add the text to the picture before you upload it, for example in your phone's photo editor or a free design app. Make the letters large and place them where you want them in the preview: on the mug, the middle of the print area is the front; on a bottle, keep them away from the left and right edges of the wrap.

Photos that work well

• Bright, sharp photos with one clear subject: a pet, a face, a favorite place.
• Patterns and illustrations, which look good from every side.
• The original from your camera rather than a screenshot or a chat-app copy, because those files are often much smaller.

The designer warns you if a photo is small for the product.

Check before you order

Look at the preview once more: the print follows the placement you see, including where the photo is cut off at the edges. You can add a bottle and a mug to the same cart. Start in the designer, compare the products on the bottles and mugs page, or read how to design a custom desk mat.

Questions