Quick answer: The standard coaster size at Custom Coasters is 95 x 95mm, in two shapes: round, or square with rounded corners. One artwork size covers both, on 365gsm or 390gsm beer mat board, whether the run is printed digitally (500 and 1,000) or offset (larger runs). Build your file on our template, using its bleed and safe area markings.
You have a logo, a few lines of copy and a deadline, but no clear idea how much of it will fit on a coaster. Design at the wrong size and the text ends up too small to read, or a phone number gets trimmed off the edge. Getting the dimensions, shape and board right before you start saves a round of corrections.
What size are beer coasters?
Our beer coasters are 95mm. You can have them round, 95mm across, or square at 95 x 95mm with rounded corners. Both shapes come in the same 95mm size whether you order 500 digitally printed coasters or a larger offset run, so one artwork template covers your job. The board is 365gsm or 390gsm beer mat board.
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Coaster size | 95mm |
| Shapes | Round, or square with rounded corners |
| Square dimensions | 95 x 95mm |
| Board | 365gsm or 390gsm beer mat board |
| Printing | Digital for 500 and 1,000, offset for larger runs |
| Minimum order | 500 |
| Bleed and safe area | Marked on our PDF artwork template |
Confirm the beer coaster dimensions with your designer before any work starts. Artwork built for a different size has to be rescaled, and rescaling is where text shrinks and logos lose their sharpness. If you are copying a beer coaster size from another supplier, measure the old coaster first so nothing gets cropped when the design moves to 95mm.
Should you choose round or square coasters?
Choose square if your design carries text, a menu item or a QR code, because the corners give you extra room. Choose round for a single logo or badge style design that sits in the centre. At 500 both shapes cost the same. From 1,000 up, round coasters cost more than square ones.
You can see both on real jobs in our gallery: square with rounded corners for Budget Car Rental Central Queensland, and round for Remy’s in Paddington, Brisbane, each designed and printed by us. Our round vs square coasters guide compares the two shapes in more depth.
How much design space does a 95mm coaster give you?
Less than most people expect. Once text and key elements sit inside the safe area, a 95mm coaster has room for a logo, one short message and a call to action such as a web address or QR code. Add more and the text has to shrink, which is the most common mistake we see on coaster artwork.
A layout that works on this coaster size usually holds four things at most:
- A logo, big enough to recognise from across a table
- One short message or offer
- A web address, phone number or QR code, not all three
- Your venue or business name, if the logo does not already show it
On a round coaster, keep text well in from the curved edge or set it to follow the curve. On a square one, keep it clear of the rounded corners. If you need more room, printing the second side gives you a whole extra face. For layout advice, read our beer coaster design dos and don’ts.
How do you set up artwork for a 95mm coaster?
Start from our PDF template at actual size, with one design on a single page, and run the background out into the bleed. Keep important text and elements inside the safe area. Use CMYK colour and high resolution images, convert text to curves or outlines, then flatten the file and save it as a PDF in the version our guidelines specify.
The full designer checklist:
- Bleed added, so the background runs past the trim line
- Important elements and text kept inside the safe area
- Trim marks included. Colour bars are not needed
- Actual size, one design on a single page
- Text converted to curves or outlines
- Images at the minimum resolution set out in our guidelines
- All colours in CMYK. Pantone colours are converted automatically, which may not give the result you want
- Transparencies and layers flattened, saved in the PDF version our guidelines specify
- Rich black for large black areas, and plain K black only for black text
Download the template from our artwork guidelines page. If you would rather not deal with any of this, design is free for simple designs and new customers, and complex graphics are $90 + GST. A proof normally comes back within 1 to 2 hours. Print it out at actual size and check it before you approve it.
Which board weight should you choose?
Pick 365gsm for most single sided coasters. It is the board behind our single sided prices and it costs less than 390gsm. Pick 390gsm when you want a heavier coaster, and note that our double sided runs of 1,000 are printed on 390gsm. Board weight changes how the coaster feels, not its size or your artwork setup.
Both weights are proper beer mat board, the same material pubs and clubs use on the bar. Our guide to beer mat board explains what the board is and why venues use it. When you are ready to order custom printed coasters, tell us the shape, board weight and whether you need one side or two.
Frequently Asked Questions
We specify coaster board by weight, not thickness: 365gsm or 390gsm beer mat board. Gsm means grams per square metre, and 390gsm is the heavier board with a more solid feel in the hand. Neither weight changes the 95mm size or the artwork setup.
A print ready PDF built on our template gives the cleanest result: flattened, with text converted to curves or outlines, CMYK colour and high resolution images. If all you have is a logo file, send it anyway and we can build the coaster from it, free for simple designs.
Screens show colour in RGB, but coasters are printed in CMYK, so some screen colours cannot be matched. Supply every colour in CMYK, because Pantone colours are converted automatically and may not come out as expected. Large black areas may need rich black.
Larger than feels necessary. Cut the wording to one message and one contact point so the type can stay big, keep it inside the safe area on our template, and set black text in plain K black rather than a four colour mix.
It doubles it. The back is a second 95mm face for a menu item, QR code or sponsor message, which lets the front stay clean. Round and square can both be printed on two sides, and 500 double sided coasters cost $160 + GST. Double sided 1,000 runs use 390gsm board.
Keep reading
- More Materials and Specs guides
- Round vs Square Coasters: Which Shape is Right for You?
- Beer Coaster Design: The Do’s and Don’ts
- Beer Mat Board Explained: What Is Beer Mat Board?
Once your artwork sits inside the 95mm template, order your custom coasters in round or square and attach the file to your quote request.
