Buying Guide

Waffle vs. sugar cone sleeves

Two cones that look alike on the counter and need different sleeves. Here is how they differ and which one you need.

The short answer

A waffle cone sleeve and a sugar cone sleeve are not interchangeable. The waffle cone has a wide, fast taper and the sugar cone is narrower and steeper, so a die cut for one sits loose on the other or crushes its rim. Customized Cone Sleeves cuts a separate die for each cone and adapts your artwork to each arc, starting from a minimum order of 12.

Side by side

	Waffle cone sleeve	Sugar cone sleeve
The cone	A wide, fast taper; the classic hand-rolled or moulded waffle	A narrow, straight-sided cone with a steeper taper and a harder wall
The sleeve	A wide arc cut to the waffle taper	A steeper arc cut to the sugar-cone taper
Top diameter	Wider top opening	Smaller top diameter
If you use the wrong die	Too loose or too tight, and a forced fit can crush the rim	A waffle-angle sleeve sits loose and slides off with the first lick
Artwork	Designed on the wide arc so the logo wraps level	Adapted to the steeper arc so type and baseline still wrap level
Paper and ink	Grease-barrier stock, food-safe inks, stated on the quote	Grease-barrier stock, food-safe inks, stated on the quote
Typical customers	Parlours, gelato shops, dessert brands, events	Scoop shops, chains, grocers
Minimum order	12 sleeves	12 sleeves
Turnaround	Free mockup in 24 hours, ships in about 2 weeks	Free mockup in 24 hours, ships in about 2 weeks

When you need a waffle cone sleeve

Choose the waffle die for the house cone at a parlour, a gelato counter or a dessert brand, where the wide arc is the photo frame of every cone. Waffle cones are butter, sugar and drip, so the sleeve is printed on grease-barrier stock with food-safe inks. See waffle cone sleeves for the full specification.

When you need a sugar cone sleeve

Choose the sugar die for the everyday scoop-shop cone. Its steeper taper and smaller top diameter mean a waffle sleeve will not hold it, and a tight fit would press on the harder wafer. The sugar sleeve grips the cone all the way round without pressure on the rim. See sugar cone sleeves for the full specification.

If you serve both cones

Order both dies in the same job. The artwork is adapted to each arc, so the two sleeves read as one brand at two angles. Your tapers, barrier and artwork are then held on file for reorders.

The verdict

Pick the waffle sleeve if your cone is the wide, fast-tapering waffle.

Pick the sugar sleeve if your cone is the narrow, straight-sided sugar cone.

Not sure which you need? Request a quote and send a cone or its measurements. You will get a free mockup within 24 hours, with unlimited revisions and nothing to pay until you approve the design.

Create your custom cone sleeves now.

Send your artwork and your cone — or its measurements — and you’ll get a free mockup and quote within one business day.

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