How to Design Your Custom Can Cooler: Artwork Tips, File Formats & Common Mistakes

Designing a custom can cooler should be the fun part — and it is, once you know the basics. But if you've never prepared artwork for printing on a curved, flexible surface, there are a few things worth knowing before you upload your design.

This guide walks you through file requirements, design best practices, and the most common mistakes we see (so you can avoid them).

File Formats: What to Send Us

The format of your artwork file matters more than you might think. Here's what works best:

Ideal formats:

• PNG — Best for full-color designs, photographs, and artwork with gradients. Make sure it's high resolution (at least 300 DPI).
• PDF — Great for logos and vector-based designs. Preserves quality at any size.
• AI or EPS — Adobe Illustrator files are ideal if you have them. Vector files scale perfectly without losing quality.
• SVG — Another vector format that works well for logos and clean graphics.

Acceptable but not ideal:

• JPG/JPEG — Works in a pinch, but JPG compression can introduce artifacts (those blurry, blocky spots you sometimes see around edges). If you send a JPG, make sure it's the highest quality version you have.

Avoid:

• Low-resolution images — Anything under 200 DPI will look blurry or pixelated when printed. That logo you grabbed from your website might be 72 DPI (screen resolution), which isn't enough for print.
• Screenshots — They're almost always too low-resolution and have compression artifacts.
• Word documents or PowerPoint files — These aren't design files. If your logo is embedded in a Word doc, try to find the original file instead.

Not sure about your file? Send us what you have. We review every file before printing and we'll let you know if there's an issue — or if we need a higher-resolution version.

Resolution: Why DPI Matters

DPI stands for "dots per inch," and it determines how sharp your print will look.

300 DPI is the standard for high-quality printing. At this resolution, your design will look crisp and clean on the cooler.

150–200 DPI is acceptable for simpler designs with bold text and solid colors, but fine details may not be as sharp.

72 DPI is screen resolution — what you see on a website or in an email. It will look noticeably blurry when printed. This is the most common issue we see with customer artwork.

How to check your DPI: If you're on a computer, right-click your image file and check the properties or details. In Photoshop or most design programs, you can see the resolution in the image settings. If you're not sure, just send us the file and we'll check it for you.

Designing for a Curved Surface

A can cooler isn't a flat sheet of paper — it wraps around a cylinder. That changes how your design looks and feels once it's printed.

Keep important elements centered. Text and logos that are too close to the top or bottom edges can get partially hidden when the cooler is folded or when the can pushes down into it. Give your key design elements some breathing room from all edges.

Think about the seam. Most can coolers have a seam where the material overlaps. Designs that wrap all the way around need to account for this — about 0.25" of overlap. If you have a continuous pattern, we'll work with you to make sure the seam placement looks natural.

Consider both sides. QualityPerfection prints on both sides at no extra charge. Take advantage of this — put your logo on the front and your website, tagline, or event details on the back. Many customers use the same design on both sides, but using different designs (or a front/back layout) often looks more polished.

Bold works better than intricate. Fine lines, tiny text, and small details can get lost on a flexible, curved surface. Designs with bold shapes, clear text, and strong contrast tend to look the best.

Color Tips

Full-color printing means you're not limited to one or two ink colors — you can use as many colors as you want, including gradients, photographs, and complex illustrations. Here's how to make the most of it:

Consider the cooler color. Your design prints on top of the cooler's base color. A dark logo on a light cooler (or vice versa) creates strong contrast and maximum visibility. If your design has a background color, you can print edge-to-edge so the entire cooler surface shows your design.

Colors may shift slightly. Printing on fabric or foam is different from printing on paper. Colors can appear slightly different depending on the material. Bright whites, for example, depend on the base material color. If exact Pantone color matching is critical for your brand, let us know and we'll work to get as close as possible.

Dark backgrounds use more ink. This isn't a problem — it's just worth knowing. A design with a dark background that covers the entire surface will look rich and bold, especially on scuba knit and neoprene.

Text Guidelines

Text is one of the most common elements on a custom cooler, and getting it right makes a big difference.

Minimum font size: We recommend no smaller than 8pt for printed text. Anything smaller risks becoming illegible, especially on foam.

Font choice matters. Clean, sans-serif fonts (like Arial, Helvetica, Montserrat, or Open Sans) are the safest choice for readability. Script and decorative fonts can work for short phrases like names or dates, but avoid them for longer text.

Convert text to outlines. If you're sending a vector file (AI, EPS, PDF), convert your text to outlines/paths before submitting. This ensures the fonts display correctly on our end, even if we don't have the same fonts installed. Most design programs make this easy — in Illustrator, select your text and go to Type > Create Outlines.

Proofread everything. This sounds obvious, but we see typos more often than you'd expect — especially in dates, names, and URLs. Double-check your text before submitting. Once it's printed, there's no spell-check.

Common Design Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

Here are the issues we see most often, so you can sidestep them:

1. Low-resolution logos. The #1 issue. That small logo from your email signature or website favicon won't work for print. Track down the original high-resolution file from whoever designed your logo.

2. Text too close to the edges. Leave at least 0.25" of safe space from every edge. Text or design elements right at the border can get cut off or hidden.

3. Too much information. A can cooler is small — roughly 4" × 3.5" of printable space for a standard size. Don't try to fit a paragraph of text, three logos, and a QR code on one side. Keep it focused: one main message or visual per side.

4. Ignoring the back. You get both sides printed at no extra cost. Don't waste the back. Even something simple — a date, a URL, a hashtag — makes the cooler more complete.

5. Not considering the background. If your logo has a transparent background but it was designed for use on white, it might look odd on a colored cooler. Either choose a white cooler or add a white background behind your logo in the design file.

6. Using a raster image for a logo. If your logo was created as a vector (most professional logos are), always use the vector version rather than a JPG or PNG. It scales perfectly and prints with sharper edges.

Design Checklist

Before you submit your artwork, run through this list:

• File is PNG, PDF, AI, EPS, or SVG
• Resolution is 300 DPI (or as high as possible)
• Important elements are centered with 0.25" safe margin from edges
• Text is at least 8pt and easy to read
• Text is proofread — names, dates, and URLs are correct
• Fonts are converted to outlines (for vector files)
• Both sides of the cooler are designed (or you've decided to use the same design on both)
• Colors look good against the chosen cooler color
• Design is clear and not overcrowded

Don't Have a Design? No Problem.

Not everyone has a graphic designer on speed dial. If you have a rough idea but need help turning it into a print-ready file, let us know. We can work with a sketch, a description, or even just your logo and event details to create something you'll love.

Ready to upload your design? Start your order here. Have questions about your artwork? Contact us and we'll help you get it right.