Paper cones are used for fries, snacks, popcorn, sweets, nuts and flowers, and they are specified differently from every box on this site because a cone is a rolled shape rather than a folded one. Getting the vocabulary right makes the conversation much shorter. To order, go to the paper cones page.
The two numbers that describe a cone
Open diameter is the width across the top, and it is what sets the visual size and how easily a hand reaches in. Slant height is the distance from the rim down the sloping side to the tip, measured along the paper rather than vertically. Those two numbers fully describe the cone. A vertical height is not a useful spec here because it is derived from the other two and nobody makes a cone from it.
If you have an existing cone you want matched, measure across the open top and then along the seam from rim to tip, and send both.
Why the flat blank is bigger than you expect
A cone is made from a sector of a circle whose radius equals the slant height. Roll the sector up and the two straight edges meet at the seam. Because the blank is cut from a circle, increasing the slant height increases the paper used much faster than increasing the opening does. That is worth knowing when you are choosing between a tall elegant cone and a shorter wide one for the same volume: the tall one costs more paper, sometimes noticeably more.
Contents drive the material
| Contents | What the paper has to do | Usual specification |
|---|---|---|
| Hot fried food | Resist grease and stay stiff when hot | Grease resistant stock, heavier weight |
| Popcorn and dry snacks | Stay rigid, print well | Standard coated or uncoated stock |
| Confectionery and nuts | Food contact, sometimes a closure | Coated stock, confirm suitability on the quote |
| Flowers | Look good, tolerate a little moisture | Heavier decorative stock, often with a wrap |
Food contact suitability is confirmed per material on your written quote. State what goes in the cone and whether it is served hot, because both change the answer.
The holder is part of the product
A cone cannot stand up by itself. If it is being served rather than handed straight over, you need a stand, a tray with cone shaped apertures, or a holder that clips to a plate. That is a separate item with its own dimensions, and the aperture has to match your cone's diameter at whatever depth it sits. Design them together, because a holder built for a different cone diameter is useless. The ice cream cone holder format is one example of how that item is constructed.
Printing a cone
Two things are specific to this format. First, decide whether you are printing the inside, the outside or both, because the inside is what the customer looks at while eating and it is often left blank by default. Second, remember the artwork is applied to a flat sector and then rolled, so a design laid out as if on a rectangle will distort. Work on the blank shape, keep key elements away from the seam, and check the proof carefully, because this is not something you can judge from a flat layout.
How ordering works
Paper cones start at 100 units, from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes, confirmed on your written quote. The cutting die, the printing plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof are included, so a cone cut to your exact diameter and slant height carries no tooling charge. Turnaround is stated per product in three lanes, rush (expedited production plus air freight), standard (air) and cost saver (sea), from about 7 business days of production plus 2 to 5 days for delivery. Rush adds roughly 7 to 25% depending on the job.
Send the open diameter, the slant height and what goes inside, and we will quote the cone and any holder together. Order at paper cones, or price your spec at request a quote.
