A coaster is the smallest printed surface we make and the one people put the most words on. It is about nine centimetres square, the size of a beer mat, and it is read from a seated position with a mug half over it. Three or four words. That is the ceiling, and everything below follows from it.
We make three coasters that do three different jobs, so the ideas are sorted by coaster rather than by recipient.
The three coasters, quickly
The fabric coffee coaster is a washable neoprene mat, roughly 9 by 9 cm. It grips, so it does not travel with the mug, and it absorbs, so a hot mug does not leave a ring. This is the desk coaster, the office coaster, the one that takes a joke.
The car coaster is an absorbent neoprene disc around 7 cm across that drops into a cup holder, catches the drips and lifts out to be washed. Smaller again, so even fewer words.
The wooden coaster is a square wood keepsake printed with two names and a date. It is a couples' object rather than a desk accessory, and it wants the fewest words of all.
Fabric desk coaster: the one that takes a joke
Because it is small, cheap and replaceable, this is the one place in the catalogue where a joke ages well. The rule: the joke is about the shared situation, not about the person.
- [Name]'s third coffee
- Do not touch. Mine.
- Emotional support beverage
- Per my last email
- Meetings: survived
- [Name], Head of Snacks
- Tea first, then words
- Chaos coordinator
- Powered by tea and spite
- This might be wine
- Working from home. Allegedly.
- Reserved for [Name]
- The printer is not my fault
- [Name] — Est. [birth year]
- Mug rug of [Name]
A name plus a job title that does not exist is the format that lands most often at work. "Ellie, Head of Snacks" is specific, warm and about the office, which is why it is safe to open in front of the whole team.
Fabric coaster, sincere version
For a teacher, a colleague leaving, a grandparent or a friend, drop the joke and go specific.
- Mrs [Surname] — Class of [year]
- Thank you, from Year [number]
- Nan's cuppa
- Grandad's brew
- [Name]'s reading spot
- Home is where the kettle is
- [Street name], Est. [year]
- Good luck, [Name] — [year]
Car coaster: the cup holder
Seven centimetres, dim footwell, read at a glance. A name, a registration, or three words in Block lettering. Script disappears down here.
- [Name]'s car
- [Registration]
- Passed [date]
- Driver: [Name]
- [Car's nickname]
- Coffee, then driving
- Mum's taxi
- Dad's taxi
- Road trip fund
- Do not spill
- [Name] & [Name] — one car each
The registration is the most popular choice for a new driver and the most mistyped field we see, so read it back twice. There is more on gifts for the inside of a first car in gifts for a new driver.
Wooden coaster: two names and a date
This one is a keepsake, so the wording is nearly fixed and the decision is the date.
- [Name] & [Name] — [wedding date]
- [Name] & [Name] — Est. [year]
- The [Surname]s — [year]
- [Name] & [Name] — [house name]
- First home, [year]
- Ten years — [date]
- Mr & Mrs — [date]
- Always, [Name] & [Name]
- Our first Christmas — [year]
- [Name] & [Name] — [initials entwined on the other line]
- [Two first names only]
Script suits this coaster and none of the others: two short names and a date are exactly the length a joined font handles. Use sentence case; Script in capitals stops joining and stops making sense.
What prints well on a coaster
Count the characters. Two rows of ten reads; one row of twenty-five does not. If the wording is a name plus a line, put the name on the top row, large, and the line beneath, smaller.
Block or Serif on the fabric and car coasters. Script on the wooden one only. Our font guide goes through the trade-offs.
Photos work on the fabric coaster if it is one clear subject and the text stays to a single name. A group shot at 9 cm is a smudge.
Contrast, not colour. A dark print on the light fabric reads from a seated position; a pale mid-tone vanishes under a mug.
Buying several
Coasters are the easiest team or family gift to scale because the price is low and the same design with different names reads as a set rather than as merchandise. Ten names on ten coasters is a gift; ten logos is stationery. The team gifts guide and Secret Santa guide both lean on it for that reason.
Ordering
Every coaster is printed to order in Cheshire, usually dispatched within one to three working days, with free UK delivery and no minimum quantity. Personalised items cannot be returned for a spelling change, so read the wording back before checkout.
The short version
- Three or four words. A coaster is a beer mat.
- Fabric coaster takes a joke; wooden coaster takes two names and a date; car coaster takes a name or a registration.
- Jokes about the shared situation, never about the person.
- Block or Serif, except Script on the wooden coaster.
- Registrations are the most mistyped field. Read them back twice.
Frequently asked questions
How many words fit on a personalised coaster?
Three or four words, or a name and a short line over two rows. A coaster is about 9 cm square, the size of a beer mat, and longer text shrinks until it cannot be read from a seated position.
Which coaster is which?
The fabric coaster is a washable neoprene desk mat that grips and absorbs; the car coaster is a 7 cm absorbent insert for a cup holder; the wooden coaster is a square wood keepsake for two names and a date.
Can I put a photo on a coaster?
On the fabric and car coasters, yes, if it is one clear subject; keep any text to a name on top. The wooden coaster suits names and a date rather than a photograph.
Related reading: what to write on a personalised mug; desk gifts for people who work from home.
