Ordering branded stubby holders for a business sounds pretty straightforward: send over a logo, choose a quantity and get them printed.
In practice, most of the important decisions happen before the artwork even starts.
How many you need, whether you want a lighter foldable holder or something thicker, when the event is happening, and how the holders will actually be used can all change which option makes the most sense.
For a small team event, you might only need 20 or 30. A brewery launch could need 100. A sporting club, festival or national promotion might be looking at several hundred or more.
If you’re ordering custom branded stubby holders for an Australian business, this is what we’d think about before placing the order.
Why Branded Stubby Holders Still Work for Australian Businesses
There’s a reason stubby holders keep turning up at pubs, club rooms, BBQs, corporate events and local sporting days.
They fit the setting.
A branded pen might disappear into a drawer. A flyer is usually gone by the end of the day. A decent stubby holder is something people can actually use while they’re at the event and, if the design is good enough, take home afterwards.
That’s what makes them useful as promotional merchandise. They don’t need to feel like advertising.
A brewery can use them at a new beer launch. A building company might hand them out at a staff BBQ. A sporting club can sell or give them to members. A real estate agency might include one in a settlement gift.
The product is simple, but there are plenty of ways to use it.
Which Businesses Tend to Get the Most Value From Them?
Some industries are a particularly natural fit.
Pubs, bars and breweries are the obvious ones. If the customer already has a cold can or bottle in their hand, the branding doesn’t feel forced.
Sporting clubs are another strong use case. Stubby holders can work as member merchandise, sponsor merchandise, fundraising products or event giveaways.
Tradies and construction businesses often use them for staff events, Christmas gifts and supplier functions. Hospitality businesses, wineries, real estate agencies and corporate teams can use them in much the same way.
They also work well for businesses that do a lot of outdoor events, sponsorships or community work.
The useful question isn’t really “Does my industry use stubby holders?”
It’s more:
Where would our customers or staff actually use them?
If there’s an obvious answer, they’re probably worth considering.
Work Out the Order Before You Worry About the Design
One of the easiest mistakes is jumping straight into artwork.
The logo is important, but the practical details usually come first.
Before asking for a quote, it helps to know:
- roughly how many you need
- when you need them
- where they’re being delivered
- whether they’re giveaways, gifts or merchandise
- whether you prefer 3mm or 5mm
- whether you already have finished artwork
You don’t need every detail locked in, but having those basics makes the quoting process much easier.
3mm or 5mm: Which Makes More Sense for a Business?
This is probably one of the most common questions.
The answer depends on what you’re doing with them.
A 3mm holder is generally lighter and easier to pack. If you’re putting 300 into event bags or taking boxes of them to a trade show, that can be a real advantage.
A 5mm holder usually feels thicker and more structured. For staff gifts, club merchandise or something you want to feel a little more substantial, that may suit better.
A simple way to think about it is:
| 3mm | 5mm | |
|---|---|---|
| Feel | Lighter and flexible | Thicker and more structured |
| Packing | Easy to stack or fold | Takes up more room |
| Best for | Giveaways, events, promo packs | Gifts, clubs, premium merchandise |
| Typical order | Larger promotional runs | Staff, club or branded merchandise |
There isn’t really a “better” thickness.
A lighter holder can be the smarter choice for a 500-piece giveaway. A thicker holder may make more sense if you’re only ordering 30 for your team.
How Many Branded Stubby Holders Should You Order?
This depends heavily on the event.
For a small staff BBQ, 30 may be plenty. For a customer event, you might want 100. For a campaign running across several locations, the number can climb quickly.
As a rough guide:
| Quantity | Typical use |
|---|---|
| 20–50 | Staff event, team gifts, small business function |
| 50–100 | Customer event, small promotion |
| 100–250 | Club event, brewery launch, corporate function |
| 250–500 | Festival, larger promotion, sponsorship |
| 500+ | Major campaign or ongoing merchandise |
We’d usually recommend allowing a few extras rather than ordering the exact headcount.
There’s almost always a late guest, another staff member, a client who asks for one, or a few you want to keep aside as samples.
For an event with 100 people, ordering 105 or 110 is often more practical than ordering exactly 100.
Don’t Compare Quotes on Unit Price Alone
This is where business orders can get confusing.
One supplier might look cheaper because the headline says “from A$2.50 each”, but that price might only apply at 1,000 units.
If you need 100, that number isn’t particularly useful.
The better comparison is the final cost for the quantity you actually need.
When looking at quotes, check whether they include:
- GST
- freight
- artwork
- setup
- printing
- express production, if needed
The cheapest unit price isn’t always the cheapest order.
A supplier charging slightly more per holder but including freight and artwork can easily work out better than a lower advertised price with extras added later.
What Should a Business Quote Actually Tell You?
A useful quote should make it easy to understand what you’re buying.
It should tell you the quantity, holder style, material thickness, printing method or inclusions, production time and delivery cost.
If the quote only gives you a total without explaining what product you’re getting, it becomes difficult to compare it properly with another supplier.
This matters especially when comparing a 3mm foldable holder with a 5mm structured holder.
They may both have the same logo printed on them, but they’re not really the same product.
Your Logo File Matters More Than You Think
A good design can still look ordinary if the original logo file is poor.
If possible, send a vector file such as:
- AI
- EPS
- SVG
- print-quality PDF
These files can be resized without the edges becoming blurry.
A high-resolution PNG can also work well, especially if it has a transparent background.
What usually causes problems are screenshots, logos copied from websites or tiny JPEG files that have been passed around in email for years.
If your only logo file looks blurry when you zoom in, it’s worth asking whether it can be recreated before printing.
Keep the Design Simple
Business stubby holders don’t need to look like a brochure.
In most cases, a clear logo, strong brand colour and one short message will work better than trying to fit every phone number, social channel and product benefit onto the holder.
Depending on the campaign, you might include:
- your logo
- a short slogan
- website
- QR code
- event date
- campaign message
- sponsor logo
The main thing is that someone should be able to understand the design at a glance.
If the logo is competing with six lines of tiny text, it’s probably too busy.
Are QR Codes Worth Adding?
They can be, but only if there’s a useful destination.
A QR code makes sense if it sends people somewhere specific, such as:
- a booking page
- event offer
- competition entry
- review page
- menu
- Instagram profile
- campaign landing page
We wouldn’t add one just because there’s empty space.
If you do use a QR code, keep enough white space around it and make sure it’s large enough to scan easily.
Testing the code from the artwork proof before production is always a good idea.
Brand Colours Need a Little Attention
Colours on a laptop screen and colours on a printed product aren’t always identical.
If your business has strict brand colours, send your supplier proper colour references if you have them.
That might be:
- Pantone references
- CMYK values
- formal brand guidelines
For a local tradie or small event, a close visual match may be perfectly fine.
For a national brand rolling out 1,000 pieces, colour accuracy becomes much more important.
Don’t Leave the Order Until the Week Before the Event
Custom products need time.
Even if production itself is fairly quick, there’s usually artwork preparation and approval before anything starts.
A typical order has several stages:
- artwork is prepared
- you receive a proof
- changes are made if needed
- artwork is approved
- production starts
- the order is shipped
If the event date is fixed, build in some breathing room.
Rushing a custom order usually creates unnecessary stress and can limit your product or delivery options.
A Small Test Order Can Be Worth It
For businesses ordering branded merchandise for the first time, a smaller run can be useful.
You get to see the logo size, print quality, colour and actual feel of the holder before committing to hundreds.
This is especially useful if the product might become part of your regular merchandise.
A business could start with 20 or 30 for a staff event, see how they look and then place a larger 200- or 500-piece order later.
That won’t suit every supplier or every pricing model, but where small runs are available, it can reduce the risk of getting a big order wrong.
A Few Mistakes We See Often
Most issues with business orders aren’t particularly complicated.
They usually come down to timing or artwork.
Ordering too late is probably the biggest one.
Low-resolution logos are another.
Then there are smaller things such as not checking a phone number on the artwork proof, choosing the wrong holder size or forgetting that freight wasn’t included in the original comparison.
The other common mistake is trying to put too much into the design.
A stubby holder has limited space. You don’t need your entire website homepage printed on it.
A Simple Way to Order
For most business orders, the process can be kept pretty straightforward.
First, work out your quantity and deadline.
Then decide whether you want a lighter 3mm holder or a thicker 5mm style.
Send through the best version of your logo you have, along with any wording or colour requirements.
Once the artwork proof comes back, check it carefully.
Spelling, dates, URLs, QR codes and logo placement are all much easier to fix before printing than afterwards.
Once you’re happy with the proof, the order can move into production.
So, What Should Your Business Choose?
If you’re doing a large giveaway and need a few hundred pieces, a lighter foldable holder can make a lot of sense.
If you’re putting together staff gifts, club merchandise or something you want people to keep for years, a thicker 5mm style may be worth the extra cost.
If you’ve never ordered before, starting with a smaller batch can also be useful.
The best option isn’t necessarily the cheapest or the thickest.
It’s the one that fits the way your business is actually going to use it.
Our Take
Branded stubby holders work best when they don’t feel like generic promotional merchandise.
Keep the design simple, choose a holder that suits the event and order enough that you’re not scrambling for extras on the day.
For businesses, we’d pay particular attention to three things:
the final delivered cost, the quality of the artwork and the deadline.
Get those right and the rest is usually fairly straightforward.
If you’re planning a bulk order, having your approximate quantity, logo and event date ready will make the quoting process much quicker.
FAQ
How much do branded stubby holders cost in Australia?
Pricing depends on quantity, holder style, material thickness and what is included in the quote. Larger orders generally have a lower unit price, so it’s best to compare the actual cost at the quantity you need.
Can I print my company logo on a stubby holder?
Yes. Business logos, text, campaign artwork and other branding can be printed in full colour.
What logo file should I send?
Vector files such as AI, EPS, SVG or a high-quality PDF are ideal. A high-resolution PNG can also work.
Is 3mm or 5mm better for a business order?
It depends on the use. 3mm is lighter and easier to pack for large giveaways, while 5mm has a thicker, more structured feel that can suit gifts and merchandise.
Can I print a QR code on a stubby holder?
Yes. Make sure it is large enough to scan easily and test it before approving the artwork.
How many should I order for a corporate event?
Start with the expected attendance, then add a small number of extras for staff, late guests or future samples.
Can I place a small test order first?
That depends on the product and supplier, but small runs can be a useful way to check the design before placing a larger order.
How early should I order?
The earlier the better. Allow enough time for artwork approval, production, shipping and a small buffer before the event.
