Custom hat and can cooler FAQs
Everything you need to know about ordering custom can coolers and custom hats from Reel48, an Austin, TX shop where you design online, see transparent pricing, and get can coolers in 3–4 weeks and custom hats 6–10 weeks after sample confirmation.
Ordering & minimums
What is the minimum order quantity?
The minimum order is 100 units for custom can coolers and 50 pieces for custom hats. Can coolers are designed and ordered online; hats are ordered online too, with a free mockup to approve first. For specialty items or complex customizations, minimums may be higher. Contact us for specifics.
Can I order a sample before placing a full order?
We don't make samples before an order is placed. Instead, our online designer shows your artwork on the can cooler exactly as we'll print it, so the live preview is your proof. For hat and polo orders, we send a free digital mockup after you order and before anything goes into production. Custom hat orders then get a sample, and the full run ships 6–10 weeks after sample confirmation.
What types of payment does Reel48 accept?
We accept credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover), company checks, and bank transfers. For first-time orders, we require full payment before production. Established clients may qualify for net terms.
How many can coolers do I need for a wedding?
One per guest, rounded up to the next pricing tier. For a 250-guest wedding that's 250 can coolers at about $2.24 each. Rounding up to a tier break often costs little while leaving spares, which disappear faster than you'd think. Guests treat them as favors and take them home, so don't plan on getting any back.
Custom can coolers
How much do custom can coolers cost?
Custom can coolers from Reel48 start at $2.94 each at 100 units and drop to $0.84 each at 10,000 units for a standard can, plus $0.05 per unit shipping. Slim cans are $0.05 more per unit at every quantity. Adding a bottle-opener magnet costs $1.00–$1.70 more per unit depending on quantity. Exact tier pricing is shown live in our online designer, with no quote required.
Are can coolers the same thing as koozies?
Yes, koozie is the name most people use for a can cooler. KOOZIE® is a registered trademark of Koozie Group for its own drink insulators, and Reel48 isn't affiliated with them, so we use the generic name. Coozie, cozy, huggie and stubby holder are the same product too. Ours are neoprene sleeves for standard and slim 12 oz cans that you design and order online.
What's the difference between custom and personalized can coolers?
Nothing. They're two names for the same product. "Personalized can coolers" usually means names, dates, and monograms (weddings, parties, gifts); "custom can coolers" usually means logos and brand artwork (companies, breweries, events). Reel48's online designer does both: add text, upload artwork, and order at the same volume pricing either way.
Can I design my can cooler online?
Yes. Our online can cooler designer lets you pick a color, upload your logo or add text, and see a live preview of exactly what we'll print. You check out right on the site with transparent volume pricing, so there's no email back-and-forth and no waiting on a sales rep.
What are Reel48 can coolers made of?
Our can coolers are made from neoprene: the stretchy, wetsuit-style material that insulates better and prints sharper than classic collapsible foam. Neoprene sleeves hold their shape, survive ice chests and tailgates, and feel like something your customers will actually keep.
What size cans do your can coolers fit?
Two sizes, both in the designer. The standard can cooler fits regular 12 oz cans (the classic beer and soda can size) and, because neoprene stretches, most 12 oz bottles too. The slim can cooler fits 12 oz slim cans: seltzers, energy drinks and canned cocktails like White Claw, Red Bull and High Noon. If you need something else for a specific event or product, contact us about options.
Custom hats
What hat styles does Reel48 offer?
We offer 7 hat styles, Custom Hat No. 1 through No. 7: perforated performance caps in structured and unstructured 5-panel cuts plus a 6-panel ballcap, 5- and 6-panel mesh-back truckers, a canvas 5-panel, and an unstructured ballcap. Every one is made to order, so you also choose the fabric color, the rope (or no rope), side embroidery, inside labels and more, and all 4 decoration methods (embroidery, PVC patches, silicone patches, and woven patches) are available across the range.
Do you add logos to blank hats?
No. A Reel48 custom hat isn't a stock blank with a logo added: every one is made to order. Once your design is approved we make each hat from scratch, so you choose the fabric color, the rope (or no rope), side embroidery, inside labels and more, with your logo in embroidery or a PVC, silicone, or woven patch. The white hats in our product photos are plain examples of each style's shape.
What decoration methods are available for custom hats?
Four methods: embroidery (classic stitched look, very durable), PVC patches (bold 3D rubber texture), silicone patches (sleek modern finish), and woven patches (fine detail for complex logos). Our team helps you pick the method that fits your artwork before you order. Just ask.
How do I order custom hats?
Pick a style on its product page, choose your decoration method and quantity, and check out. The minimum is 50 pieces and every per-hat price is published. Then reply to your receipt email with your logo. We send a free digital mockup of the whole hat (fabric color, rope, side embroidery, labels and logo) within 24 hours of receiving your artwork, make a sample once you approve it, and deliver your hats 6–10 weeks after sample confirmation.
Production & shipping
How long does it take to fulfill an order?
Can coolers are produced and delivered within 3–4 weeks of when you place your order. Production starts right after checkout, and any can cooler order can add express production at checkout ($30 for 100–199 pieces, $40 for 200–399, $50 for 400–749, and $60 for 750 or more) to be made in 2–3 weeks. Custom hats take longer: after you approve the digital mockup we make a sample, and the order is delivered 6–10 weeks after sample confirmation. On a hat deadline? Contact us before you order.
Where does Reel48 ship from?
We're based in Austin, TX and ship anywhere in the United States. Shipping for can cooler orders is a flat $0.05 per unit, added transparently at checkout. Any hat order can add express shipping (an expedited carrier once the hats are made) for a flat $30.00. Shipping transit is included in every window we publish: 3–4 weeks for can coolers, 6–10 weeks after sample confirmation for custom hats.
When should I order can coolers for an event or wedding?
Order at least 5–6 weeks before your event. Standard production and delivery takes 3–4 weeks, and the extra buffer covers artwork tweaks and shipping variability. On a tighter deadline? Add express production at checkout ($30 for 100–199 pieces, $40 for 200–399, $50 for 400–749, and $60 for 750 or more), which cuts the timeline to 2–3 weeks.
Design & proofs
Can I see a digital mockup before my order goes into production?
Yes. You create it yourself, right on our site. The designer shows your artwork on the product exactly as we'll print it, so what you see on screen is what you get. Review your design before checkout; once your order is placed, production begins.
Does Reel48 offer design services?
Yes, we have an in-house design team that can help create or refine your designs. Basic design assistance is included with your order, while more complex design work is available at an additional hourly rate.
Can you print photos on can coolers?
Yes, can coolers print in full color, so photos work. Upload a high-resolution image (PNG, JPEG, or SVG, up to 12 MB) in the online designer and the live preview shows exactly how it sits on the can cooler. Fine detail softens slightly on neoprene fabric, so a bold, tightly cropped photo prints better than a busy full-scene shot.
What file formats work best for my logo?
Vector files (AI, EPS, SVG, or vector PDF) give the cleanest results because they scale without losing sharpness. High-resolution PNGs with transparent backgrounds also work well in the online designer. If all you have is a low-res image, our design team can help redraw it.
Still have a question?
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