Custom Christmas Napkins With Your Logo: When to Order, What to Print and How to Reuse the Plate
Custom Christmas napkins are paper napkins printed with your logo, your name or a festive design for December service and parties. At Napki they start at 20 units. Production takes 7 business days from mock-up approval, and FedEx adds 1–2 business days (Priority) or about 6 (Economy), plus 1–3 days for US customs clearance.
The hard part is the calendar. December fills fast for restaurants, hotels and event teams. A napkin that lands on December 27 is no use to anyone. This guide gives you a simple timeline to work back from. It covers the sizes that suit a company party, a set menu or a hotel buffet. It explains what to print and when Full Color or Deluxe makes more sense. It also shows how to design custom Christmas napkins you can reorder next year without a new plate.
When should you order custom Christmas napkins?
Order at least five to six weeks before your first December event. That leaves room for the mock-up, one or two revisions and a sample. Production takes 7 business days from proof approval. Shipping adds 1–2 business days (Priority) or about 6 (Economy), plus 1–3 days for US customs clearance.
Business days exclude weekends and public holidays. A 7-business-day production run approved on a Monday is finished by the Tuesday of the following week; FedEx shipping and customs clearance come after that. In November and December, Thanksgiving and public holidays in Spain shorten the week, so give yourself a margin.
Here is a timeline you can work back from:
| Step | How long it takes | When to start (for a party on Friday, December 11) |
|---|---|---|
| Optional free sample pack | FedEx Economy (about 6 business days) or Priority (1–2), plus customs; you pay the shipping of one small box | Request it in October |
| Brief: send logo, sizes and quantity | 1 day | Monday, November 2 |
| First digital mock-up | Within 24 hours | Tuesday, November 3 |
| Up to 2 rounds of revisions | 1 to 3 days | By Friday, November 6 |
| Production | 7 business days from approval | Approve by Monday, November 9 |
| FedEx shipping and US customs clearance | 1–2 business days (Priority) or about 6 (Economy), plus 1–3 days for customs | Napkins in hand around November 24 with Priority, or in the first days of December with Economy, Thanksgiving included |
Longer lead times earn a discount. Slots of 30, 50 or 60 business days take 5%, 10% or 15% off. They are long. Count back about 10, 14 or 16 weeks from the event: for a party in mid-December, that means approving the design by early October, early September or late August.
Which sizes work for Christmas parties and dinners?
Most December orders need one size for drinks and one for the table. Napki quotes sizes open, in centimeters, and the napkin sizes guide shows how each one folds.
| Christmas use | Size (open) | Folded | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome drink, canapés, office party | 20×20 cm | 10×10 cm | Small cocktail napkin that sits under a glass |
| Buffet, mulled wine, dessert table | 24×24 cm | 12×12 cm | A bit larger for finger food |
| Lunch menu, casual set menu | 30×30 cm | 15×15 cm | Small dinner size |
| Christmas dinner, set menu, hotel restaurant | 33×33 cm | 16.5×16.5 cm | The standard dinner napkin |
| Gala dinner, premium table | 40×40 cm or Kangaroo fold | 20×20 cm | Large dinner size, or a fold with a silverware pocket |
One label causes confusion every year. “20×20” can be a small cocktail napkin, open at 20×20 cm. It can also be a 40×40 cm dinner napkin folded to 20×20 cm. Tell the team which fold you expect and they confirm the exact size before quoting.
What should you print on a Christmas napkin?
On custom Christmas napkins, print your brand first and the season second. A guest should know whose party it is at a glance, even with the napkin folded under a glass.
Designs that work well in December:
- Your logo with a small seasonal detail, such as a star, a sprig of holly or a snowflake beside it.
- A short greeting in the language of your guests: “Season’s greetings”, “Happy holidays”, “Feliz Navidad”.
- The event name for a company party, such as “Winter Dinner” or “End of Year Party”.
- An illustration printed edge to edge, for a festive look on white napkins. This needs Full Color.
- A single metallic color, gold or silver, on a colored or black napkin for an evening dinner. Gold and silver are Deluxe inks.
Place the design on the quarter that stays visible after folding. A napkin folded in four only shows about a quarter of its surface.
See it before you commit. Napki sends the first digital mock-up within 24 hours, with up to 2 rounds of revisions. Want to feel the paper too? The free sample pack holds 5 printed napkins in 3 finishes. The pack is free; you only pay the shipping, billed as one small FedEx box ($149.57 Economy or $196.90 Priority).
Full Color or Deluxe for a Christmas design?
Pick Full Color for detailed, multi-color artwork on white napkins. Pick Deluxe for one or two spot colors, for colored napkins, or for a design you will reorder. The printing inks guide has the full decision matrix.
| Full Color (digital CMYK) | Deluxe 1 ink | Deluxe 2 inks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Illustrations, gradients, photos | A logo in one color, including gold or silver | Logo plus greeting in two colors |
| Napkin color | White only | White or colored | White or colored |
| Minimum order | 20 units | 100 units | 100 units |
| Printing plate | None | 1 plate, $49.09 | 2 plates, $98.18 |
| Reorders | Printed again from the file | Plate reused free of charge | Plates reused free of charge |
Each ink needs its own plate. A gold logo with a red greeting counts as two inks, so it needs two plates. The plates are paid once, on the first order of that design.
Full Color has no plate at all. For a one-off party of 60 guests, it is usually the simplest route.
How can you reuse the printing plate next Christmas?
Leave the year off the design. A napkin that says “Christmas 2026” needs a new plate for 2027. A napkin with your logo and “Season’s greetings” can be reprinted every December on the same plate, free of charge.
Three more details keep the plate reusable:
- Keep the print size identical. A design on a 20×20 cocktail napkin and a 33×33 dinner napkin shares one plate only if the printed area is identical. If the print size changes, each size needs its own plate.
- Keep the same inks. Swapping gold for red is a different ink. Check with the team before you change it.
- Store the approved mock-up. Reordering is quicker when you can say “same as last December”.
For a restaurant or hotel that runs Christmas menus every year, this turns the plate into a one-time cost. It also lets you move to Deluxe prices per unit on larger runs.
A worked example: a company Christmas party for 120 guests
An events coordinator is planning a Christmas party for 120 employees: a standing welcome drink, then a seated dinner. They want black napkins with the logo in silver for an evening look.
They choose two formats from the same design family:
- 20×20 cm cocktail napkins for the welcome drink, 2-ply, 300 units (about 2 or 3 per guest while standing).
- 33×33 cm dinner napkins, Double Point with its embossed edge, 250 units (about 2 per guest at the table).
The design is the company logo in silver with “Season’s greetings” beneath it, no year. Because the logo sits at a different size on each napkin, the team quotes one plate per size. Black napkins need Deluxe printing, so both sizes are printed in Deluxe 1 ink.
The coordinator sends the brief in the last week of October. The mock-up arrives the next day and one revision follows. The order goes on the standard 7-business-day production, because a discounted 30-day slot would have needed the design approved by early October. The napkins arrive with more than a week to spare.
These quantities are a planning guide, not a rule. Count your own guests, courses and drink rounds, and the team adjusts the quote.
How much should you order for December service?
Base your order of custom Christmas napkins on real counts and add a margin. Restaurants and hotels already know their covers; December usually adds set menus, private dining and extra services.
- Count your December covers from last year, or your booked events so far.
- Separate drinks from dinner. Cocktail napkins go with drinks and canapés; dinner napkins go on the table.
- Add a margin for spills and restocking. Running out on December 23 is worse than keeping a pack for January.
- Combine sizes in one shipment. Shipping is charged per FedEx box to the 48 contiguous states: a small box holds up to 500 napkins ($149.57 Economy, $196.90 Priority) and a large one up to 2,000 ($172.79 Economy, $239.12 Priority). One combined order beats two small ones. Napki charges no sales tax, because the order is exported from Spain. Import duties, the Merchandise Processing Fee and any state or local taxes are paid by the buyer on arrival (DAP).
Restaurants with repeat orders will find recurring-order details on the restaurant napkins page. Event teams can see formats and lead times for parties on the corporate event napkins page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the latest date to order custom Christmas napkins?
Production takes 7 business days from proof approval. Shipping adds 1–2 business days (Priority) or about 6 (Economy), plus 1–3 days for US customs clearance. Add a day for the mock-up, a few days for revisions and a margin for holidays such as Thanksgiving. Around five to six weeks before your event is a safe rule.
Can I order a small quantity for a family or office party?
Yes. Full Color digital printing starts at 20 units on white napkins. Deluxe printing, for colored napkins or metallic inks, starts at 100 units.
Can I print gold or silver on colored or black napkins?
Gold and silver are printed as Deluxe inks on white or colored napkins, from 100 units. Each metallic color counts as one ink and needs its own plate. Ask the team which napkin colors are available for your size and paper.
Is the design included?
Yes. The first digital mock-up is free within 24 hours, with up to 2 rounds of revisions. You only pay if the result works for you.
Do I pay for the plate again next Christmas?
No, if the design stays the same. The plate is reused free of charge on every reorder. Leave the year off the design so the same plate works every December.
What happens if the napkins do not match the approved mock-up?
Napki reprints them free of charge.
Where do you deliver?
To the 48 contiguous US states, at a flat rate per FedEx box: from $149.57 for a small box (up to 500 napkins) with Economy. Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico are quoted separately. Napki charges no sales tax, because the order is exported from Spain. Import duties, the Merchandise Processing Fee and any state or local taxes are paid by the buyer on arrival (DAP).
Get your Christmas napkins before the December rush
Guests pick up a napkin with every drink and every course in December. Give them one with your name on it. Send your logo, your event date and the sizes you need, and you get a free mock-up within 24 hours. Two rounds of revisions are included, and you only pay if you go ahead.
Production in Spain takes 7 business days from approval, from 20 units, and FedEx delivers to the 48 contiguous states in 1–2 business days (Priority) or about 6 (Economy), plus customs clearance. Want to test the paper first? Request the free sample pack and pay only the shipping. See every size, paper and finish in the custom napkins specification. Prefer to talk? WhatsApp +34 650 50 43 39.