Frequently Asked Questions

We offer two kinds of customization for our bottles: full color digital prints and laser etching. Full color digital prints can be done on any of our Tritan Renew Plastic bottles and select White Powder Coated Stainless Steel bottles. Laser etching can be done on any color of Stainless Steel and is available on one side only. 

Full Color Digital Prints

• We offer custom digital printing on both the front and back of our BPA-free plastic bottles, sports bottles and kids bottles, as well as select white stainless steel bottles. 
• How it Works: We use our digital inkjet custom print system to place your design directly on the bottle. 
• File Types Accepted: JPG, PNG, TIFF, SVG, AI, or PDF 
• Digital Printing Minimum Requirements: 
• Minimum Line Width: 0.02” at actual size when printed 
• Resolution: 300 pixels per inch 
• Common Design Error: If you want the background to be the color of the bottle, you need to upload a file with a transparent background. Customers frequently upload a file with a white background. If you do, we’ll assume you want to print the white background. Not all filetypes support a transparent background, so make sure you are using the correct format (.png, .svg, .tiff, .pdf, and .ai are the filetypes that allow transparent backgrounds).

Laser Etching 

• For our vacuum insulated stainless steel bottles, we offer custom laser etching on one side of the bottle only. 
• How It Works: The laser removes the powder coated finish from the bottle and exposes the stainless steel wherever your design indicates. 
• File Types Accepted: PNG, TIFF, SVG, AI, or PDF (all must have transparent background) 
• Laser Etch Minimum Requirements: 
• Engraved Area: Any area that will be engraved must be entirely in black and must have a line width of at least 0.008" at actual size when etched. 
• Negative Space: The negative space between the artwork to be engraved must be at least 0.016” minimum width at actual size when etched.

Full Color Digital Print Requirements

How It Works:

We use our digital inkjet custom print system to place your design directly on the bottle. All surface area with artwork will have white primer put beneath the color and a protective layer of varnish will be applied to preserve your design.

Accepted File Types:

• .PNG, .TIFF, .SVG, .AI, .PDF files are best suited for transparent backgrounds, where the background is the same as the color of the bottle, because they can code transparency
• .JPEG files will always have a background, either black or white, and cannot code for transparency

Minimum Resolution:

• 300 pixels per inch is the industry standard for all physical print media (note: images created for screens or screenshots will only have 72 pixels per inch and come out pixelated and blurry)

Minimum Line Width:

• All areas to be printed, including text, must have lines at least 0.02” thick at actual size when printed

Other Requirements:

• No Drop Shadows
• No Semi-Transparency
• No Neon Colors

Laser Etch Requirements

How It Works:

A laser removes the powder coat finish from the bottle and exposes the stainless steel beneath wherever your design indicates. 

Accepted File Types:

• .PNG, .TIFF, .SVG, .AI, or .PDF with a transparent background

Minimum Resolution:

• 300 pixels per inch
• Vector Files (.svg, .ai, or .pdf) are preferable, because they can scale to any size without losing quality

Minimum Line Width:

• All areas to be engraved, must be in all black and at least 0.008” wide at actual size
• Negative Space:
• Any empty space that is meant to be the same color as the powder coating of the bottle must be transparent and at least 0.016” wide at actual size
• For Navy powder coated stainless steel only, the negative space must be at least 0.025” wide at actual size

Other Requirements:

• No Drop Shadows
• No Semi-Transparency

If you are unsure whether your artwork meets our requirements, please feel free to email us at custom@camelbak.com

You cannot place a copyrighted or licensed image in your bottle artwork. This includes any derivative artwork of copyrighted characters. Examples of licensed content that we CANNOT print, include: 

• Professional Sports Teams (e.g., NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL or MLS) 
• Disney 
• Star Wars 
• Harry Potter 
• Pokémon 
• Movie characters (like those from Warner Brothers or Marvel) 
• College or university logos (If you are a college or university, please contact authorized CamelBak dealer Jardine Associates. They provide exclusive national sales & service to every college and university in the United States.) 

You also cannot place offensive or vulgar images on your bottle. If your order contains artwork or text that is unknown in origin, perceived as offensive, or is subject to copyright protection, we will cancel it and you can expect to receive a refund. It may take up to 10 business days for this credit to reflect back on your account. Please refer to our complete Purchasing Terms prior to making a purchase. 

If you hold licensing for a licensed image you’d like to use, please contact us at custom@camelbak.com before placing your order.

No, the customizer can’t alter any uploaded images. What you see when you click “Review and Buy” in the customizer is exactly how the bottle will print. If you see a white square or rectangle around your image, we’ll assume you want to print the white background.   

If you want the background to be the color of the bottle, you need to upload a file with a transparent background. .JPEG files do not support transparent backgrounds. .PNG, .SVG, .TIFF, .PDF, and .AI files do have the capability for transparent backgrounds, but they may still have a background included.  

We automatically convert colors to their CMYK equivalent value for printing. Metallics and neon colors will not translate when printed unfortunately.

Sadly, we cannot print any transparent artwork. To ensure that your design prints correctly, we lay down a layer of white primer beneath the color. The primer layer results in any transparent sections in your artwork becoming opaque.

We cannot print drop shadows on transparent backgrounds. Drop shadows make it appear as if the art is lifted off the surface by transitioning from solid color, usually black, to full transparency. When we apply varnish to protect your design, it cannot fade out. It covers the entire artwork in an even coating, including the shadow. The result is a very light border around the art where the shadow is and a messy print. If you have a white or colored background behind the artwork, the varnish will not be a problem and the shadow is acceptable.

If you would like a template for Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator to create your design, please email us at custom@camelbak.com with the specific bottle style you’re interested in.

For digital print orders, we accept .png, .tiff, .svg, .ai and .pdf files. We also accept .jpg files but please note these do not have any transparency and may result in a white background or square printing around your image. 

For laser etch orders, we accept .png, .tiff, .svg, .ai and .pdf files.  

Please see our Custom Design Guide for more details.

Nope! There’s no difference in price for how you customize your bottle. The price is the same whether you choose laser etching or a full color digital print. The price is also the same for one sided and two sided digital prints.

The more you buy, the more you save. Mix and match colors and styles freely. Your total order quantity will determine your discount. Orders of 36 units or more receive a 5% discount, 72 units or more a 7% discount, and orders greater than 144 units receive a 10% discount.

Nope! The cost of printing or etching of your custom products are included in the prices you see. State tax will be charged, if applicable.

Yes! For customers who plan on reselling their customized bottles, please use our Custom Order Inquiry Form to request more information. We will review the details of your submission and respond promptly to let you know if you qualify. Please fill out the form in as much detail as possible so we can best serve your needs!

Yes! For tax exempt customers, we can refund the tax portion of your total once your order ships. If you are tax exempt, please email us at custom@camelbak.com with your order number and state so we can send you the necessary state specific documents to fill out.

Once you’ve placed your order, it cannot be modified – including the items purchased, the artwork, the quantity ordered, or the shipping details.  

If, after ordering, you feel you’ve made an error, please email us at custom@camelbak.com and we will attempt to cancel your order if it has not been processed yet (and you can then place a new one). Your refund, in this case, may take up to 10 business days to process and post back to your account.

Custom products are ineligible for returns, but if you believe your product has an error due to a manufacturing defect, please contact us at custom@camelbak.com. We believe in customer satisfaction and will review any customized products that are due to the error or fault of CamelBak!

Currently, our custom program is limited to shipments within the United States. To best serve your custom orders & provide you with an excellent customer service experience, please contact one of our international distributors listed on the International Distributor Directory.

Once you’ve placed your order, you can expect to receive it in about three weeks.  

That lead time can sometimes be affected, as well, by our current inventory and the quantity you’ve ordered. Keep in mind that custom orders take longer than other CamelBak orders because of production time, which can take up to two weeks. 

Please also note, if you place your custom order on Friday, we will process it the following Monday.

With custom orders, we cannot offer rush service or same-day service. Due to the nature of a customized product, we are not currently offering expedited shipping on these items, and they are only able to ship via ground services. 

If you are ordering Customized Merchandise you'll need to have your order placed no later than 12/5 to receive it in time for holiday gifting.

Orders over $49 receive free ground shipping. 

For all custom orders under $49, flat rate ground shipping is $10.

Unfortunately, no. We cannot accept any additional payments after your order has been placed.

We do not recommend shipping to any PO box. We use a variety of carriers to deliver your order and only USPS can deliver to United States Post Offices. Please email us at custom@camelbak.com for more information.

If you require your order delivered to an APO or FPO, please email us at custom@camelbak.com before placing your order.

No, unfortunately our custom program is currently limited to the United States only. We are not able to ship any customized bottles to an address outside of the United States.

Due to the unique nature of customization, we capture your credit card funds at the time you submit your order. If you are unsure whether you’re ready to proceed with your order, please do NOT proceed to checkout. We are unable to halt an order once you have completed checkout.

It can take up to 10 business days to receive your refund.

We do not charge for canceled orders. Your bank or credit card issuer still shows those charges as pending until they receive final confirmation that those orders were in fact declined, which usually happens in the evening. 

Your order may have been canceled for one of several reasons: 

• The billing address and zip code did not match. 
• Some credit cards are more sensitive within our fraud system. 
• Your payment was not from a U.S. bank (which our system cannot accept).

Some banks or credit card issuers take 48 hours or longer before removing pending charges. If the charges are not dropped after 48 hours, you can let us know by emailing us at custom@camelbak.com. 

Each of our bottles is sold as a complete unit, so you cannot mix different colors of caps and bottles within your order.

We do not recommend putting any bottles with a custom design into the dishwasher. To preserve the quality of your print or etch, it’s best to always handwash the vessel of your bottle with soap and warm water.

CLEANING CAPS AND LIDS: 

Bottle caps, lids, spout caps, tethers and bite valves can all be cleaned in the top rack of the dishwasher or by hand with warm, soapy water. Remove the cap, spout cap, tether or bite valve from the vessel before washing. 

If you like to use a bottle brush, we don’t recommend forcing it through the bite valve slit as it can tear the silicone. 

For a deeper cleaning, add a drop of mild soap or tablespoon of bleach to a clean glass jar filled with water. Drop the bite valve, straw and cap into the solution, and tightly close the jar’s lid. Shake the mixture around for 30 seconds, and then let the parts soak for about 15 minutes. Rinse and shake dry.

CLEANING VESSELS:

To preserve the quality of your print or etch, it’s best to always handwash the vessel of your bottle with soap and warm water.

STEPS FOR RE-INSERTING THE BITE VALVE INTO THE CAP: 

1. Flip the stem collar (the component the bite valve attached to originally) to the open position. 
2. Orient the bite valve so the finger tab points towards the front of the cap. 
3. Push the bite valve firmly onto the stem collar. 
4. Press the straw back into place on the bottom of the lid. Ensure the straw covers the notches completely.

Unfortunately, we cannot send a note in the package with your custom gift.

Nope! Have no fear. The price of your bottle will not be indicated anywhere on the packing slip included in the shipment.