Making your place cards
- Paste your guest list, one name per line. Write the names the way you want them on the table: first names for a family dinner, full names for a large wedding, or titles where that fits.
- Add the tables if you have them. "Table 3: Anna, Ben" puts Table 3 on both cards, and so does "Anna | 3". The line under the box tells you how many names were read and how many have a table.
- Pick a design. Elegant sets the name in italics inside a thin double frame, Botanical puts a small garland of leaves above it, Modern uses bold letters beside a bar in your color, and Simple keeps a clean name over a short rule.
- Choose whether the name prints on both sides, add an event line if you like, pick the card size, paper and color, and download the PDF.
With an empty list you get a sheet of blank cards with a line for the name and, if table numbers are on, a Table line. That works for hand lettering or for a small dinner where you write the cards yourself.
Preparing the guest list
Start from one list and keep it as the only copy you change. A spreadsheet or a note works fine. Check the spelling of every name against the RSVPs, not from memory, and decide on one style for the whole table, such as first and last name for everyone. Mixing "Grandma" with full names on the same table can look odd, unless that is the feel you want.
If you keep the list in a spreadsheet with the name in one column and the table in the next, you can copy both columns and paste them into the box. The tab between the columns counts like the bar, so each guest gets the right table.
Matching the cards to the seating chart
Place cards and the seating chart should come from the same list. Type the names with their tables once, then use the same lines for the seating chart, so a guest never sits at table 4 on the chart and at table 5 on the card. Set Order to By table before you print: the cards then come out table by table, the head table first, which makes the next step much easier.
After printing, lay the cards out next to a printed chart and tick off each name. Count the cards per table and compare the number with the chairs at that table.
Printing, cutting and folding
Print one sheet on plain paper first and check names, tables and spelling. For the real set, use a light cardstock your printer can take (see its manual or the paper tray), choose a matching paper type in the print dialog and print at 100 % or actual size.
The crop marks in the margins sit in line with every cut. Lay a ruler from one mark to the matching mark on the other side and cut with a craft knife on a cutting mat, or use a paper trimmer. If you prefer scissors, choose Dashed lines too and cut along the gray lines. Then fold each card along the dotted line with the print outside. On cardstock, score the fold first: lay a ruler on the dotted line and press along it with a dull point, such as an empty ballpoint pen, so the fold stays straight and the card stands upright.
Setting the tables and last-minute changes
Bundle the cards per table with a paper clip or a small envelope marked with the table number. At the venue, one person can then set a whole table at once. Stand each card above the plate or on the napkin, with the front facing the chair, so the guest finds the seat by walking up to it.
Plans change until the last day. Keep a few blank cards with the set: Fill the last page uses the empty spaces on the last sheet, and Add a page prints one more sheet of them. Bring a pen in the same color as your design, so a late guest or a corrected name still looks like it belongs.
More tools and templates
The seating chart prints a floor plan of round or long tables with numbered seats, and a table list with your guests, from the same "Table 3: Anna, Ben" lines you use here. The wedding planner has a month-by-month checklist, a budget sheet, a guest list with RSVPs, vendor contacts and a day-of schedule.
The wedding budget calculator splits your budget into categories, tracks estimated, actual and paid costs and shows the cost per guest. The random name picker draws one or more names from a list with a fair random pick and can remove each winner for the next round, for a raffle at the tables or to decide which table goes to the buffet first.
Frequently asked questions
Are the place cards free?
Yes. Print them for a wedding, a birthday dinner or a holiday table, as often as you need. There is no signup and no watermark. One small line in the bottom margin of each sheet names our website, and it is cut off with the margin.
Why is the top half of each card upside down?
Each card is a tent card: one piece printed flat and folded in the middle along the dotted line, with the print outside. The bottom half becomes the front. The top half becomes the side that faces the other way across the table, and folding turns it around, so it is printed upside down on purpose. Folded, both sides read the right way up.
How do I add the table numbers?
Start a line with the table, like "Table 3: Anna, Ben", and both cards get Table 3 under the name. You can also write "Table 3" on a line of its own and the names on the lines below it, one per line, until the next table line or an empty line. Or add the table after a name with a bar: "Anna | 3". After the bar, a name for the table works too, such as "Anna | Rose garden". "Head table: Maya, Leo" works the same way.
How big are the cards?
Standard cards are 3.5 x 2 in (89 x 51 mm) when folded, 3.5 x 4 in flat, four to a sheet. Small cards are 3.5 x 1.5 in (89 x 38 mm) folded, 3.5 x 3 in flat, six to a sheet. Both sizes are the same on US Letter and A4 paper. Print at 100 % or actual size so the cards keep their size.
Which paper should I use?
A place card has to stand up on its own, so a light cardstock works better than plain printer paper. Check the heaviest paper your printer takes in its manual or on the paper tray, choose a matching paper type in the print dialog, and feed thick sheets one at a time. Print one sheet on plain paper first to check names and spelling.
Why are some characters missing from the names?
The PDF uses the standard Helvetica and Times fonts, which cover English and most Western European letters, but no emoji and no other scripts such as Greek, Cyrillic or Chinese. Those characters are left out, a few rare accented letters lose the accent, and a note under the names tells you when that happens. The preview shows the names exactly as they will print.