Place Cards And Table Name Cards: The UK Guide

We design and print cards and prints in the UK and post them first class. We don't print place cards to order - everything below is free to copy, whether you make your own or buy the card that goes with the occasion.

A place card does one quiet job: it stops the shuffling at the door. Once people know where they're sitting, everybody relaxes and the food goes out on time.

This is the plain version - sizes, formats, wording and when you actually need them.

Standard sizes in the UK

• Folded (tent) cards: 90 x 55mm folded, so cut 90 x 110mm and fold. The most common wedding size.
• Flat cards: 85 x 55mm, business card size, for laying on a plate or slotting into a holder.
• Large tent cards: 100 x 70mm folded, easier to read across a long table.
• Card weight: 300gsm or heavier, or it will curl by the time pudding arrives.

Folded or flat?

• Folded stands up on its own - best for wide tables and anywhere guests read from a distance.
• Flat needs a holder, a napkin, or a slit in a cork, but photographs better.
• Flat cards can double as favour tags if you write the menu choice on the back.
• Folded cards hide the caterer's code for dietary requirements on the inside. Very common, entirely invisible to guests.

When you need them

• Any sit-down meal over about twelve people.
• Weddings, christening lunches and milestone birthdays with a set menu.
• Christmas dinner where the family always argues about seats.
• Work meals, where place cards quietly stop cliques forming.
• You can skip them for a buffet, a barbecue, or fewer than eight people who all know each other.

Handwriting that stays readable

• Write names larger than feels necessary. Candlelight eats detail.
• One pen for every card. Two pens across a table is instantly obvious.
• Pencil the baseline first, then rub it out once the ink is dry.
• Make three spares per table. Someone always arrives who wasn't on the list.

Shop all cards

Prints that suit a laid table

A5, A4 and A3 art prints, drawn in house and printed in the UK.

How to write it so it lands

• Write them the day before, not the morning of. Rushed handwriting is always visible.
• Photograph the finished seating before guests arrive - cards get moved.
• Keep spares and a pen in your pocket on the day.

Where to shop next

• Wedding place cards
• Christmas table name cards
• Thanksgiving and dinner party place cards
• How to make name place cards
• Place card wording and etiquette
• Free printables
• Wall art and prints
• All guides
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• New baby cards
• Wedding cards
• Wedding cards guide

Frequently asked questions

What size should a place card be?

Folded place cards are usually 90 x 55mm when folded; flat ones are around 85 x 55mm. Use 300gsm card or heavier so they stand up all evening.

Do you write first names or full names on place cards?

First names for family and friends, full names for formal or work events where guests won't know each other.

Which side of the plate does a place card go?

Centred above the plate, or on top of the napkin. Never to the left of the cutlery, where it gets knocked over.