Where to print a wedding seating chart and place cards
Print the seating chart at a print shop or an office print counter, where poster sizes and foam board are everyday work. Print place cards and table numbers at home on matte cardstock, or hand the same files to that print counter. Each piece, and what to ask for, is below.
Short answer
| Piece | Where most people print it | What to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Seating chart 16 × 20 to 24 × 36 in, A2 or A1 | Print shop, office print counter or an online poster printer | Color poster at 100%, matte or satin, mounted on foam board if it will stand on an easel |
| Place cards US Letter or A4 sheets, four per sheet | At home, or the same print counter | Matte cardstock, single sided, "Actual size" |
| Table numbers 5 × 7 in, two per sheet | At home, or the same print counter | Matte cardstock, single sided, "Actual size" |
| QR sign 8 × 10 in | At home, or a photo counter | One sheet of cardstock, or an 8 × 10 print for a frame |
The seating chart
A seating chart is a poster, and a home printer can't make one. These are the usual places, from fastest to most careful:
- An office print counter. Chains such as FedEx Office, Staples and Office Depot print posters from a PDF, often the same or the next day, and most can mount the print on foam board while you wait or overnight. You can usually upload the file online and collect it in the store.
- A pharmacy or big-box photo counter. Fast and close by, but built for photographs: paper is often glossy, sizes are limited, and the edges of a poster may be cropped to fit a photo size. Check the preview carefully before you order.
- An online poster printer. Usually good value with a nicer choice of papers, but allow several days for delivery, and a few more in case something needs redoing.
- A local print shop. The best choice when the chart is a centrepiece. A person looks at your file, can show you paper in your hand, and will tell you if something looks wrong before printing.
What to say at the counter
- "Print at 100%, no scaling." The file is already the exact poster size. "Fit to page" on the wrong size shrinks every name.
- "A color poster print, matte or satin." Gloss reflects venue lighting and candlelight. The very cheap black-and-white "engineering" or "blueprint" print is meant for line drawings; it's fine for a plain black-and-white chart and disappointing for a design with color.
- "Mounted on foam board" if it will stand on an easel. Unmounted paper curls. If the chart goes in a frame, skip the mounting and measure the frame's opening first.
- No bleed or crop marks are needed. Our charts have a white background and keep everything well inside the edge.
Not sure which size to order? The seating chart size guide shows how large names print at each size for your guest count.
Place cards
Most couples print place cards at home, because the sheets are ordinary US Letter or A4 and it's the piece most likely to change at the last minute.
- Paper: matte cardstock your printer supports, about 65 to 110 lb cover (175 to 300 gsm). Check your printer's manual for its heaviest paper; many home inkjets stop around 80 lb.
- Settings: "Actual size" or 100%, single sided, and the heavy or card paper type if your printer has one. Feed cardstock a few sheets at a time.
- Test first: print page 1 (the guide) and one card sheet on plain paper. Measure the square on the guide with a ruler, then fold a card to see how it stands.
- Cutting: a paper trimmer or a craft knife and metal ruler along the corner crop marks. Scissors work, more slowly. Score the fold with the back of a butter knife before folding for a crisp edge.
- Spares: the last sheet of our place-card file is four blank cards in your design, for a guest who is added after everything is printed.
No good printer at home? Give the same PDF to the print counter that makes your chart and ask for it on white cardstock at 100%. Many counters will also cut along the crop marks for a small charge; ask before you order.
Table numbers and the QR sign
Table numbers print two to a sheet at 5 × 7 in, a standard frame and card-holder size, so cut them out and slide them straight in. The QR sign is 8 × 10 in on one sheet. Print both on the same cardstock as the place cards so the whites match. If you'd like the sign in a frame at the entrance, an 8 × 10 print from a photo counter also works; scan the code with your own phone before you leave the store.
When to print
- Chart: order it once your seating is settled, and leave room for one reprint. If you use an online printer, count delivery days twice.
- Place cards: print these last, a day or two before, when late RSVPs have stopped moving. They take an evening, not a week.
- After a late change: edit the guest on your dashboard and download again. If you've already printed your place cards, we give you a file with only the cards that changed, and a list of the old ones to pull, so you don't reprint the whole set.
Common questions
Can I print the seating chart at home?
Only as a proof. Print it at "Fit to page" on Letter or A4 to check spelling and order, then have the real size printed elsewhere.
Why not order printed place cards from a stationery site?
You can, and they're lovely. Most ask you to type or upload names into their own template, and a change after ordering means a new order and more shipping time. Printing from your own files keeps late changes in your hands.
The print counter says my file is the wrong size.
Ask them to check the page size in the PDF's properties: it is exactly the size you chose (for example 24 × 36 in). If they only offer a slightly different size, such as A1 instead of 24 × 36 in, change the size on your dashboard and download again instead of letting them stretch it.
How this guide was written
Written and published by Kindly Seated, a one-person studio in Utah. The measurements and layout advice come from our own typesetting software, run on fictional guest lists. Drafting was AI-assisted; Alex reviewed and edited every sentence before it went live, and reviews it again whenever the "Updated" date changes. Nothing here is sponsored.
Get the files first
Upload your guest list and see your chart, place cards, table numbers and QR sign in a free preview. The package is $99 ($149 for 251–500 guests), with edits until your event.