How to make a seating chart sign
- Seat your guests. Use Back to the plan to paste your guest list, set up your tables and press Smart arrange. Everyone with a seat appears on the sign, and the sign updates whenever the plan changes.
- Choose a layout. By table lists each table with its guests, the classic seating chart board. A–Z lists every guest alphabetically with their table, which is quicker to scan when there are many guests.
- Pick a size. Choose a poster size such as 18 × 24 in, 24 × 36 in, A2 or A1, portrait or landscape. The names grow to fill the space, and the designer shows the size they will print at.
- Write the heading. Choose “Please find your seat”, “Your seat awaits” or write your own, then add a second line with your names and the date. Pick a style: script, classic, modern, or white lettering for a mirror.
- Download and print. Download the PDF for a print shop, a PNG for online printing, or an SVG with the lettering as shapes for a vinyl cutter or a mirror decal.
The sign above is made from Hana and Leo’s wedding: 84 guests at a head table and eight tables of 10. Change the heading, the size or the style and it updates as you type. Press Back to the plan to put your own guests in.
A board, a poster, a mirror or acrylic
- Poster or foam board: send the PDF to a print shop and ask for it mounted on foam board, then stand it on an easel.
- Mirror: choose the Mirror or clear style and cut the SVG from white vinyl, or have the lettering printed on clear decal film.
- Acrylic or a chalkboard: the same white lettering works on clear acrylic or a dark board.
- A framed print: choose a frame size such as 16 × 20 in and print the PDF to fit it exactly.
By table or A–Z?
By table is the classic seating chart board: each table’s name or number with its guests underneath, so people can see who they’re sitting with. A–Z lists everyone alphabetically with their table, grouped under letters, which is quicker to scan when a crowd arrives at once. Both fit every seated guest on the sign and size the names to the space.
Sign sizes
| Size | Inches | Centimetres |
|---|---|---|
| 18 × 24 in | 18 × 24 | 45.7 × 61.0 |
| 24 × 36 in | 24 × 36 | 61.0 × 91.4 |
| 16 × 20 in | 16 × 20 | 40.6 × 50.8 |
| 11 × 17 in | 11 × 17 | 27.9 × 43.2 |
| A1 | 23.4 × 33.1 | 59.4 × 84.1 |
| A2 | 16.5 × 23.4 | 42.0 × 59.4 |
| A3 | 11.7 × 16.5 | 29.7 × 42.0 |
| 50 × 70 cm | 19.7 × 27.6 | 50.0 × 70.0 |
Every size can be portrait or landscape. Landscape gives more columns, which helps when you have many tables.
Print it
- PDF: exactly the size you chose, with the fonts included. Ask the print shop to print at 100%, with no scaling.
- PNG: 150 dots per inch, with a transparent background in the mirror style, for online printing services.
- SVG: the lettering as shapes, so it opens the same on any computer and cuts cleanly on a vinyl cutter.
See a sample made from the example above: 18 × 24 in PDF. Check the names before you print. A small typo is easier to fix in the plan than on a printed board.
To let guests look up their seat on their phone as well, put a seating chart QR code beside the board.
Headings people use
“Please find your seat”, “Find your seat”, “Your seat awaits” and “We saved you a seat” are one click away, or write your own. Add a second line with your names and the date, or the name of the event.
Frequently asked questions
Is the seating chart sign maker free?
Yes. Designing the sign and every download, PDF, PNG and SVG, are free, with no sign-up and no watermark.
What size should a seating chart sign be?
Pick the biggest your easel, frame or wall allows. 18 × 24 in and 24 × 36 in are standard poster sizes in the US; A2 and A1 elsewhere. The designer shows how big the names will print; if they come out small, choose a larger size, landscape, or the A–Z layout.
Can I make a mirror or clear acrylic seating chart?
Yes. Choose the Mirror or clear style for white lettering with no background, then download the SVG: the letters are shapes, ready to cut from white vinyl. A print shop can also print the PNG or PDF on clear decal film.
Can the names be in alphabetical order?
Yes. Choose A–Z by name and every guest is listed alphabetically with their table, grouped under letters. In the By table layout, the names within each table are alphabetical too.
Which file do I send to the print shop?
The PDF. It is exactly the size you chose, with the fonts included, so it prints sharp at any size. Ask for it to be printed at 100% with no scaling, and mounted on foam board if you want a rigid sign.
If I move someone, do I have to redo the sign?
No. The sign is made from your seating plan. Change the plan and download the sign again.
Can I make a sign for a classroom or an event?
Yes. Any plan works: open it from My plans and the sign lists its tables or desks with everyone seated at them.