Custom Printed Table Covers for Exhibition Stands

Measuring Your Table Before You Order

Most exhibitors use a standard folding table, but standard is a loose word. A table sold as six foot can be anything from 1,800 mm to 1,830 mm long, and height varies between venue furniture and your own kit, so follow the guide to measuring your product and measure the table itself. Measure the length, the width and the height from floor to top, then tell us whether the back should be open for you to sit behind or closed all round.

If you use the hall's own tables, ask the organiser for the dimensions before you order. A throw cover with a generous drop forgives a few centimetres either way, while a fitted cover will look baggy on a smaller table and will not reach the floor on a taller one. When in doubt, a throw style is the safer choice for mixed venues.

Think too about what goes on top. A cover that falls to the floor will gather a little at the corners when you stack heavy sample cases on it, so leave a few centimetres of plain fabric round the top edge rather than running text right up to the fold. If you plan to fix a tablet stand or a card reader to the table, mention it and we can leave a plain strip where cables will run.

Print Placement That Works From the Aisle

People see a table cover from several metres away and usually at an angle, so the design needs to work in a glance. Put the logo on the front panel, centred and high enough that it is not hidden by a box of printed brochure booklets placed on the floor in front. A short line underneath, such as what you do or your web address, is plenty. Long lists of services rarely get read.

Dye sublimation print soaks into the polyester rather than sitting on top, so full-colour backgrounds, photographs and gradients are all possible without extra cost per colour. If your brand colour is a specific shade, send the reference and we will match it on the proof as closely as the fabric allows. Side panels can carry a smaller logo or stay plain, which keeps the cost down and lets the front panel do the talking.

Keep the design simple enough to survive a busy stand. Bold shapes and a strong contrast between logo and background read well under hall lighting, which is often harsh and slightly blue. Thin script fonts and pale grey text tend to disappear. If you are unsure, ask us to show two layouts on the proof, one with a full-colour background and one with a plain ground, and compare them side by side before you choose.

Fabric, Care and Getting Many Shows From One Cover

We print on a heavyweight polyester that hangs well, resists creasing and can be washed at a cool temperature. Hemmed edges stop fraying after repeated folding; the print and finish options compared page explains why sublimation suits fabric. Some halls set fabric rules in their stand regulations, so check your exhibitor manual and tell us what it asks for when you request a quote; we will confirm on the quote whether we can supply it.

To keep the print sharp, fold the cover with the printed side inwards, avoid ironing directly on the print and dry it flat or on a line. A cover treated this way can follow you round a full calendar of shows. Many exhibitors order two, one for the main stand and one spare for a second event running the same week.

Ask the Organiser for the Table Dimensions Before You Approve Artwork

A table cover is cut to a table you may never have seen, so the first email goes to the event organiser, not to us. Ask for the exact length, width and height of the venue tables, and whether the exhibitor manual sets any fabric rules, because a fitted cover made to a six foot table from your own kit will not sit right on a venue table 30 mm shorter. If the answer is vague, choose a throw style, which tolerates small differences. Decide on an open back if you will sit behind the table, and whether the sides carry the logo or stay plain.

Send the table size, the style and your artwork, ideally a vector logo, and a custom quote comes back within one working day. A free design proof shows the layout on a flat template before printing. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval and free tracked delivery reaches UK mainland addresses in 2 to 3 working days, so leave a margin before the show. Exhibitors who dress the whole stand usually add printed A3 posters in the same artwork.