Custom Regular Slot Table Tents That Take Swappable Inserts

Slot Styles and Insert Sizes

The most common layout is a horizontal slit near the top and bottom of each face, which holds the insert flat like a photo in an album. Corner slots, where four small diagonal cuts catch the corners of the card, give a neater look and grip thinner inserts well. A single pocket slot along the base works for thicker cards that just need to lean in place.

Inserts are typically A6 or a slightly smaller custom size that sits inside the A5 face of the tent. Tell us the insert size you plan to use and we will cut the slots to match with a small allowance, so cards slide in easily but do not drop out when a guest picks the tent up. If you already have inserts printed elsewhere, send one in the post or give us exact measurements. Where the insert needs to be A5, our large slot table tents for A5 inserts have the bigger frame.

Board and Finish for a Tent That Lasts

Because the frame is meant to stay out for a long time, it needs to be tougher than a single-use tent. We recommend a stiff board of around 350 to 400 gsm, laminated on both sides. Matt lamination looks modern and reduces glare under pendant lights; gloss lamination makes colours richer and wipes clean a little more easily.

Tables get wiped down several times a service, and drinks get spilled. Lamination protects the print from moisture and from the edge wear that comes with constant handling. For bars and terraces, a thicker board or a double-layer base helps the tent stay upright when the door is open and there is a draught.

Inserts can be on lighter card, around 300 gsm, printed digitally in small runs so you can change them often without a large outlay. Our board guide lists the card weights that stand up on a busy table.

Where Regular Slot Tents Work Well

Restaurants and cafés use them for daily specials and set menus. Pubs use them for quiz nights, live music and sports fixtures. Hotels place them in breakfast rooms and on reception desks to promote spa treatments or late checkout. Conference venues use them on delegate tables for session timings that change each day, and retailers stand them on counters to highlight a monthly promotion beside the till.

They are also handy for multi-site operators. One frame design can go out to every location, while each site prints its own inserts for local events. That keeps the brand consistent without forcing every branch to run the same offer.

Designing Inserts People Actually Read

Guests glance at a table tent while they wait for drinks or for a friend to arrive, so the insert has a few seconds at most. Lead with one thing: the dish, the deal or the event. A large photo or a bold headline does more than a list of five offers in small type. If you want to promote several things, rotate them on different tables or on the two faces of the tent rather than crowding one card.

Write the insert in the same voice your staff use. A short, warm line such as ask us about tonight’s pie usually works better than formal marketing copy. Keep prices large if you show them, and give the end date of an offer so staff know when to swap the card.

Finally, print a few insert designs at once. Having the next card ready in a drawer means the change actually happens on the day it should, instead of the old special lingering for weeks because nobody had time to order a replacement. Many venues simply print A6 flyers printed as inserts and slot them in each week.

Order the Frames Once and the Inserts Every Time the Offer Changes

The economics of a slot tent are simple: the frame is printed once and lasts for months, the insert is reprinted as often as the specials change. So fix the insert size first, usually A6 in an A5 frame, and ask for the insert template so every future batch fits the slots. Keep the frame artwork calm around the slot so the insert is what the eye lands on, laminate the frame if tables are wiped daily, and put a QR code for the full menu on the frame rather than the insert so it stays valid. Tell us how many tables you cover and whether the terrace needs a heavier board. Chains can send one frame design to every branch and let each order its own A6 flyers as slot inserts.

Send the tent size, insert size, table count and artwork, and a custom quote comes by email within one working day. The free proof shows the frame with the insert in place. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval, tents arrive by tracked courier to UK mainland addresses, and misprinted or damaged tents reported within 10 days are reprinted or refunded.