Custom Table Tent Cards

Sizes That Suit Tables, Bars and Desks

Size depends on the space and the reading distance. A small tent around A6 face size sits neatly on a two-person café table without crowding the cups, with the A4 table tents kept for reception desks. Bars and hotel receptions often prefer a larger card, around A5, so it reads from a step back. Long narrow tents fit bar tops and buffet counters where width matters more than height.

Measure the space you actually have once plates, glasses, condiments and a candle are in place. A beautiful tent that has to be pushed aside every time food arrives soon ends up behind the till.

If your venue has a mix of small and large tables, two sizes printed with the same artwork keep the look consistent.

Height deserves the same attention as width. A tall card can block the view across a small table and get knocked over by elbows, while a very short one disappears behind glasses. A face height close to that of a menu card held upright tends to be comfortable to read without getting in the way.

Card Weight, Finish and Wipe-Clean Options

Table tents get handled, splashed and wiped, so board weight and finish matter. A heavy silk or matt card holds its fold well and stands upright; the board and card types guide lists the weights. Adding a gloss or matt laminate turns the tent into a wipe-clean card that survives spilt coffee and sticky fingers for weeks rather than days.

Uncoated card has a natural feel that suits farm cafés and restaurants with a rustic interior, but it stains more easily, so it works best for short promotions that change often.

For premium venues, a soft-touch laminate or a spot gloss on the logo adds a quiet touch of quality that guests notice when they pick the card up.

If the same tents will be reused for months, such as Wi-Fi and breakfast details in hotel rooms, choose the heaviest board with a laminate. For a short promotion that changes every fortnight, a lighter unlaminated card is perfectly adequate and keeps each run economical.

Writing a Card People Act On

Start with what you want the guest to do, then work backwards. If the goal is dessert orders, a mouth-watering photo and the name of the pudding beat a list of every sweet on the menu, and the print and finish options compared page shows how a laminate keeps that photo clean. If it is feedback or bookings, a short line and a QR code that opens the right page work best.

Use both faces sensibly. One side can carry the main offer and the other the practical details, or each side can promote something different if two groups of guests will see it. Avoid tiny text. If someone has to lean in to read it, they probably will not.

Change your tents regularly. Guests who visit often stop noticing a card they have seen many times, while a new image or offer gets read again.

Allergen prompts are a useful job for a table tent too. A short line asking guests to tell staff about allergies before ordering, printed on every table, supports your team and reassures diners without adding clutter to the menu.

Where Table Tents Work Hardest

Hotels use them in rooms, on breakfast tables and at reception for spa offers, room service and checkout times. Cafés and coffee shops promote food pairings and loyalty cards, sometimes with a printed die-cut flyer tucked behind the tent. Pubs and bars push cocktails, quiz nights and private hire. Restaurants highlight set menus and allergen information prompts.

Beyond hospitality, table tents appear at conferences with session details, in hair salons with treatment offers, at wedding receptions as table numbers, and on office reception desks with visitor sign-in instructions.

Event organisers often order several designs at once so each table can show a different sponsor or session.

Holiday parks, golf clubhouses and garden centre cafés use them as well, often to cross-promote another part of the site, such as the shop, the spa or an upcoming event in the function room.

Put a Folded Draft on a Laid Table Before You Approve the Size

Table tents are judged with cups and plates in the way, so print a draft on a desktop printer, fold it and stand it on a fully laid table at your venue. If it blocks the salt or falls over when a plate goes down, a locking base or a smaller face usually fixes it. Read it seated too; a message that needs leaning in is ignored. Decide which face carries the offer and which the practical details such as Wi-Fi or ordering instructions, and whether table numbers are printed on each card.

Let us know the size, the folding style, the board and finish and your artwork or a rough message, and a custom quote comes by email within one working day, simple cards from £0.25 each, minimums low and quoted per job. A free design proof shows both faces and the fold position so no text lands in the crease. Printing takes 4 to 7 working days after approval and the pre-scored cards arrive flat on free tracked UK mainland delivery in 2 to 3 working days. Venues that print a seasonal menu usually add printed folded brochures to the same order.