How to Print a Table Card

In 2008, the average wedding in the United States cost $23,657, according to The Knot. Three percent of that amount was spent on stationery, a category which can include everything from invitations and programs to table and seating cards. Printing some of your own stationery can help to cut down on the cost of throwing a wedding or any other type of event. One of the easiest places to do it yourself is with your table cards. These cards are typically numbers, letters or words and are placed on the center of a reception table to guide guests to their assigned seats.

Instructions

1

Turn on your computer. There are several programs that you can use to help you design a table card, including a word processor, applications like paint or software such as Microsoft PowerPoint. For the purpose of this tutorial, we will use a standard word processor, such as Microsoft Word.

2

Open your word processor and open a new document.

3

Browse fonts by searching the "Font" menu inside the "Format" tab at the top of the page. Select a few of these fonts to test. Type a few letters or numbers in each font on the screen, then print them out using standard white printing paper. You should save the heavy card stock for the final product.

4

Compare the printed versions of each font. Some fonts may look different on your computer screen than they do on paper. Consider the clarity of each font (can you clearly tell the No. "1" is a "1" and not a "7") as well as the style. Select one of the fonts for the final version of your table cards.

5

Select the desired font from the menu found under the "Format" tab. Choose a larger font size, so the letter or number takes up most of the page. You may want to use the "Bold" button (also found in the "Font" menu in the "Format" section) to make it stand out even more. Insert a "Page break" (found in the drop down menu under the "Insert" tab) to make sure that you only have one letter or number per page.

6

Create the appropriate number of table cards for your event. If you will have six different tables, you will want six table cards with different numbers or letters on them. For continuity, choose either all numbers or all letters, rather than mixing and matching.

7

Insert the heavy card stock into your printer. This type of stationery is more durable than standard white printing paper. It will also look better.

8

Print one of the table cards. Check it to make sure that it looks right, that it is large enough and that the ink isn't smeared or smudged. Once you've looked it over, print the rest of the letters or numbers in the series.