What a table tent is, and what size to make it
A table tent is a folded card that stands on its own like a small tent — the kind that labels dishes on a buffet, marks a reserved table, or names a drinks station. It has to read from a few feet away and stand without leaning on anything, so it's bigger than a place card: this maker folds to 7 inches wide and about 2.2 inches tall, with the label printed on both faces.
For one or two signs, writing on a folded piece of cardstock is quick enough. Across a whole buffet it's hard to keep a dozen of them the same size and equally legible, which is where printing wins. Reusable plastic tent-sign holders are worth buying for a venue that resets tables often (you slide a printed strip in and out), but they're another thing to own and store. You can lay one out in Word, though mirroring the label onto both halves so it reads once folded is manual work.
Our Table Tent Maker handles that layout: paste your labels and it prints two folded signs per sheet, each label sized to read across a room and repeated so both faces show it. It's free. The size and design are fixed, so it's a labeling tool, not a poster designer.
Using the free Table Tent Maker
In the box near the top labeled "One label per line," put one label per line and keep it to a word or two so it prints large ("Vegetarian," "Gluten-Free"). For a smaller second line, like an allergen note, type a comma after the label and then that text. Click "Generate … Table Tents (PDF)" for two signs per sheet.
Printing, cutting, and folding
Cardstock is what keeps a table tent standing; the rest is printing at full size and a clean fold.
- Open the PDF and choose Print.
Double-click the downloaded file, then choose Print (in the File menu, or Ctrl+P on Windows, Cmd+P on a Mac). The window that opens is the print dialog. - Set the size to 100%.
Printers shrink pages a little by default, which makes the signs come out small and shifts where the fold lands. Find the setting called Scale (or Size, or Page Scaling), set it to 100% or "Actual size," and turn off any "Fit to page" option. - Load cardstock and print.
Cardstock is thick, stiff paper; copy paper is too floppy to hold a sign up. Load a few sheets and print, feeding one at a time if it jams. - Cut the signs apart.
Cut along the outer edges. Turn on the "Show faint cut guides" checkbox before you download if you want lines to follow. - Score the fold, fold, and stand it.
Run a butter knife or an empty pen along the center line under a ruler to press a shallow groove, then fold along it into a tent. The score gives a crisper, steadier peak.
The exact dimensions
Flat, each tent is 7″ wide × 4.375″ tall, two to a portrait US Letter sheet. Folded along the center it stands 7″ wide and about 2.2″ tall, with the label on both faces. That's large enough to spot down a buffet line without taking over the table.
Place card or table tent?
A place card is smaller (3.25″ × 4.25″ flat, four per sheet) and made to read up close at one seat. A table tent is bigger and meant to be seen from standing height. Use place cards for a seated dinner and table tents for a buffet, a drinks station, or a reserved-table sign. For the smaller ones, see how to make place cards.