Home/Sign size calculator
What size should our seating chart be?
Rather than guessing, this calculator actually lays out your number of names on each common board size — columns, letter headings and all — and checks whether the resulting type is comfortable to read from where your guests will stand.
Laying out names…
How “readable” is decided
A person with normal vision can just make out a letter that spans 5 minutes of arc. Reading a list comfortably needs roughly three times that. So at 1.5 m we want capital letters at least about 6.5 mm tall — around 27 pt type for the serif faces we use. At 1 m that falls to about 18 pt; at 2 m it rises to about 36 pt. The calculator compares those thresholds against the type size our layout engine actually produces at each board size.
Practical tips for the board
- Above about 150 guests, go alphabetical. Names by table look lovely but take longer to scan.
- Two boards beat one cramped board. Split A–L and M–Z across two easels and the queue halves.
- Mind the light. Evening receptions and candlelight call for a size up, or the high-contrast Midnight style with a light on the easel.
- Add a QR code so latecomers can look up their table on their phone — the planner can add one that opens a private seat finder.
See it with your own namesThe planner sizes your sign automatically for whatever board you choose.
Open the plannerRelated: Seating chart templates · QR code seating charts