names board instead of escort cards

mccalau

I am thinking about having everyone's names and tables numbers printed on a poster instead of the traditional escort cards.  Has anyone done this?  How much did it cost and who did you use? 

MissOwl

i've printed boards like the for work. i would suggest that you call places like staples and such and ask about their pricing for wide format printing. you should get your paper printed there and then mount it on foamcore yourself (it will save you tons of money). 

i'm not sure if this helps but i think at the OSU library and columbus library, they have wide format printers that community members can use that are cheaper. don't quote me on it but you should definitely check it out.

also, do your design in powerpoint and then just set the page format to like 3ft by 4ft or something like that instead of paying someone to design it for you.

skibunnyk

We're doing that. And our invitations vendor, Occasionally Custom Correspondance, is doing it. They quoted us at $75 and even did a mock-up for us using our invitation design  

gcbuckeye2

I am thinking about ordering one off Etsy.  There are lots to choose from on there, and they just send you the digital file for you to take to Staples or Kinkos to get printed.  I have also seen some on zazzle.com.

sherise40

I am doing this too.
I am having someone on etsy make the chart and send me the jpeg.
You can go to kinkos and have it printed on a poster board then use a spray adhesive and put it on a foam board.
Jpegs from etsy are anywhere from $25-$70
Print not sure at kinkos prob depends on poster
Foam board and spray adhesive $7

katy0293

I plan on doing this... I'm going to get a cool frame (to match whatever your decor is) that's black and probably real decorative/antique-y, a foam board that will fit in the frame and covering the foam board in fabric.  Probably black fabric and a print at the top with some pretty ribbon (like the black damask and green at the top of your inspiration).  For the monogram type thing, I'll probably put some kind of sign up there... dunno... monogram or "Follow me" or something lol... could be anything! Then I'll print off each table seperately and mount them on cardstock and put them on the board... that's my plan for now, hope that helps it might be cheaper than having it printed, but I haven't checked pricing on that

ehighley

I think that the poster could actually be CHEAPER than doing escort cards, depending on what the cards would be like. Our escort cards are costing near $100 - for about 175 cards made with cardstock, ribbon and a cute lollipop.

I think the poster is really cute and worth the cost!

TerraandSteve

I am doing this myself.  I'm actually designing the layout of the venue and then having names in place at the table with a side index of alphabetical names.  I'm a graphic designer  so I'm doing it all on my own (printing as well).  But Key Blueprints of 195 E. Livingston Ave (614-228-3285) is excellent and great pricing for large format printing.  Where ever you go to have the design done be sure to:

1. Have it designed no lower than 300 dpi

2. Try to have it designed to scale (blowing up the image often pixilates even at 300 dpi)

3.  Ask for an EPS, High Resolution PDF, and the original files.  Jpgs aren't always the best files when printing a large image.  And all printers should be able to print from one of those 3 options and you will get the best quality.

The most expensive thing of this is going to be the design. Most of us work on an hourly basis and charge from $60 - $90 per hour.  So if you can find a good place or person to design then you will save money.  The printing for full color images usually runs around $2.50 per sq ft. then goes up from there depending on media type. Most printers can also do the mounting for you as well.  So for a poster that is about 24x36 (standard size 2 x3  ft) you are looking at around $25 to $45 depending on media and finishing.  But like I said the most important part is the design work.  If you don't get the best quality image it will look crappy once blown up.  Our saying in the design industry is "crap in...crap out."  i.e there's not much a printer can do with a low res image that may be the wrong size.  Hope this helps :-)

OSUellejay

We had a 18x24" seating chart rather than escort cards.  It worked out great, there was less paper wasted, and at $35 (rather than $0.75 each for escort cards), it was much cheaper.  We got all of our paper stuff from the same girl (Etsy seller paperandinkling) and I even have the plain black frame & table-top stand we used if someone would like to purchase it.  If you're interested, shoot me an email at lisajo19@hotmail.com.

JMS842

I'm definitely doing a Name Board for our reception! After seeing a couple of wedding with the board instead of the table cards, there's no question in my mind that I want the name board now. Overall, there seems to be less confusion on the guests part as far as seating. Plus, I thought it was a bit fun for us as guests!

Cassandra999

I think you can have posters printed from Vistaprint.  I'm what their prices are.  That is a cute idea.  I have never seen on at a wedding person, just online.