Eco place cards

EKO place cards do the same job as classic ones: they show guests their particular seat at the table. The difference lies above all in the paper. Instead of smooth coated stock you choose a paper with a colour, texture and more natural surface of its own.

Even a very simple design looks different as a result. Brown Kraftliner, Kazan with its visible grass fibre and the light and darker Flora papers become part of the whole setting for the event.

On a place card you can put the guest's name, a table number, the name of the event, a date, the couple's initials, a monogram, a logo, a delicate botanical motif or a short welcome line.

A place card helps organise the seating, makes it easier for guests to find their setting and supports the staff at larger parties. In the EKO version it also goes well with decorations built on wood, linen, jute, greenery and natural touches.

What you can use EKO place cards for

Place cards on natural papers work at many kinds of event:

• Weddings in a natural style - rustic, boho, garden, woodland or slow weddings. Natural papers go well with greenery, wood, linen, jute and botanical motifs.
• Family celebrations - communions, christenings, birthdays and anniversaries. Simple, legible designs in a calm style work well here.
• Company events - banquets, conferences, company dinners, galas and business meetings. A place card can mark the seat and serve a simple identifying purpose at the same time.
• Restaurants and hotels - tasting dinners, occasional parties, business breakfasts and events with a set seating plan. Place cards tidy up the settings and help guests find their place quickly.

You can match place cards stylistically to the invitations, the menu, the table numbers, the seating plan, the tags or the thank-yous for guests. That way the whole stationery set forms a consistent setting.

The place card format

We make EKO place cards in one format:

• 90×100 mm before folding, 90×50 mm folded - the classic, practical size for a standing table place card.

Folded, the card has comfortable proportions, looks good beside a setting and stays legible for the guest at the table.

On a surface like that you can fit a first name and surname, a table number, a short note, a small logo, a monogram or a delicate illustration.

The design does have to be prepared with the crease line in mind. The part visible once folded should be correctly positioned and keep a suitable margin from the fold.

With personalisation, leave room for longer details too. Double-barrelled surnames, titles or long first names may call for a slightly different layout or text size.

Which EKO paper to choose

Each paper in this category has its own shade and surface, so it is worth matching it both to the style of the event and to the colours of the design.

Kraftliner 300 gsm

A paper with a distinct brown colour and a typically kraft character.

It suits rustic, boho, woodland and regional weddings and less formal parties. Simple designs with clear contrast, darker printing and sparing artwork look best on it.

Kazan ecru 250 gsm and 300 gsm with grass fibre

Warm ecru papers with visible grass fibre. They have a natural, organic look and go well with botanical motifs and calm colours.

They suit weddings, family celebrations, outdoor events, restaurants, hotels and guesthouses.

Kazan 300 gsm is stiffer than the 250 gsm version and feels more solid in the hand.

Flora Avorio 240 gsm

A light, delicate paper with an elegant character.

It works well on wedding, communion, hotel and banquet place cards and on EKO designs in a subtler style. It sits nicely with simple typography and botanical motifs.

Flora Giglio 240 gsm and 350 gsm

A light, attractive stock suited to designs that should look natural while staying clean and elegant.

The Flora Giglio 350 gsm version is stiffer, so the place card has a more solid form.

Flora Tabacco 240 gsm and 350 gsm

Darker papers with a stronger colour presence. They suit botanical, autumnal, rustic, kraft and visually more decisive designs.

On these versions contrast matters especially. Simpler compositions, larger text and clear graphic elements work best.

Why there is no lamination

We do not laminate EKO place cards.

That is deliberate, because the natural surface of the paper is one of the most important parts of this product. Film would change the texture and feel of the stock and give it a more uniform, technical surface.

Without lamination the paper keeps its natural character:

• A natural surface - the visible texture and matt look suit a rustic, boho and slow style.
• Consistency with the decoration - the paper goes well with wood, linen, jute, greenery and other natural touches.
• A simpler form - with no film, the paper stays as it was chosen, with no extra layer on the surface.

The result is a place card with a natural colour and texture that fits a calm, organic table setting.

Printing

We print EKO place cards on one side, in full colour. The print sits on the part visible once folded.

You can put on it:

• the guest's first name and surname,
• a table number,
• the name of the event,
• the date,
• initials,
• a monogram,
• a logo,
• a short welcome line.

On place cards, legibility matters most. The text should be visible at the table, so it is better to keep the design fairly simple and not overload it with detail.

Remember too that the colour of the paper affects the look of the print. On natural stocks the colours can be warmer and more muted than on white coated paper.

On kraft, ecru and darker papers it is better to avoid very thin fonts, light colours, subtle lines and small ornaments. Clearer typography and the right contrast will read better.

File check and graphic design

When you place the order you choose one of three file preparation options:

• No file check - for agencies, designers and anyone confident the design is technically correct. The file goes straight into production.
• File check by a designer - we check the format, bleed, safe distances, image quality, colours and how the file was saved. On place cards we also check the fold line, the crease, the layout of the design before and after folding and whether important elements are set back from the edges.
• Simple graphic design - if you have no file ready, send us the list of surnames or first names, the style you want, the text, a graphic motif, colours or a logo. We will prepare a simple design matched to the format, the EKO paper you chose and the character of the event.

The technical check is worth choosing especially if the design was made in Canva, an online generator, an office program or with AI tools. Such files may need the format, bleed, fold line, CMYK, resolution or the contrast on natural paper adjusted.

The technical check does not cover the content. We do not check typos, first names, surnames, titles, table numbers, the list and order of guests, dates or agreement with the seating plan.

The customer is responsible for the accuracy of the personalised details, so go through the whole list carefully before sending the design.

How to prepare the file for print

• File format - a PDF prepared to our specification is best. We also accept good quality JPG and PNG files.
• Resolution and colours - photographs and artwork should be at 300 dpi at 1:1 scale, and the design prepared in CMYK.
• Bleed and margins - if a background or artwork runs to the edge, add the right amount of bleed. Move first names, surnames, table numbers, logos, dates and other important information away from the edges and from the fold line.
• Folding - remember that the design is 90×100 mm before folding and 90×50 mm after. Check that the visible part after creasing is correctly positioned and that the text is not too close to the fold.
• The colour of EKO paper - on kraft, ecru and darker stocks the colours can be less intense than on white coated paper. Avoid weak contrast, very light elements, thin lines and small text.
• Personalisation - before sending the file, check the spelling of names, the capitalisation, double-barrelled surnames, titles, table numbers and the order of the details.

Our site also has more information on preparing a design for print and on the most common mistakes in files.