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Wedding guest book sign: wording and printable

Wedding guest book sign wording for six kinds of guest book, with a printable 5 by 7 layout. Pick a line and print. Free. Free to print.

A guest book sign has one job: tell people what to do with the thing on the table. Pick the kind of guest book below, choose a line, add your names and print a 5 by 7 inch sign that fits a standard table stand. The ten lines in the table are written to be read in two seconds.

Wording table: ten guest book sign lines by type

Pick the row that matches what is actually on your table. A sign that says “sign” above a photo album sends guests looking for a pen instead of a camera.

#Guest book typeSign lineCharactersPrint size
1Classic bookSign our guest book195 x 7 in
2Classic bookLeave us a note for our first anniversary415 x 7 in
3Polaroid or instant photoTake a photo, stick it in, sign below375 x 7 in
4Polaroid or instant photoOne picture, one sentence255 x 7 in
5Advice cards in a boxWrite us a piece of advice265 x 7 in
6Advice cards in a boxShare one tip for a long marriage335 x 7 in
7Fingerprint or thumbprint treePress a thumb, add your name285 x 7 in
8Audio guest book phonePick up the phone and leave us a message405 x 7 in
9Photo booth stripsKeep one strip, stick one in the book375 x 7 in
10Any typeWe would love your words245 x 7 in

Table: ten guest book sign lines with character counts and print size (counts are exact, size is our layout).

Row 10 works when you have not chosen a guest book yet or run two types on one table. It asks for words without naming a tool.

Hand-lettered wooden sign reading please sign our guest book on a navy table with pink flowers
Photo: Erika Fletcher, Unsplash

Match the line to the verb

The strongest lines start with an action the guest can do in the next ten seconds. Look at what changes between rows. “Sign” fits a book. “Stick” fits an album. “Press” fits a tree. “Pick up” fits a phone. “Write” fits cards.

Lines that ask for something big stall at the table. “Share your deepest wishes for our future” makes people think, then walk on. “One picture, one sentence” sets a clear limit and gets more entries from guests who feel they have nothing clever to say.

How big the type needs to be

Guests read a table sign from about arm’s length to three feet. One sign vendor gives a rule of thumb of about 1 inch of letter height per 10 feet of viewing distance. It was written for road and storefront signs, so it is a ceiling for a table. We use it as an estimate only.

Example, our own estimate with assumed numbers.

  • Reading distance assumed: 3 feet.
  • Rule of thumb gives 3 / 10 = 0.3 inch of letter height at minimum.
  • A capital letter is about 0.7 of the font size, so 0.3 / 0.7 x 72 = about 31 pt as the floor.
  • We set the line at 36 pt, which gives capitals of about 0.35 inch.
  • A 5 by 7 sign with 0.5 inch margins leaves a 4 inch text width, which is 288 pt.
  • At 36 pt we assume an average character is half the font size, 18 pt wide, so about 16 characters fit per line.

From that, the longest lines in the table (41 and 40 characters) wrap to three lines at 36 pt. That is fine on a 7 inch tall sign. If the table sits across a hallway, move up to 44 pt: lines of 13 characters, and the same long lines wrap to four.

Worked example: Amara and Theo, Saturday, June 12, 2027

They chose a polaroid album with a small instant camera. They want the sign to give the instruction, carry their names and date, and fit a 5 by 7 frame they already own.

Example, our own calculation with assumed numbers.

  • Line chosen: “Take a photo, stick it in, sign below” is 37 characters.
  • At 36 pt that is 3 lines of up to 16 characters each.
  • Three lines at 36 pt with 44 pt line spacing is 3 x 44 = 132 pt, about 1.8 inches.
  • Names line, “Amara and Theo”, at 24 pt, with the date below at 18 pt: roughly 0.6 inch together.
  • Total text height is about 2.4 inches of the 6 inch usable height, so there is room to spare.
  • Paper: one 5 by 7 sign is 1 sheet of Letter, trimmed. Print 2 in case the first trim is off.

Leave the extra height empty. A guest book sign looks calmer with space around the words than with a larger font crammed in.

Steps to print and set up

  1. Choose your guest book type in the maker above, then pick a line from the table.
  2. Type your names and the date. Leave the date off if the sign is already tight.
  3. Look at the preview at actual size, not zoomed in.
  4. In the print dialog, set scale to 100 percent and turn off headers and footers.
  5. Print on the heaviest paper your printer accepts, then trim to 5 by 7 inches.
  6. Put the sign in the stand, then place the sign, the book and two pens together on the table.

If someone else is setting up the table, use the share row on this page to send them the line you chose.

Where the sign and the table go

Put the guest book table where each guest passes once, early. Just inside the reception entrance works, and so does a spot next to the welcome sign for the entrance. If the welcome sign is a mirror, the mirror lettering layout shows how to keep the two signs consistent.

Do not put it beside the bar. People in a queue hold a drink in one hand and will not stop to write. A table near the cocktail hour space gives guests time to stand and write.

Put a fine-tip pen on the table, plus a spare. A pen on a string works at a classic book. For a photo album, put the camera, spare film and a roll of tape on the table too.

Mistakes with guest book signs

  • A line that does not match the table. “Sign our guest book” over an album of instant photos leaves guests unsure. Use the row for your type.
  • Too much text. Past about 40 characters guests skim. Cut the second sentence.
  • Decorative script at a small size. Thin script at 36 pt turns grey from three feet. Use a plain face for the line and script only for the names.
  • Skipping the stand. A sign leaning on the book slides flat. Use a frame or a stand, sized to match your print.
  • Forgetting the pen. The sign promises an action. Without a pen the action fails.

Guest book signs sit in a set. The other wedding signs you can print page lists the rest. If your ceremony is phone-free, the unplugged ceremony sign shares the same 5 by 7 frame size, so one set of frames covers both. Still choosing the book itself? The guest book ideas worth considering page compares formats, and the polaroid album option covers the instant photo setup. For the reception table plan, the seating chart maker shows where the guest book table sits in the room. If the signs are part of a bigger list, browse the full set of wedding printables.

Paper pin showing a printable 5 by 7 inch wedding guest book sign in a small stand beside a guest book and a pen

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Questions people ask

What should a guest book sign say?

Say what to do in one short line, matched to what sits on the table. A book needs "Sign our guest book". A photo book needs a photo instruction. A card box needs to name the card. Keep it under about 40 characters, add your names and the date only if there is room, and skip poems that guests will not read standing up.

What size should a guest book sign be?

A 5 by 7 inch sign in a small table stand suits most guest book tables, because guests read it from about arm's length to three feet. Use 8 by 10 inches only if the table is in a busy hallway and people read it from further back. Pick the frame first, then trim the print to fit it.

Do guests need instructions?

Yes, if the guest book is anything other than a plain book. Guests will sign a classic book without help, but they hesitate at a polaroid album, a card box or a fingerprint tree. One action verb on the sign, such as "stick", "write" or "press", removes the hesitation and gets more entries.

Where should the guest book table go?

Put it where guests pass once, early, such as just inside the reception entrance or next to the welcome sign. Avoid the bar line and the dance floor edge, where people stand in a queue and will not stop. Light the table and keep a pen on a string or a spare nearby.

Sources

  • www.signs.com/blog/?p=16381 (opens in a new tab) : Rule of thumb of about 1 inch of letter height per 10 feet of viewing distance. A commercial sign vendor writing about road and storefront signs, so we treat it as an upper bound and label our type sizes as estimates.

Updated by bigdaydesk editorial

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