Wedding welcome sign: type your names and print

Type your names and date into the sign maker, pick one of five layouts and a font, then print it or save an image for a poster print. No rule says you must have a welcome sign. It earns its place when guests meet more than one door, or the ceremony and reception are in different places.

Layout table: five welcome sign layouts and the sizes they print at

Pick the layout first. The size follows from where the sign stands and how far guests are from it.

Table: Five welcome sign layouts with the paper sizes each prints at (our estimate, assumptions below)

Sizes are in inches. Letter is 8.5 by 11. We list sizes where each layout stays readable, not every size it can print at. The Day plan layout carries more words, so it needs a larger sheet than the others.

How far each size reads

Letter height sets reading distance. A sign vendor gives a rule of about 1 inch of letter height per 10 feet, written for road and storefront signs. Treat it as an upper bound for a wedding sign, since guests are also reading while they walk.

We assume the names line is 9% of the sign height and the date line is 4%. These are our design assumptions, not a standard.

Table: Letter height and reading distance by sign height (our estimate, assumptions above)

Turn a sheet sideways and the height drops, so the lettering shrinks with it. That is why the Banner layout trades distance for width.

The 24 by 36 sheet holds about nine times the paper of a Letter sheet, and its names read from about 32 feet instead of 10.

Worked example for a door easel

If the easel stood 15 feet from the door, the date would need a taller line. That is when the Stacked names or Day plan layout makes more room.

Pick a layout from your situation

Long names change the pick more than anything. A line of 15 characters sits comfortably on one line. At 25 or more, the letters shrink to fit, and Stacked names keeps them large.

Two venues change it next. If the ceremony ends at one spot and dinner starts at another, guests need a time and a place. Choose Day plan, then match it to your guest schedule sign so the times agree.

Outdoors, think about wind. A poster on a light easel acts like a sail, so weight the legs or lean the board against a table. Indoors, check for lamps behind the sign, because backlight makes dark text hard to read.

Four mistakes and the fix for each

1. Making the date too small. Guests at 10 feet cannot read a 0.44 inch line. Keep the date line at 4% of sign height or larger.
2. Sending a small image to a big poster. Soft edges show up fast at 24 by 36. Check the saved image against the pixel sizes below and print one size down if it falls short.
3. One sign for two doors. Print the Banner or a Letter copy for the second spot, or move one poster between ceremony and reception.
4. Skipping the proofread. A typo prints at full poster size. Send the preview to your partner and one friend before you order.

Table: Image size a print shop file needs, in pixels (our estimate, assumptions below)

We assume 300 dots per inch for small sheets read up close and 150 for posters read from a few steps back. Ask your print shop if they want more.

Steps

1. Type your names the way you want them printed, then the date.
2. Pick a layout from the table and a font that matches your invitation.
3. Read the preview aloud once for spelling and date order.
4. For Letter or 11 by 17, print at home. For larger sizes, save the image and send it to a print shop.
5. Mount the print on foam board or in a frame, and set it on an easel at the door.

Send a proof before you print

Share the page with your partner, maid of honor or planner, and send the saved image alongside it. Ask them to check three things: both names, the date, and any line you added. One person reads the names, another reads the date.

Your sign also sits among others. A welcome sign sets the tone, then the unplugged ceremony sign and your table signs do the work of directing guests. See the rest of your signs in one place, and match the names here to your place cards. If your tables are numbered, the seating chart is the next sign guests will look for.

Putting the sign on glass or a mirror changes the lettering and the cleanup, so read the mirror version first. For a size choice in more detail, see the poster size guide.

Save for later

Pin it now and find it when you are ready to plan.

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Updated November 5, 2026 by bigdaydesk editorial