A custom table cover is a great winning strategy that reflects your brand image and personality at trade shows and other events. It also helps you come across as a professional and leaves your customers with a lasting impression.
To get started on the design of your customized tablecloth, consider the type of service you're offering and how you want it displayed. This will help you settle for a type and style of table cover that meets your marketing needs.
You’ll also be able to come up with stylish logos and images to give your event a touch of class and elegance.
Customizing your tablecloth, ensures it fits the theme of your event. It also helps you connect with new clients and gets your prospects more interested in what you have to offer.
Using our best practices for designing personalized tablecloths discussed below, you’ll be able to:
- Choose the best fabric.
- Select appropriate patterns.
- Use digital templates to customize your tablecloths.
- Decide on the best print method.
- Choose the perfect size and shape for your custom tablecloth. Our tablecloth size calculator can help you find the right fit with ease.
Choose an appropriate color palette that matches the decor of your event space.
Expert Tip: For your branded tablecloth to attract attention, not just any pattern will do. You need to ensure that your creative prints have a straightforward message, highlight the benefits of your brand to your customers and send a relevant message.
#1: Choose a High-Quality Fabric to Fit Your Brand's Theme
The fabric you choose for your custom table cover will depend on the setting (indoor vs. outdoor) and the purpose of your event (e.g., sporting activities vs. trade shows).
At MVP Visuals, we offer three types of material: polyester, spandex/stretch, and canvas.
In the following table, we compare spandex to polyester and canvas to help you make the best fabric choice.
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Fabric |
Use |
Best Features |
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Best for in-office corporate workshops and outdoor events |
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Perfect for outdoor or indoor trade shows & events, like food demonstrations and sporting events where you come into contact with your audience |
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Best for frequent outdoor trade shows & events in any weather |
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All these fabrics are 100% flame retardant to provide a high level of fire prevention.
If you can't decide on the right fabric, we're happy to send you a free sample tablecloth via USPS that will be shipped out within 24 hours of your request to help you make the right choice.
Request a sample now at no cost, and we’ll send you the confirmation and the tracking number.
“This was our first time using MVP Visuals, and it was fantastic! Everything was seamless from the first email 'live chat' to when we got our order! The quality of the spandex material is awesome.”
#2: Use Digital Templates to Create Your Personalized Tablecloth
Since most print companies will let you download their digital templates, you can leverage these to create the design yourself.
You need a print-ready art file for your table cover patterns. We suggest using a vectored art file, which is easy to customize with Adobe Illustrator, EPS, or any other vector-based software, for the best results.
These art files allow you to rescale the image without degrading or blurring it.
At MVP Visuals, we have templates to help you design your custom table cover. On our website, you can download the free digital template that'll allow you to:
- Access various styles and colors to suit your needs.
- Get the simplified design of products.
- Have complete control over your tablecloth style guide.
Make sure you choose the appropriate size for your intended use so that it fits well on your table (see below for sizing info).
Open the template in Adobe Photoshop or similar editing software and customize your tablecloth.
Once you’ve completed the designs, you can upload your final artwork, including Pantone colors and logo sizes. Our Art & Display Coordinators will look over your designs to make sure they can be printed well. You’ll also receive proof of approval before the production process begins.
#3: Select Appropriate Patterns for Your Event
Once you’ve downloaded the digital template, the next step is to decide on the design patterns and how they’ll appear.
Here are some creative patterns you can design on your custom table cover.
- Your brand's logo: Design your logo on the front of your table cover so it remains a focal point.
For best results, use the standard logo size of 45" x 13" and ensure that the letters are visible to read from at least 10 feet away. The letters should be 2–3 inches tall for a 6-foot table cover.
How to create the perfect brand logo
- The image: Design the image to complement the logo and not compete with it for attention. You’d want it to draw the audience's eyes to the logo.
To achieve this, download a free background and get creative by designing a high-resolution photo on Canva for print.
- Mascot: A colorful, unique mascot is a great way to attract the audience's attention, especially those with unique personalities.
Most food brands and science conventions will include a mascot in their tablecloths as it appeals to families and kids.
- Brand/event name: Pair the hosting company’s or event's name with your logo and make sure it’s straightforward to read.
It helps customers to easily identify your business and also defines it.
- Sneak in a tagline or slogan: A catchy, emotional, memorable phrase is a perfect way to draw an audience to your brand and improve your campaigns.
- A website URL: More than 266 million consumers in America shop online. So, putting your website URL on your branded tablecloth makes it easy for people to find your brand online and make purchases.
- Services offered: List a few essential services that your company provides. It appeals to many consumers and provides them with essential information about your brand.
#4: Decide on the Print Method You Want to Use
The best printing method in the industry today is dye sublimation. It uses unlimited ink colors, and the images you get are fully embedded into the material.
This ensures your print won't crack, peel, or wash away.
With dye sublimation, you get durable, smooth, and washable images. And the final result is a high-quality table cover full of vivid and vibrant colors.
Most printing companies use a standard color mode to print in—CMYK. It’s a four-color process of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. By mixing the four colors, CMYK makes it possible for printing machines to create all the chosen colors.
So, it's wise to set up your art file and ensure you are working with CMYK. This will enable you to get the exact colors you want once the final product is printed.
Also, be sure to turn any text into outlines or curves so that the printers don't use a different font.
Make sure to also embed all full-sized images into your file. You can use Adobe Illustrator to check the links panel or embed options to add pictures.
When images are embedded in files, the computer can read them, and anyone can open them without problems.
Do not change the size or flatten the layers when using digital templates. This will reduce the size, and the production team will not have access to any of the layers, thus limiting the edits. Instead, it’s wise to assign CMYK and solid coated Pantone values within the file.
#5: Determine the Best Style for Your Custom Trade Show Tablecloth
It's time to think about the style you want to incorporate into your custom trade show table cover. The many options include:
- Fitted table cover: An exact fit that creates a straight edge and covers all four corners to give a presentable shape.
They do not hang loosely and also do not stretch too tight. With this style, the viewers will see your brand message from all sides.
- Draped or throw table cover (shown above): Loosely flows over the top and sides of your table, showing free seamless corners.
You can also design one with tucked inverted pleats for a modern look. Throw table covers are suitable for concealing items under the table.
- Stretch table cover: Creates a tight fit that perfectly displays your unique logo and graphics by hugging the edges of your table.
These have a sleek, contemporary appearance that makes them popular at exhibitions.
Expert Tip: The style you choose can be open or closed-backed.
An open-back, also referred to as a 3-sided table cover, is printable on the top, front, left, and right sides, but the back is exposed. You can easily access the items stored under the table.
The closed back is printed on all sides (top, front, back, left, and right) and fully covers the table. It’s great for concealing items that you store under the table.
#6: Choose a Color Palette That Matches the Decor of Your Event Space
For an eye-catching, branded table cover, choose base colors that throw in some contrast to set off the theme.
Here are some ideas for colors you might want to try: black, white, red, pink, blue, green, yellow, and gray. These colors compliment most environments, and they highly contrast with each other. For example, blue and yellow contrast well in both hue and value, while white is a great contrast of colors with dark values.
Printing companies use the standard color space called the Pantone Matching System, which consists of 1 to 114 colors. It uses the Pantone numbering system to identify and match colors.
By adding the Pantone number or value to your art file, you can tell the printer what colors to use for your table cover.
Even though the colors may not appear the same on your monitor, it ensures you get the right color when the file is printed.
A Pantone value has a 3 or 4-digit number that indicates the Pantone color. It is followed by a suffix, like C, U, or M, which stands for coated, uncoated, or matte respectively.
Printing companies require solid coated values when color matching.
So, your color number can be (Blue 148) followed by the letter C, which stands for "coated." Hence, you will indicate PMS Blue 148C.
Remember that your chosen colors have to compliment the rest of your decor rather than overpower it.
#7: Choose the Proper Size and Shape of Your Custom Table Cover
For a perfectly fitted table cover, you need to know the size and shape of your table. In other words, how your logo looks on the Adobe Illustrator panel will depend on the size of your table. The size technically dictates whether your table cover will be a perfect fit or a drape over the edges.
To measure your table in the United States, we use inches. The most common table sizes will have widths ranging from 18" to 30" and heights from 30" to 42". For instance, a 6-foot table will measure 72"L, 29"W, and 30"H.
But, it’s wise to keep in mind that table covers can come in different shapes, including round and square. Rectangular shapes are the most preferred for conventions and trade shows, and these are their common measurements.
- 96” x 29” x 30” fits an 8’ table
- 72” x 29” x 30” fits a 6’ table
- 48” x 29” x 24” fits a 4’ table
Always get the measurement correct—you don't want an overly long tablecloth hanging down over your guests' laps or a tablecloth that’s too short.
Expert Tip: If unsure of what table cover size to use, MSP Visuals provides a convertible tablecloth throw that you can easily adjust from 6ft to 8ft long.
Draw Visitors to Your Booth With a Classy Custom Tablecloth
So there you have it! With the professional designs at MVP Visuals, you'll be able to see the print quality, design flexibility, and order turnaround time before deciding whether to go ahead with the project.
We give our customers an experience that can't be found anywhere else, in minutes, and give you free access to thousands of high-quality designs.
You can choose from various styles and colors, preview them, then select your favorite.
MVP Visuals also saves you time because it only takes one business day to print your custom tablecloth after your artwork is approved.
Does all of that sound good to you? Go ahead and order today!
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