Welcome Board Printing

Boards for Every Kind of Day

A welcome board does a simple job. It tells people they're in the right place, carries a name and a date, and usually ends up in a few photographs.

We print them on 5mm foam board in A1 or A2, from a single board, in two working days. Upload your own design — whether it's something you've had made, bought as a template, or put together yourself.

Which Board Do You Need?

• Wedding welcome boards — entrance signs, order of the day, bar menus and directional signage. The boards most likely to appear in the photographs.
• Wedding table plans — seating plans in A1 or A2, with guidance on sizing by guest count and when to order.
• Christening welcome boards — the baby's name and date at the entrance, photo boards and guest message signs.
• Birthday party welcome boards — milestone birthdays, children's parties, photo montages and themed signs.
• Funeral and memorial boards — photo boards, welcome signs and directional signage for the service and the wake.
• Corporate event welcome boards — conference signage, registration desks, agendas, sponsor boards and directional signs.

The board itself is the same across all of them — the difference is what goes on it, and the guidance on each page.

Sizes

• A2 (420 x 594mm) — directional signs, table signs and smaller displays. Good where you need several boards around a venue.
• A1 (594 x 841mm) — twice the area, and the usual choice for a main welcome board or anything at the entrance.

If the board will be photographed or read from across a room, A1 is worth the difference. Sizing a table plan is a decision of its own — guest numbers drive it, and that page covers the detail.

Gloss or Matt?

Both protect the print. The difference shows in photographs, and most of these boards get photographed.

Matt has no shine, so it won't reflect a camera flash, a window or overhead venue lighting. It's the safer choice for anything appearing in photos, and printed photographs look more natural on it.

Gloss gives deeper, more saturated colour in person. Better suited to bold graphic designs in softer lighting.

Most venues — churches, hotels, function rooms, conference centres — are lit from above, which is why we'd usually suggest matt.

The Board

Printed on 5mm solid PVC foam board. Rigid enough to stand on an easel without bowing, light enough for one person to carry and position.

It's solid board rather than paper-faced foam, so the edges stay clean and it won't dent if it's knocked at a busy event. It's also water-resistant, which matters at barn, marquee and garden venues where a board might sit near an open doorway.

Boards are supplied printed only — easels aren't included. Most venues have them, though it's worth confirming rather than assuming.

Using a Bought Template

A good share of the boards we print started as an Etsy or Canva template. That's fine — but two things catch people out.

Size. Many templates are sold at US sizes, 18x24 or 24x36 inches, rather than A1 or A2. Printed at A-size that means white edges or content getting cropped. Most sellers will supply an A-size version if you ask.

Format. A JPEG saved for screen will look soft at A1. You want a print-ready PDF at 300dpi.

If you're not sure, send it anyway — we check every file before printing and will tell you if there's a problem rather than printing something you'll be unhappy with.

Using Photographs

Photo boards are popular across every occasion, and image quality is the thing most likely to disappoint.

Use the original file from the camera roll rather than one that's been sent by WhatsApp or downloaded from social media — both compress images heavily, and it shows at A1. If you're scanning a physical photograph, scan at 600dpi or higher rather than photographing it. And if the only version you have is small, A2 will look considerably sharper than A1.

Artwork Requirements

• A2 with bleed: 430 x 604mm
• A1 with bleed: 604 x 851mm
• Bleed: 5mm all round
• Safe zone: 5mm
• Resolution: 300 dpi
• Format: PDF
• Colour: CMYK
• Fonts: outlined or embedded
• Additional: no printer marks

Free templates are available for both sizes on every product.

Every file is checked by a real person before printing. We don't make changes or fixes to artwork, so files should be supplied print-ready.

Turnaround & Delivery

Production takes 2 working days from receipt of artwork, with delivery on top of that.

UK delivery is £6.50 per order, reflecting the size of the boards. Collection from our Burnley production facility is also available, which is quicker if you're local and working to a tight date.

For anything with a fixed date, order with a few days in hand. Artwork problems are the usual cause of delay, and a day or two of margin removes the risk.