Place Card Maker

How to Print Place Cards from CSV | Fast Batch Workflow

A CSV file is often the fastest bridge between your guest list and a finished set of place cards. If your data came from Excel, Google Sheets, Airtable, an RSVP app, or another system, exporting to CSV gives you a clean batch-print workflow.

The key steps are:

  1. Export a clean UTF-8 CSV with one guest per row.
  2. Keep clear headers such as Guest Name, Table, Seat, or Meal.
  3. Upload the file at /import-data?source=csv or in Place Card Maker.
  4. Map the CSV columns to the fields in your place card template.
  5. Preview the full batch and fix any formatting issues in the CSV source.
  6. Export one print-ready PDF and print at 100% / Actual Size.

That is the simplest way to create place cards from CSV without manually copying names into Word, Canva, or a document table.

What the CSV Should Look Like

Your CSV only needs a few solid columns:

Guest NameTableSeatMeal
Emma Johnson8A1Vegetarian
Noah Carter8A2Chicken
Mia Davis3B4Fish
  • Put headers on the first row.
  • Use comma-separated values, not semicolons.
  • Save the file as UTF-8.
  • Keep one guest per row.
  • Remove blank rows before upload.

If names contain accents or other special characters, UTF-8 matters. It prevents garbled output in the imported place cards.

Step-by-Step: How to Print Place Cards from CSV

Step 1: Export the source file cleanly

Most users do not start with a CSV. They start in:

  • Excel
  • Google Sheets
  • an RSVP tool
  • a CRM or contact export

Export only the columns that matter for printing. A smaller CSV is easier to map and review.

Step 2: Upload the CSV

Go to /import-data?source=csv and choose the file from your device.

This works well when you already have a finalized guest list and want the fastest path from spreadsheet export to printable cards.

Step 3: Match the columns

Map the imported CSV fields to the design:

  • Guest Name to the main text line
  • Table if table assignments should print
  • Seat if exact seating is needed
  • Meal if meal markers belong on the card

The cleaner the headers, the faster this step goes.

Step 4: Choose the print format

Before export, choose the layout that matches your paper:

  • standard tent cards
  • flat cards
  • Avery-compatible sheets such as 5302 or 5388

If you need help choosing the right dimensions first, use Place Card Sizes.

Step 5: Preview the batch carefully

Look for these problems:

  • missing names caused by blank rows
  • odd symbols caused by bad encoding
  • extra quotes or commas from messy exports
  • text wrapping issues on long names

Fix the source CSV, then upload again. That is faster than editing every card by hand.

Step 6: Export PDF and print

Once the preview looks correct:

  1. Export the full batch as PDF.
  2. Open the PDF in Acrobat or Preview.
  3. Print at 100% / Actual Size.
  4. Test on plain paper first.
  5. Load cardstock or Avery-compatible sheets for the final run.

Common CSV Problems and Fixes

Strange characters appear in guest names

The CSV is probably not saved as UTF-8. Re-export it with UTF-8 encoding, then upload again.

Too many blank cards were generated

Delete empty rows from the CSV before import.

Columns are not mapping cleanly

Rename headers to simple labels such as Guest Name, Table, and Meal. Avoid vague headers like Column 1 or Data.

The output does not align on the sheet

The PDF print settings are likely shrinking the page. Print at 100% / Actual Size, never Fit to page.

CSV vs. Google Sheets vs. Word

Choose CSV when:

  • your guest list comes from another system
  • you want a simple file-based workflow
  • you do not need a live connection back to the spreadsheet

Choose Google Sheets when:

  • multiple people are updating the list
  • the seating chart changes often
  • you want the spreadsheet to stay editable in the cloud

Choose Word + Excel only when:

  • you specifically need a Word document workflow
  • you are comfortable with mail merge

For the other two paths, start here: