Making standing signs with the Table Number Generator

Difficulty: medium. Time: 30-60 minutes per sign. Methods: laser cutting or 3D printing.

This is a complete standing-sign system. Each sign is built from layered panels, a solid back layer and a decorative front layer, that slot into a stand with tabs, so the sign stands on a table with no glue or hardware. The front layer can be a big number or word in your choice of font, or a lattice pattern fill (Voronoi, Hexagonal, Lines, Dots, Waves, or Hilbert) that lets the back layer show through.

Three presets get you started: Table Sign (a single arch panel, the classic wedding table number), Bar Menu (two panels, a Menu header beside a patterned companion), and Business Sign (three panels). Everything in a preset stays editable.

Open the Table Number Generator

What You'll Need

Laser: 3 mm laser-grade plywood for rustic signs, or two contrasting colors of acrylic for a premium layered look
3D printing: any FDM printer, ideally with two filament colors
Wood glue or 3M tape (467/468 for acrylic) to bond the front layer to the back layer

Step 1 - Start from a preset

Open the tool and pick the preset closest to your project: Table Sign, Bar Menu, or Business Sign. Set Material Thickness to your measured stock; the stand slots are generated from it, and the friction fit of the whole sign depends on it. Choose the panel count (1-3) and the Stand Shape (arch or rectangle) with its Stand Height and Stand Length.

Step 2 - Design each panel

Shape: each panel can be a Full Arch, Left Arch, Right Arch, Rectangle, Gothic, Octagon, Heart, Scalloped, or Wavy outline, with Width, Height, and shape-specific controls like Corner Radius, Scallop Count, and Wave Amplitude.
Type: Solid for a plain layer, Text for a big number or word (pick the Font, then position with Text Size, Text X, and Text Y), or Pattern for a lattice fill with Cell Size, Wall Thickness, and pattern-specific settings like Seed and Hilbert Order.
Frame Inset controls the solid border around text or pattern; Tab Width and Slot Position control how each panel meets the stand. Panel Gap spaces multiple panels along the stand.

Step 3 - Export

Download the SVG for the laser: all panel layers and the stand in one layout. Or download STL/3MF to print the sign as 3D parts. Check the 3D assembly preview before exporting to confirm the composition stands the way you imagined.

Choose Your Build Method

Cut and assemble

Cut the back layers from one material and the front (text or pattern) layers from a contrasting one; the contrast is what makes layered signs pop.
Test the stand slot fit with a scrap before cutting a full set of 20 table numbers. Adjust material thickness in the tool if the fit is loose.
Bond front layer to back layer with thin glue or 3M tape; tape is cleaner on acrylic.
Slot the panels into the stand. The tab fit is designed to hold friction-tight for transport.
For outdoor or repeated-event use, seal plywood signs with lacquer before assembly.

Make It Yours

Wedding set: arch table numbers 1-20 in the couple's colors, plus a matching three-panel head-table sign.
Bar menu with a chalkboard-painted back layer on the pattern panel so the specials stay rewritable.
Heart-shaped panel with a voronoi fill as a Valentine's pop-up shop sign.
Cafe counter sign: Gothic outline, business name in text, hexagonal companion panel.
Scalloped outlines with pastel acrylics for a baby shower dessert table set.
Use the Wavy shape with the Waves pattern fill for a beach wedding that commits to the theme.
Make seasonal swap-in panels for one stand: same tab width, different art every holiday.

Open the Table Number Generator

Monthly Updates