Table Tent QR Code
A table tent sits closer to a diner's eyes than almost any other QR placement, which changes exactly how big the code needs to be.
02 / Content
Where should the code go?
03 / Style
04 / Preview
Exactly what downloads
See it on
Previews only — the card, tent, poster and sticker are not in the download. You get the code with its frame.
Distance decides the size
A table tent is read from unusually close range compared to most QR placements — a diner leans in from perhaps 30 to 40cm rather than the metre-plus distance of a wall poster. The working rule is that a code needs to be about a tenth of its intended scanning distance in width, which puts a comfortable table tent code at roughly 3 to 4cm square: large enough to focus on quickly, small enough not to dominate a small card.
Lamination helps and hurts in equal measure
Laminating a table tent is close to essential — it survives spills, wipes clean and lasts through a full service without curling. But a glossy laminate finish reflects overhead lights and window glare directly back at a scanning phone, sometimes badly enough to wash out the contrast a camera needs. A matte laminate protects the card just as well while staying far more forgiving under the mixed lighting most dining rooms have.
Print both faces
The mistake that quietly halves a table tent’s usefulness is printing the code on only one side. Most tents sit in the middle of a table with diners on both sides, and a code visible to only half the table means the other half either doesn’t notice it or has to awkwardly turn the tent to find it — something almost nobody does mid-meal. Printing identical copies on both faces costs nothing extra and reaches everyone seated.
What the scan itself does
For most uses — a menu, a review link, a WiFi network — the tent’s code opens straight into a browser or the relevant app on the diner’s own phone, with no waiting and no download. Whatever destination you choose, keep the label above or below the code specific enough that a first-time diner understands the action before they commit to reaching for their phone.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- What's the right code size for a table tent specifically?
- As a rule of thumb, a code needs to be roughly a tenth as wide as the distance it will be scanned from. Someone seated at a table reads a tent from about 30-40cm away, so a code of 3-4cm square is comfortable — noticeably smaller than what you'd need on a wall poster viewed across a room.
- Why do laminated table tents sometimes scan worse than plain paper ones?
- Glossy lamination reflects overhead lighting and window glare straight back into a phone's camera, which can wash out the contrast a scanner needs. A matte laminate finish protects the card from spills just as well without introducing that reflective glare, and it's usually worth the small extra print cost.
- Should the code appear on both sides of a table tent?
- Yes, if the tent is meant to be readable from either side of the table, which most are. Printing the code on only one face means half your seated guests either don't see it at all or have to physically turn the tent around, which most people simply won't bother doing.
Other QR code types
QR code guides
Printing, sizing, or troubleshooting a code? Read our QR code guides and troubleshooting articles.