This article was last updated on 28/06/2025.
❗️Important: These instructions are for customers who purchased templates from The Hello Bureau. If you bought a template elsewhere, please refer to your original seller for guidance. We are unable to assist with templates that were not created by us.
Creating your own printable seating chart with our templates is pretty simple — especially when you know the copy-paste trick. This step-by-step tutorial will show you exactly how to transfer your guest list from a spreadsheet (or Word doc) into your seating chart template using Templett.
Whether you’ve got 5 tables or 15, the process is the same (and you won’t have to manually type out 100 names).
Step 1: Prepare Your Tables
Start by adjusting your seating chart to match the number of tables you actually need. You can either add or delete tables depending on your guest list.
This is probably the fiddliest part — especially if you’re not used to working with layouts — but with a bit of patience and optimism, you’ll get the hang of it. Templett has a few handy tools that make it easier, and we’ve included some tips along the way to help you work through it.
Step 1.1: Deleting extra tables
If your template includes more tables than you need, you can remove the extras.
1. Select the unused tables
Click and drag your mouse over the tables you don’t need. An orange box will appear around the selection.
2. Delete the unused tables
Click the red trash bin icon in the top toolbar, or press the Delete key on your keyboard.
3. Rearrange and resize the layout
You can move tables around by selecting multiple elements at once and dragging them into place. This keeps your layout clean and evenly spaced. The easiest way to do this is by clicking and dragging your mouse over everything you want to select — you’ll see an orange box appear around the group. If you want to add more elements to your selection, just hold down Shift and click on each one.
To resize the text areas, select the group and drag one of the corner points outward to make it larger, or inward to make it smaller.
To adjust the row spacing between tables, select the whole row horizontally and move it up or down.
To align elements, select the ones you want to adjust, then click the Align Objects tool in the top toolbar. You can align them vertically or horizontally, and there are also options to distribute them evenly for consistent spacing.
Step 1.2: Adding More Tables
If your template has fewer tables than you need, you can easily add more using the Clone Object function.
1. Select all existing tables
Click and drag across the canvas to select all current tables. An orange box will appear around the selection.
2. Resize the group to make space
Once selected, drag one of the corner points inward to scale the group down slightly. This will make room for the extra tables without overcrowding the page.
3. Duplicate the tables you need
Click and drag to select one or more tables you’d like to duplicate. Then click Clone Object in the top toolbar.
4. Rearrange and adjust the layout
Once duplicated, move the new tables into position and resize everything if needed, using the techniques mentioned above in the Deleting extra tables section. You can repeat this process until you’re happy with the layout.
Want to start from scratch?
If you’d prefer to build your layout from the ground up, you can delete everything except one table. Format that table exactly how you want it — size, font, spacing — then use the Clone Object tool to copy it as many times as you need. From there, just arrange the tables into your preferred layout.
Step 2: Open Your Guest List Document
Now that the layout is done, all that’s left is to copy and paste your guest names into the seating chart template.
Open your guest list document. This might be a spreadsheet, Word doc, or even a PDF — anything that lets you highlight and copy text will work.
Step 3: Copy the Names for Table 1
In your guest list document, select all the names under your first table. Press CTRL + C (Windows) or COMMAND + C (Mac) to copy.
Step 4: Paste Into the Template
Back in Templett, double-click into the text box under “Table 1” (or whatever yours is called), delete the placeholder text, and paste your list using CTRL + V (Windows) or COMMAND + V (Mac).
Once pasted, you can change the letter case (e.g. ALL CAPS or Title Case) using the Text Case option in the top toolbar.
Step 5: Repeat for Each Table
Go back to your guest list document and copy the names for Table 2, then Table 3, and so on — pasting each group into the correct box in your template.
Step 6: Finalise the Design and Export as PDF
The final step is to finalise your design. Change fonts, adjust sizing, and align everything. Templett gives you full control over formatting, so it’s easy to make your chart match the rest of your stationery set. Once you’re happy with everything, export the template as a PDF and send it to your preferred printer.
If your seating chart background is white, export the PDF with all options turned off (like in the screenshot below).
If your design has a background colour or images that extend beyond the edges, export your PDF with bleed. This will add about 6.35 millimetres to your document edges so your printer can trim the seating chart to size without worrying about white edges showing.
Notes
- Save your work as you go! Browsers can be temperamental and Templett doesn’t have auto-save functionality at the moment.
- If you’re struggling with formatting the seating chart, reach out to us and we’ll be happy to help.
