22+ Place setting templates – Format, Printable Diagrams, PSD Templates & Samples

If you are hunting for a stunning place setting template, you have come to the right place.

Inviting a guest to a dinner gives immense happiness. When you have friends and family visiting you surprisingly, then your joy knew no bounds. And now your happiness becomes a concern the moment table setting thought surrounds you. Place setting involves a lot of intricacies. You can get know all the details in this post and above all find many different place setting templates available for your perusal.

Informal and Formal Place Setting Template

 When I say table setting, I know two things come to your mind. One is to treat people whom you think is formal, like your superiors in the office of an official guest. When it is informal, it could a gathering with friends and relatives who are not very particular about the strict table rules. The basic rules remain the same for both formal and informal with the inclusion of utensils, dishes, and glassware for the beverages and food served along with the extra courses.

In general, the flatware is kept above the table all at one time, and you can place the desserts on the table in the beginning or at the end. It is purely optional.

Find the underlying table setting for a complete day on one single day. The flatware to be used must be kept close to your plate.

Always leave the FORKS onto the left of the plate. Place the salad fork away from the plate, and the close to the plate is the fork for dinner. Sometimes informal meals, the salad is served only after the leading food and that time keep the forks another way around. For continental Fork, tines are placed downward, and American style follows tine direction upward.

Get the DINNER PLATE at the time of serving the main course and not immediately after the guest occupies the table. In general, place the larger plate either dinner or luncheon one inch above the table edge.

Leave the SALAD PLATE on the left side to the fork. Small plates including dessert, fish, and salad plates can be kept two inches from the table edge.

Place the DINNER KNIFE on the right-hand side next to the plate staying within a one-inch distance. Let the blade look in the plate direction, and the streak knife can be used if required in the place of the dinner knife.

Soup SPOONS are next to the outside knife. Central course spoon must be kept to next to it.

BUTTER KNIFE and BREAD PLATE are kept next to the fork and in the left side from the serving plate. The spreader is left on the plate.

When coming to GLASSWARE which is usually part of the FORMAL setting wine glass comes into the picture apart from the water cups. In a limited arrangement table you can feel free to leave the glass per your wish. But, on a crowded table, you must place glass items carefully to avoid any unpleasant situation.

Always make sure to keep the WATER GOBLETS in an accessible place and one inch above the knife’s tip used for dinner.

In the center of the place, setting leave the NAPKINS and the COFFEE CUPS to the right of it with spoons on the saucer.

Usually, for an informal lunch or dinner DESSERT SPOON are kept on the dessert plate. Dessert utensil also can be held on the plate itself.

PEPPER and SALT can be served per the taste of the people, and hence it must be kept on the right-hand side of the plate with first pepper and then salt shaker.  A small note may look kiddish, but essential. One punch shaker is pepper and multiple holes for salt as it is the finest.

Now you know the settings of both formal and informal. Get orderly done by just making small changes from casual and impress your guest. Have fun and learn more. Download the templates for a more relaxed understanding.

Above details gives the table setting ideas and that can be modified based on the purpose you have the meal for but follow the basic table setting rule given below.

Table Setting Thumb Rule – Five Must Follow Rules 

1. Utensils must be kept in the order they will be used and the first one on the outermost end with easy access to the hands.
2. Forks are left on the left side of the main serving plate with the only exception being the dessert fork that is left on the dessert plate.
3. Knives on the plate’s right side and the blade in the inward direction of the plate. Butter knife alone stands unique here as it is kept on the butter plate with an edge in the downward direction.
4. Spoons on the right-hand side of the plate again dessert plate is different because it is kept on the serving plate.
5. Keep all the vessels one inch from the table’s edge. Keep only what will be used for the meal.

When I say rule, then it is a must and remembers “a rule is a rule.”

Steps Involved in Table Setting For Breakfast 

Don’t panic that you need to change the entire set after a dinner to a breakfast and I understand your concern that morning time changing things might take some more time because it’s after all morning and the beginning of the day stuffed with so many activities in mind. Just a few simple things you must know to set your table for breakfast and receive a guest with a big smile on your face and mind.

Let me not bore you to death and will get into the business, necessary things required for breakfast are the plates for muffin or toast, cups for hot drinks and glass for fresh juice with a bowl for cereals.

Salad fork at the left side of the plate, spoon on to the right and butter knife. Larger spoon for consuming cereal and a small one for mixing the sugar in the hot drinks. Larger spoon away from the plate and smaller one close to the plate.

Place the plate in the center and leave the napkin and the silverware on the right side. Upper left the side of the plate is occupied by the juice glass and the cup and saucer opposite to it.

Check out the below videos for inspiration on how to set your breakfast table.

Dinner Table Setting Basics

The formal or the informal dinner again is based on your choice, and you can follow the guidelines given above. In addition to it put tablecloth for a formal dinner and it is optional for an informal meal. When it is a dinner, you can choose your dessert to be ice creams and get them after your main course but remember to arrange the dinner plates.

Kinds Of Table Setting

The four types of table setting include Informal, formal, Buffet, and Basic models. I have made a simple table for you to understand the items required and from this chart, you can evidently see the difference and similarity among all types of table. HERE YOU WITH THE DETAILS IN A TABLE FORM

This can be followed by all set of people and any meal. It is up to you to decide which one you are arranging for. You cannot choose buffet table set up for a formal dinner. On the other hand, setting the table formally for a casual meal does not fit the place. So keep these necessary everyday things in mind and make the appropriate arrangement. 

Instructions To Set A Casual Table

After placing the placemat and set the dinner plate in the center. Next, keep the salad plate above dinner plate and soup bowl above the salad plate.

Leave napkin on the left side of the charger and as a usual fork to the left of the plate and spoon on the right.

I don’t see a significant difference in this, and you can follow the basic guideline and get going.

Place Setting Diagram

I have taken a new initiative of presenting you with a diagram that represents the arrangement of table items on the table in a diagrammatic form. You can print this sheet and use it as a cheat sheet when setting your table. This small effort will not only make you professional but let others learn the basics of the table setting. I am happy that my guest has food along with some learning as well, I am sure you will feel the same.

Which Way Does The Knife Face When Setting The Table

Make sure to keep the knife on the plate’s right and at a distance of one inch. Place the blade facing the plate and change direction for a butter knife.

Keep the butter knife on the butter plate if you are planning a breakfast and your menu consist of toasts.

Table Setting Rules For Napkin – Specifications

Placing the napkin is the quickest and easiest task of setting the table and find below some details on all different types of table settings.

In an INFORMAL SETTING place the napkin on the dinner plate’s center or near the fork on its left. Can also keep the towels folded below the fork and a napkin ring is optional.

In a large gathering a FORMAL SETTING you can place the napkin on the charger or fold it and keep it in the place the main-course is served.

Try and keep placing your napkins in one place consistently. When using it, you can set it on the lap and remember to leave the towel on the table before you get up from your chair.

I would also like to give you few templates for the following sections with insights about the same.

Place Setting Template For Preschool

For the small kiddos, you can make the table, and this is how it needs to be arranged. Plate in the center of the placemat and knife followed by spoon on the right. Above that keep the cup. On the left side of the plate hold the fork and napkin on top of it. Yes, you’re done it is simple.

Place Setting Template For Wedding

If it is a buffet you can use the above table to know what all needs to be used and for table dinner or lunch or breakfast you can follow the guidelines given below.

Plate on the mat and fold and leave the soup bowl on the plate. On the left side in order starting from the plate place dinner fork, salad fork, and napkin. Above this set up keep coffee cup and saucer. On top of it keep the bread plate and knife.

Coming to the right side of the plate keep the dinner knife, fish knife, dinner spoon, and soup spoon. Above the spoons hold the wine glass and water cup. Have the dessert fork and spoon on top of the dinner plate.

Christmas Place Setting Templates And Place Setting Template For Thanksgiving

For the busiest events during every year across locations in the world are the Thanksgiving and Christmas. You need not reserve yourself to use any the templates given hear as a cheat sheet for these occasions and much more.

9 Table Setting Etiquette to Enhance Your Guest’s Satisfaction by 9x

Let me start with the protocol first. Remember there is no hard and fast rule, but good to know many details to give your best in setting the table for your esteemed people.

1. Make sure to place the lower edge of utensil in alignment with the above the table edge up to one-inch height
2. Make the entire appliance look visible by putting them away from the sides of the plate.
3. Avoid making finger impression on the utensil handle by holding them on your waist in the region that is in between the utensil’s eating edge and the handle.
4. Give a minimum of fifteen inches for the elbow room.
5. Arrange butter on the butter plates, water in glasses and get wine ready to be served at the time of arrival of the guest.
6. Water must be at a distance of one inch from the dinner knife.
7. Keep the knives in such the way that blades are looking at the plate and waiting to be used.
8. Remember not to keep more than three flatware excluding the forks.
9. In case you guests are in the count of 5, 7, 9, and so on in odd numbers, then you must place the settings in the middle of the even number settings.

Yes, nine simple guidelines that will give a professional look to your arrangement.

In summary, you can use all these templates from here, and I am glad that you had a great journey learning about the table setting for all your formal and informal guest.

Other resources from around the web for further reading:

Place setting guides – http://emilypost.com/advice/table-setting-guides/ 

Ultimate table setting guide – https://www.etiquettescholar.com/dining_etiquette/table_setting.html

Table Setting Rules : https://www.ftd.com/blog/share/table-setting-rules

Formal Place Setting: http://waitingonmartha.com/formal-place-settings/