Product Development
Table Linen Sizes by Market: Tablecloths, Runners and Napkins
A tablecloth is sized from the table, not bought by a fixed style name: measure the tabletop, add twice the drop you want on each side, and that is the finished cloth. Retail ranges still cluster around a few sizes per market, US cloths sold in inches around a 152 cm (60 in) width, UK and European cloths sold in centimetres around 130 to 150 cm widths, while napkins run from a 15 x 15 cm (6 x 6 in) cocktail square to a 50 x 50 cm (20 x 20 in) dinner napkin. The figures below are the reference points major retailers sell to, to be confirmed against your buyer's own specification before ordering rather than treated as one fixed standard.
How to size a tablecloth from the table
Unlike bed linen, table linen has no market-wide named ladder that maps a cloth to a bed. A cloth is derived from two numbers: the tabletop dimensions and the drop, the overhang that hangs past each edge. The arithmetic is the same everywhere:
- Rectangular or square cloth: finished length = table length + (2 x drop); finished width = table width + (2 x drop).
- Round cloth: finished diameter = table diameter + (2 x drop).
So a 180 x 90 cm (71 x 35 in) dining table dressed with a 25 cm (10 in) drop needs a 230 x 140 cm (91 x 55 in) cloth. Because the drop is doubled, a small change in drop moves the finished size a lot, which is why two buyers with the same table can order different cloths. Always confirm the table dimensions and the wanted drop before quoting a cut, and remember to add hem allowance and a shrinkage tolerance on top of the finished size.
Drop by occasion
The drop is what makes a cloth read as casual or formal. These are the bands retailers design to:
| Setting | Drop per side | Feel |
|---|---|---|
| Casual, everyday | 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 in) | Bistro, family table |
| Semi-formal | 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 in) | Most dining ranges |
| Formal | 30 to 40 cm (12 to 15 in) | Restaurant, event |
| To the floor | 70 to 75 cm (28 to 30 in) | Banquet, display |
A drop under about 15 cm looks skimpy on a laid table; a floor-length drop is normally reserved for round banquet tables and display, where a lap of cloth on the floor is the intended look.
Rectangular tablecloths by market
The two big markets diverge on the unit, not the logic. US ranges are built in inches around a 152 cm (60 in) width and stepped by length; UK and European ranges are built in centimetres and tend to be a little narrower. These are typical retail sizes, not a universal standard:
| Seats | US cloth | UK and EU cloth |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 152 x 213 cm (60 x 84 in) | 130 x 180 cm (51 x 71 in) |
| 6 to 8 | 152 x 259 cm (60 x 102 in) | 140 x 240 cm (55 x 94 in) |
| 8 to 10 | 152 x 305 cm (60 x 120 in) | 150 x 260 cm (59 x 102 in) |
| 10 to 12 | 152 x 366 cm (60 x 144 in) | 160 x 280 cm (63 x 110 in) |
The narrower UK and EU widths suit the narrower dining tables common in the region, so a US 152 cm cloth can hang lower on a European table than intended. Square tables take square cloths: US ranges sell 132 x 132 cm (52 x 52 in) and 152 x 152 cm (60 x 60 in), UK and EU ranges 130 x 130 cm (51 x 51 in) and 150 x 150 cm (59 x 59 in).
Round tablecloths
Round cloths are quoted by finished diameter. Common retail diameters are 145 cm (57 in), 178 cm (70 in) and 220 cm (87 in) in UK and EU ranges, and 178 cm (70 in), 229 cm (90 in), 274 cm (108 in) and 305 cm (120 in) in US ranges. Match the diameter to the table plus the drop you want: a 120 cm (47 in) round table with a 30 cm (12 in) drop needs a 180 cm (71 in) cloth. A round table can also be dressed with a square or over-square cloth for a layered look, so confirm the shape the buyer actually wants.
Napkins
Napkins are the one part of the range where a supplier can hold standard cuts, because the sizes are stable across markets. Our published standard napkins are a table napkin at 45 x 45 cm (18 x 18 in) and a cocktail napkin at 15 x 15 cm (6 x 6 in), both customisable to a buyer's size. For reference, the sizes retailers stock across the range are:
| Napkin | Size | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Cocktail | 15 x 15 to 25 x 25 cm (6 x 6 to 10 x 10 in) | Drinks, canapés |
| Tea or lunch | 40 x 40 cm (16 x 16 in) | Lighter meals |
| Dinner (UK, EU) | 45 x 45 to 50 x 50 cm (18 x 18 to 20 x 20 in) | Standard place setting |
| Dinner (US) | 50 x 50 cm (20 x 20 in) | Standard US setting |
| Buffet, oversized | 55 x 55 cm (22 x 22 in) | Formal, large plates |
The main market difference is that the US dinner napkin leans to 50 x 50 cm as the default, while UK and European ranges treat 45 x 45 cm as the everyday dinner size and reserve 50 x 50 cm for the more formal end. A napkin is normally finished with a mitred corner and a hem depth chosen to match the cloth.
Table runners and placemats
A runner is sized by table length and how far you want it to fall at each end. Retail runners are typically 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16 in) wide, most often 33 cm (13 in) or 40 cm (16 in), and sold in lengths from about 140 cm (55 in) up to 300 cm (118 in). To size one, take the table length and add the overhang you want at each end, commonly 15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 in) per end, or keep the runner shorter than the table so it sits flush inside the edges. There is no single market standard, so state the width, length and overhang you are working to.
Placemats are steadier: the rectangular retail standard is around 30 x 45 cm (12 x 18 in), with round mats near 38 cm (15 in) in diameter. They are often specified as a set alongside napkins in the same cloth.
Hospitality and banquet sizing
Contract and hospitality buyers work to standard trestle tables rather than domestic dining tables, so their cloths are a separate size set. In the US the common banquet tables are 183 cm (6 ft) and 244 cm (8 ft) long, both 76 cm (30 in) wide and 76 cm (30 in) high. A full drop to the floor on a 76 cm high table is about 74 cm (29 in) per side, so a 6 ft table takes roughly a 229 x 335 cm (90 x 132 in) cloth and an 8 ft table a 229 x 396 cm (90 x 156 in) cloth. Round banquet tables of 152 cm (60 in) and 183 cm (72 in) diameter take floor-length cloths of about 305 cm (120 in) and 335 cm (132 in). Confirm the venue's actual table height before ordering, because a taller table changes the drop and therefore every finished size.
For a bespoke banquet cloth wider than a normal loom will carry in one piece, ask whether it can be woven seamless; our cloth is woven in widths up to 136 inches, so many wide runs avoid a centre seam. To develop a full table range to your own sizes, see table linen and our private label terms for minimums and sampling.
Common questions
How much bigger than the table should a tablecloth be?
Add twice your chosen drop to each tabletop dimension. For a relaxed everyday look use a 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 in) drop per side; for a formal or restaurant look use 30 to 40 cm (12 to 15 in). Then add hem and shrinkage allowance to the finished size before cutting.
Are US and UK table linen sizes the same?
The logic is the same but the numbers differ. US cloths are sold in inches and are built around a 152 cm (60 in) width; UK and European cloths are sold in centimetres and tend to be a little narrower. Napkins are closer, though the US default dinner napkin is 50 x 50 cm (20 x 20 in) against 45 x 45 cm (18 x 18 in) as the UK and EU everyday size.
Can napkin and tablecloth sizes be customised?
Yes. Our standard napkins are 45 x 45 cm (18 x 18 in) and 15 x 15 cm (6 x 6 in), and both are customisable, and cloths are cut to your table sizes rather than to a fixed range. Send the table dimensions, the drop and the napkin size you want, and confirm the finished measurements on a sample before bulk.
What size is a standard table runner?
Retail runners are usually 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16 in) wide and 140 to 300 cm (55 to 118 in) long. Choose the length by adding the overhang you want at each end to the table length, or keep it shorter than the table to sit flush. There is no single standard, so specify all three figures.