Custom Tile Place Cards: Why Everything can be a Canvas for calligraphy
Especially Mexican Azulejo tiles. You heard that right.
When Cohera* reached out to us asking if we could help them with a special place card request for their upcoming event, we needed to know more.
And when they said they had a client who wanted tile place settings to be inscripted with each guest's name in calligraphy prior to their event — they had to say no more. ICYMI, we love a good place card. Especially a unique, high-end place card that doubles as a keepsake.
What are Mexican Azulejos? (And why they’re perfect for event signage)
Mexican azulejos are hand-painted ceramic tiles used to decorate walls, and are commonplace in traditional Mexican architecture. I’ve always had an affinity to azulejos, mainly because I grew up in Mexico surrounded by them, and because I love intricate pattern work. Azulejos are special because individually, they are beautiful, but in an arranged pattern, they can be spectacular.
The client was hoping to adorn each plate setting with a guest name inscribed in a tile. A total dream project for a Tex-Mex calligrapher, amiright? People often ask us why professional calligraphy is a luxury service, and this project was the perfect case study. Inscribing a tile is not as simple as using a marker to write a guest name (though it might seem that way at first glance). This is where something we like to call Calligrapher Mathâ„¢ comes in.
Here’s a BTS (no, not this one) a behind-the-scenes of how we made this happen.
Behind the Scenes: Creating Unique Tile Place Cards for Your Next Event
If you're looking for unique wedding decor in Austin or nationwide, here is a look at the labor of love that goes into every single hand-lettered piece.
Step 1: Quality Control. Look through all tiles to ensure there are no chips or cracks.
Step 2: Curation. Select the tiles with patterns that allow the hand-lettering to stand out. (Patterns that are too busy or light make the calligraphy hard to read).
Step 3: Layout & Centering. Create a custom guide for each tile to ensure every guest's name is perfectly centered during production.
Step 4: Script Preparation. Print out the finalized guest list for accuracy.
Step 5: Professional Lettering. Use a specialized, non-scratch paint marker to write each name with precision.
Step 6: Layering for Opacity. Go over names 2–3 times to ensure the ink is dark, opaque, and legible against the ceramic glaze.
Step 7: Quality Assurance. QA all names to ensure there are zero typos.
Step 8: Finishing Touches. Clean up the tiles and wrap them in protective paper for safe transit.
Step 9: Delivery. Hand-delivered to our local Austin, Texas clients or securely shipped to events across the country!
We love to travel! Have we mentioned that before?
Elevate Your Guest Experience with Custom Austin Calligraphy
See what we mean by Calligrapher Math™? It’s part art, part logistics, and 100% heart. But less reading and more seeing—check out the results of these Azulejo place cards below.
Beautiful on-site photo by Parish Photography
And there you have it! Beautiful, unique place cards that will go beyond the plate setting (because your guests will probably, most likely take them home). If this looks like a fit for your next event, we’d love to hear more! If you're planning a wedding or a corporate gala in Downtown Austin (or beyond), we’d love to help you elevate the experience. And if you just want to chat over a coffee about the next big idea for your upcoming event? It’s on us. :)
*This wouldn’t have been made possible without the lovely Cohera team executing the back-end logistics — so Amber, Zoe and Andrea, this one’s for you too!