How to make cue cards for a speech or event
Last updated: 2 October 2026 · Written by the Cue Card Converter team at EventProgrammer, event production professionals
Cue cards keep a speaker or host on track without reading from a full script. Good cards are easy to read at a glance, stay in order and survive last-minute changes. This guide explains how to prepare them – by hand or with the cue card converter.
1. Decide what goes on the cards
For a host script or a speech you have to deliver word for word, put the full text on the cards. For a talk you know well, key points and transitions are often enough. Either way, always write out the things you must not get wrong: names and titles, numbers, dates, times, quotes and stage cues such as “applause”, “video” or “invite to the stage”.
2. Keep each card short
A card that holds about 80–120 words – roughly 45 to 60 seconds of speaking – is easy to scan and doesn’t force you to look down for long. Break the text at the end of a paragraph or a natural pause, never in the middle of a sentence, so you never have to switch cards mid-thought.
3. Use a layout you can read from a distance
- Use a clean sans-serif font such as Inter, Roboto or Montserrat.
- Choose a large size – around 16–22 pt on an A5 card – and line spacing of 1.5 to 1.8.
- Leave wide margins, especially at the bottom and sides, so your fingers don’t cover the text.
- Print on one side only, and use black text on white for maximum contrast.
4. Highlight what matters
Mark names, numbers, dates and stage cues in a single strong colour and, if you like, bold. A deep red stays readable under warm stage lighting. Don’t highlight too much: if everything stands out, nothing does – a handful of highlights per card is plenty.
5. Number the cards and follow the running order
Put a card number (for example “3 / 12”) on every card so a dropped stack can be put back in order in seconds. For events with a timed programme, start each segment – such as “06:30 – Welcome” – on a new card, so the cards follow the running order exactly.
6. Plan for last-minute changes
Scripts often change minutes before an event. Keep your source text in one place (for example a Word file) and recreate the cards from it instead of editing printed cards by hand. With the cue card converter you can load the revised file and your layout settings and manual highlights are kept.
7. Print and cut
A5 (148 × 210 mm) is a comfortable size to hold. You can print one card per A5 sheet, or two cards on one A4 sheet and cut along the middle. If you print a logo or the event name on the back, use duplex printing and check the first sheet before printing the rest.
8. On stage
Hold the cards at chest height so you can glance down without bending your head. Move the card you’ve finished to the back of the stack. Don’t staple or bind the cards. Do a quick run-through with the final cards, not an earlier version.
Create your cue cards in seconds
Upload a Word file or paste your text into the cue card converter: it splits the text at natural pauses, highlights names, numbers, dates and stage cues, and lets you print or export PDF, PPTX or DOCX – free and without an account.
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