placemats with a runner

A placemat or table mat is a covering or pad designating an individual place setting, unlike the larger table cloth that covers the entire surface.
Placemats are made from many different materials depending on their purpose: to protect, decorate, entertain or advertise.
Materials and production methods range from mass-produced and commercial, to local and traditional.

Uses
Their primary function is to protect the dinner table from water marks, food stains or heat damage.
They also serve as decoration, especially placemats made from lace or silk.
In restaurants they can be used to advertise menu items, specials, local businesses or games for children.
If the mat is cotton, it is useful because it absorbs water and other liquids.

Higher end placemats, made from vinyl or leather, are used by hotels and organizations for meetings as they provide a writing surface, and give an area on which to lean comfortably and to place objects on the table with minimal noise during meetings.

Contemporary opinion on the usefulness of placemats is mixed.
Cloth table mats are commonly considered to be unnecessary and require excessive upkeep – compared to the surface of a table which can be easily cleaned, a stained cloth table mat must be run through the washer and drier before it can be used again.