I used this to hold table cards at a wedding. Originally, it was a plain wooden easel, which I painted myself with water-based varnish to a maple color. Therefore, there may be some unevenness in the color and some newspaper stuck to it from when it was drying, but I don't think it's that noticeable. I don't recommend purchasing this if you are concerned about these imperfections. The water-based varnish I used is also included in the package.