01
Printed by people, not machines
Menus fail in ways flat print does not. A section header drifting across a fold, a panel laid out in the wrong reading order, a price column that stops a millimetre short of the crease. A dedicated Print Concierge checks for exactly those before anything goes on press, along with the thing automated printers never look at: whether the prices are actually legible in restaurant lighting. If we find a problem we contact you before we print, not after a full reprint is the only option.
02
Flat, bi-fold or tri-fold
This is the decision that shapes everything else, and it comes down to how much you serve and where the menu lives.
- Flat: one sheet, one or two sides. Fastest to read and cheapest to reprint, which makes it the right call for daily specials, wine lists and anything that changes often. Also the format for a takeaway insert.
- Bi-fold: one fold, four panels. Feels like a proper menu, holds a full food list without crowding, and sits neatly on a table.
- Tri-fold: two folds, six panels. Fits the most, and folds down small enough for a takeaway counter, a delivery bag or a mailbox.
A useful rule: if your menu changes weekly, print flat. If it changes twice a year, fold it.
03
Choosing paper and finish
A menu gets handled by every guest, which is harder wear than almost anything else we print.
- Standard thickness: the right choice for takeaway menus, inserts and anything you reprint often. Lighter and cheaper per unit.
- Premium thickness: holds a crease properly and survives being handled through a full service without going limp. Use it for dine-in menus that stay on the table.
- Matte: no glare under overhead lighting, easier to read, and it does not show fingerprints. The safer choice for dine-in.
- Gloss: makes food photography look considerably better. Worth it if your menu leads with images.
04
Getting your artwork print-ready
Send a print-ready PDF at 300 DPI in CMYK with 0.125 inch bleed on every edge, laid out as a single flat spread rather than separate panels.
- Keep section headers and prices well clear of the folds.
- On a tri-fold the inward-folding panel is slightly narrower so it does not buckle. Use the template rather than dividing the width by three.
- Convert type to outlines or embed your fonts.
- Prices set below about 9pt become hard work in dim lighting.
Ask for the fold template before you start and it will save a round of revisions.
05
Need a menu designed?
Choose Design it for me and our professional design team will build your menu for $75, laid out correctly for the fold and size you picked, and hand back a print-ready file you own outright. Restaurants usually order menus alongside flyers for promotions and business cards for the counter.
06
Printing and delivery
Our press runs seven days a week and we ship nationwide from Florida. Folded menus are creased on our equipment and arrive ready to use. Runs start at 50, which makes a seasonal menu change genuinely affordable rather than something you put off. The arrival estimate at the top of this page updates live as you configure. Shipping is free over $120.
