Whether you’re a restaurant, a cafe, a hotel, a pub, or a takeaway, a high-quality menu can play a huge role in the way your customers order, and how they perceive the value of your product. Indeed, for establishments that rely on exterior menus to encourage passing trade, it can be the difference between a customer choosing to come in or keep walking.
Considering the importance of menu printing and design, it’s no wonder that businesses are constantly on the hunt for menu suppliers they can trust with all aspects of production. 31% of restauranteurs update their menus every month, while a further 24% do so seasonally; with this in mind, it’s essential to find a menu printer who can produce your menus quickly and to the highest possible standard.
At JMF Group, we have been supplying high-quality restaurant menus for over 40 years. Our in-house menu design team and production facilities allow us to offer a comprehensive menu printing service that is second to none. From initial design through to final production and delivery, we will work with you to ensure your menus perfectly reflect the style and quality of your product, your service, and your brand as a whole.
Take a look below for our guide to restaurant menu printing, then give our team a call to learn more about how we can help your business.
Table Menus
When it comes to menu printing, one size definitely does not fit all. The type of menu you choose will be determined by the style of your restaurant, the format of your service, and the budget you have to work with.
Despite the increase in QR-based ordering systems, for many sit-down restaurants, cafes, and hotels, table menus remain a necessity. Take a look below for some of the most common options:
A3 Menus / Placemat Menus
A3 is a popular size for restaurant menus, as it provides a good balance between space and portability. A3 offers plenty of space for menu information in addition to artwork and branding. What’s more, for restaurants who use professional menu covers, A3 is a great size for inserting into sleeves without the need for folding.
A3 restaurant menus are available in a variety of card and paper stocks, with options for lamination.
A4 Menus
A4 menus are often used alongside A3 printed menus as a way of displaying specials or providing more information about certain dishes. They are also a great option for takeaway menus, as they can be easily inserted into most standard menu holders.
A4 paper and card stocks are ideal if you’re looking for laminated menus, providing supreme durability.
A5 Menus
A5 is often an ideal choice for takeaway menu printing, particularly for those who want to use their takeaway menus for direct mail marketing. A5 menu printing is a low-cost option, combining great price with striking promotional images.
Whilst A5 is undoubtedly suited to takeaway menu printing, the size is suitable for any number of establishments: for restaurants, A5 menus can be used to show customers your deserts, whilst for cafes with limited menu items, the size can be great for presenting a concise, easy-to-digest list of options and prices.
Folded Menus
Particularly popular with takeaways, pubs, and bars, folded menus offer a great way to show a large amount of information in a compact space. With extensive options for varied design and brand image materials, a foldable menu is a versatile marketing tool.
When it comes to folded menu printing, there are a few primary presentation styles available:
- Half-Fold: A bi-folded menu style that is scored down the centre. Perfect for pubs who want to stand their menus on tables, as well as order-of-service menus for weddings or funerals.
- CFold: A tri-folded menu style, with the right and left sides of the menu meeting in the centre. A great choice for a takeaway menu that will be delivered through letterboxes.
- ZFold: Also known as an ‘accordion’, these tri-fold menus are folded from the two outer sections, meeting in the centre with the third section facing outwards. Perfect for menus that need to be fit into slim spaces, like envelopes.
- Gatefold: A printed menu style where the sides of the sheet meet in the middle, creating a ‘gate’ effect. Particularly popular with high-end restaurants and those who want to display professional brand artwork on the exterior of their menus.
- Roll-Fold: Ideal for menus that need to be presented in a compact space, roll-fold menu printing involves folding your menu into thirds lengthwise, then rolling it up from one end.
All folding menu formats support full-colour printing, with lamination available for easy cleaning and increased durability. We supply a selection of glossy, matt, and soft-touch paper stock options, so contact our team today for more info.
Booklet Menus
A more traditional take on the printed menu, booklet menus are perfect for high-end restaurants that want to present their dishes in a luxurious way.
Booklet menu printing supports different interior page and cover paper stock options, and with up to 56 pages available, there is plenty of space to display all of your menu items and brand artwork.
Wall Menus
Ideal for interior and window menu display, poster-based wall menus are ideal for restaurants, cafes, and bars that want to show a wide range of menu items in an eye-catching way.
Available in a range of sizes and prices, from A4 to 60″x40″, wall menu printing can be carried out on a wide selection of paper types, with lamination available for durability and fast cleaning.
Drink Menus
It’s no secret that the profit margins for food are significantly lower than for drinks: food items are not marked up to the same extent as soft and alcoholic drinks, while the associated costs (kitchen, staff, etc.) are substantially higher.
With this in mind, it’s important to make the most of your drink menu options, and ensure the same attention is paid to having a great quality drinks menu.
Wine Lists
Wine lists tend to utilise similar sleek and slim shapes to those used in takeaway menu printing.
For high-end restaurants and those with expensive drink options, foiling and spot UV can be used to create an upmarket look and feel, while still maintaining a compact format.
Cocktail Menus
Cocktail menus are often printed on A5 or A6 sizes, allowing them to be included as inserts in main food menus.
For bars and pubs with a wider range of cocktails available, larger formats (up to A3) can be used to show off all of your options.
Table Talkers
A4 or A5 table talkers are helpful for bars and restaurants that want to upsell food and drink items or promote discounts and special offers.
Double-sided and with a fold-out stand, table talkers can be printed on a selection of paper and card stocks.
Takeaway Menus
The UK’s takeaway and food delivery market is expected to hit a value of £12.6 billion by 2024; with this ever-increasing competition, it’s more important than ever to create takeaway menus which stand out from the crowd.
Duratrans
Short for Durable Transparency, Duratrans offer high-quality image printing on a translucent base.
Suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, Duratrans printing is perfect for lightbox display, and is frequently seen in takeaway and fast food establishments.
For more information, see our dedicated Duratrans printing page.
Takeaway Menu Flyers
The vast majority of takeaway restaurants will use A5 or DL format menus, which can be easily delivered into letterboxes.
For those with a slightly larger budget, A4 menus are also an option; while not being able to fit through a letterbox, they offer a larger print area on which to display your menu items.
Top 3 Custom Menu Design Tips
At JMF Group, we believe in offering a comprehensive quality service. Our in-house design team provide design services which cover all aspects of menu design, from layout and typography to print finishing options.
Take a look below for some key considerations when designing new menus:
Colour
While it’s important to maintain brand consistency, colour psychology research indicates that the colours you use on your menu can have a significant impact on customer behaviour. According to Aaron Allen:
“Green implies the food is fresh, and orange stimulates the appetite. Yellow is a happy hue and is used to catch the diner’s attention. Red encourages action and is used to persuade us to buy the meals with the highest profit margins.”
Images
Customers are more likely to order a drink if they can see what it looks like, and the same is true of all other cuisines.
If your menu allows space for it, try to include images or artwork that shows what your customers can expect when their food turns up.
Nutrition
A massive 61% of diners say they are more likely to choose a healthy restaurant than they were two years ago.
With this in mind, it’s important to make sure your menu includes nutritional information for each dish, as well as any allergens which might be present.
From Haute Cuisine to Chinese Takeaway: Menu Printing by JMF Group
At JMF, we understand that every menu is unique. From Michelin-starred restaurants to local takeaways, we offer a range of custom menu printing options to suit every business.
Our in-house production facilities mean we can provide a professional, super-fast, high-quality service to customers all over the country. Need your menus printed yesterday? No problem! We can offer next-day delivery across mainland UK.
From quality restaurant and cafe menu printing, to labels and loyalty cards, to business cards and compliment slips—JMF are your one-stop print shop!
Contact us via our website, or give us a call today. We can’t wait to help!
