What a general design editor does well
General design editors are great tools for lots of jobs:
- Total freedom: you put every element exactly where you want it.
- Photos and illustrations at large sizes, with crops and effects.
- All sorts of pieces: event posters, flyers, cards, social media posts.
- Visual identity: logo, brand colours and fonts.
If what you need is a poster for live music on the terrace or a flyer for your opening night, they are the right tool.
Where it gets awkward with a menu
A menu is not a poster: it’s a long list of structured text that changes often. That’s where a general editor starts to drag:
- Every dish is a text box. Adding one means moving all the ones below it.
- Prices are aligned by hand, and fall out of line as soon as you change one.
- Several price columns (small and large, glass and bottle) are built by hand.
- Allergens: you have to find icons, paste them dish by dish and make the key and the allergen matrix separately.
- Translations: each language is a duplicate design you have to keep up to date.
- Booklets: putting the pages in the right order for double-sided printing and folding is down to you.
What a menu maker does
A menu maker like MenuDesign works the other way round: content first, design second. You type or photograph your dishes, and the design you choose decides how they look. Add a dish or change a price and the menu lays itself out again.
Side by side
| Need | General design editor | MenuDesign |
|---|---|---|
| Free-form design with big photos | Very good | Limited to its designs |
| Adding or removing dishes | Move boxes by hand | Rearranges itself |
| Prices in columns | By hand | Built in |
| Allergens with key and matrix | By hand | Built in |
| Translation and bilingual menus | Duplicate the design | Built in |
| Booklet with pages in order | By hand | Automatic |
| Daily specials menu | Edit it every day | Automatic date and autocomplete |
| Account | Usually required | Not needed |
When to use each one
Use a general design editor if you want a very visual menu, with full-page photos of your dishes and a one-off layout, and you don’t mind spending time on every change. Also for everything that isn’t a menu: posters, flyers, event posts.
Use MenuDesign if your menu is mostly text, changes often, needs allergens and translations, or you run a daily menu. It’s the quick way to keep it up to date.
Or combine the two. Design your logo in a general editor, upload it to MenuDesign (the app can remove its background) and use each tool for what it does best.
Switch without redoing your menu
If you already have a menu made in another program:
- Copy the text from your design and paste it into MenuDesign, or take a photo of the printed menu.
- Check sections, dishes and prices.
- Choose a design close to the one you had, or take the chance to change.
- Mark the allergens and download the PDF.
In a few minutes you’ll have the same menu, ready for a price change without moving a single box. Start in the editor or browse the menu designs.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make my menu in a general design editor?
Of course, and it can look great. The trouble starts when you maintain it: adding dishes, changing prices, marking allergens or translating it means moving elements around by hand.
What can't MenuDesign do that a general editor can?
Completely free-form design: placing big photos wherever you like, making a flyer for an event or designing your logo. MenuDesign focuses on menus, with its 50 designs.
Can I use a logo I made in another program?
Yes. Upload the logo image to MenuDesign; the app can remove the background so a white box doesn't show on the menu.
How do I move a menu I've already designed into MenuDesign?
Copy the text from your design and paste it, or take a photo of the printed menu. The app lays it out and you check the dishes and prices.