How to print your menu: paper, finishes and the settings that matter

The setting that ruins most menus: scale

Before we talk about paper: in the print dialog, choose “Actual size” or “Scale 100%”. “Fit to page” shrinks the PDF by a few millimetres, throws the margins off and, in formats you cut, makes the crop marks miss. Also check that the paper size selected is the right one (A4, A3…).

In the US, choose the US Letter format in MenuDesign so the PDF matches the paper in your printer. An A4 PDF printed on Letter at actual size loses a strip at the top and bottom, because A4 is taller.

Paper weight: which paper for what

Before buying thick card, check your printer’s manual for the maximum weight it takes. Many home printers only take heavy paper through the manual feed, and some not even then.

Finishes

• Matt: no glare, looks elegant and reads well from any angle. The safest choice.
• Gloss: brighter colours, but reflections under lamps and spotlights.
• Uncoated paper: natural texture, artisan look. It absorbs more ink, so colours come out a little duller.
• Synthetic paper: water- and grease-resistant, and it doesn’t tear. More expensive, but it lasts; useful for terraces, beer gardens and beach bars.

Laminate or use sleeves?

Laminating protects the menu and lets you wipe it clean. The drawback: every price change means reprinting and laminating again.

Sleeves and menu covers (plastic, leather or wood) let you swap the sheet in a minute. If you update the menu several times a year, they’re usually the better option.

A mixed approach: the main menu in a sleeve, and things that don’t change (the house wines, the classic cocktails) laminated.

Home printer or print shop

At home makes sense for short runs, the daily menu and proofs. A laser printer dries instantly and won’t run if the menu gets wet; with inkjet, let it dry properly before handling.

At a print shop makes sense when you need heavy card, A3 or tabloid, consistent colour over many copies, guillotine cutting, scoring or laminating. Take the PDF and ask for a proof before the full run. Tell them: “actual size, no scaling”.

Margins and backgrounds

Home printers can’t print to the edge: they leave a white strip a few millimetres wide. MenuDesign’s styles already respect margins, so nothing will be cut off.

Watch out for dark-background styles such as Neon: they look great on screen, but on a home printer they’ll leave a white frame around the edge and use a lot of ink. For paper, a light-background style is better.

Colour

What you see on screen isn’t exactly what comes out on paper: printed colours tend to be slightly darker and duller. Always print a test page before a run. If you’re printing in black and white, mark allergens with numbers rather than coloured icons.

Booklets and tri-folds: double-sided done right

Booklet (A3 sheets folded to A4):

1. A3 paper.
2. Double-sided, flip on the short edge.
3. Actual size.
4. Print one test sheet on plain paper first, fold it and check the pages run in order.

MenuDesign generates the PDF with the pages already in order so that, when you fold and nest the sheets, everything lands in the right place. If your printer can’t take A3, take the PDF to a print shop.

Tri-fold (landscape A4 folded in three): also double-sided and on the short edge.

With paper heavier than 160–170 gsm, ask for scoring before folding: a pressed crease that stops the paper cracking along the fold.

Trimming

For the A5 menu two per sheet or the slim A4 menu, use a guillotine or a lever trimmer; scissors never cut straight. In formats laid out on a bigger sheet (two per sheet, booklet, tri-fold) you can turn on crop marks in the PDF so you know exactly where to cut. There’s more in the guides to the A5 menu, the slim A4 menu and booklet menus.