Choosing the Best Menu Paper for your Restaurant

When designing your restaurant or café menu, you’ve probably thought about fonts, layout, colours, and of course the contents, but have you considered what kind of paper your menu will be printed on? Menus are one of the first impressions a potential customer will have of your restaurant, and it’s important to get this right. This guide will take you through the different things to keep in mind while choosing paper for your restaurant menu. 

Menu Size Paper

A4 is a popular size for menu paper. This size is large enough to include a lot of information without feeling cluttered, but small enough to be convenient to handle. You can also fold A4 paper into a trifold menu, on in half for an A5 size menu.

A3 paper is also a popular choice for menu printing and is double the size of an A4 sheet. This size is often used for placemat-style menus that lay on the table. This can be a great choice for shorter menus where everything can fit on one side of A3. Another choice is to print your menu on A3 paper, but fold it in half for an A4 size booklet.

A5 paper is half the size of A4, but can still be a suitable size for a restaurant menu. This menu size is more suited for drinks menus, specials, or seasonal menus. If you want to print your full menu at A5 size, you might need multiple pages unless your menu is very short.

Menu Paper Weight

Which paper weight is best for your menus depends on how durable you want your menus to be. It also depends on the capability of your printer (if you intend to print your menus yourself), as some home printers can struggle with very thick card.

Heavier paper (indicated by a higher GSM) will feel more luxurious and will be a more durable menu paper. For extra durability, you might want to put your menus in a plastic pocket or laminate them so they can be wiped clean.

Some restaurants opt for disposable menu paper. If you intend to have disposable menus in your restaurant, you’ll want to look for lightweight paper that you can order in bulk. Look for paper with a low GSM. If your restaurant also offers takeaway menus, these can also be printed on a lighter weight paper, as they probably won’t need to hold up to the same wear and tear as your in-house menus.

Menu Paper Texture

Textured paper can be a great choice to add a special touch to homemade menus. Since you will likely choose a neutral colour for your paper, texture can be a chance to add some personality to your menu.

A classic matte texture is simple and easy to print on. We have a selection of colours with a matte finish, including recycled and fleck card.

Hammer texture is a bumpy, natural looking texture which can really elevate your menus. Meanwhile, linen textured card will give your menu a fabric-like feel for a luxurious dining experience.

Kraft Paper Menus

Kraft paper is another popular choice for menus. This brown paper gives your menu a rustic look which is perfect for restaurants and cafes that want to lean into that aesthetic. It suggests home-grown, local, simple foods with a relaxed atmosphere.

We offer a range of kraft paper for menu printing.

Menu Paper Colour

When printing a menu, readability should be priority. Choose a paper colour that will give you good contrast with your ink. Neutrals and pastels will give you the best results.

Don’t Forget to Test!

Before committing to bulk printing your new menu, do a test run on some paper samples. You can check how your font and text size show up on different colours and textures, and test how different paper weights hold up to wear and tear.