Give us a call 03 489 3925 or email print@positivesigns.co.nz

Printed Menu Design Dos and Don’ts

Whether you are designing a printed menu for a restaurant, your wedding reception or as a takeaway menu for the local café, there are key design ‘rules’ to be aware of. There are also some absolute design features to avoid, and we’ll share what these are too.

Dos of Printed Menu Design

  1. Follow your brand (or theme) image – your menu should reflect your brand image (if it is for a business) or your theme (if it is for your wedding). This means using font, tone of voice, colours and images which reflect and represent the image you want to get across to your customers or guests.
  2. Use categories – layout your menu design so that food items are in categories. This could be as simple as grouping items according to food or beverage type or pairing recommended items together. This makes it easier and quicker for people to read.
  3. Highlight popular items – make sure you clearly show customers what items are the most popular. You could make these your signature dishes, and work to achieve maximum profit from it.
  4. Use white space – white space makes a printed menu easier to read and look more appealing. Spread your items out throughout the design.
  5. Use colours, shapes, and images – draw and capture the attention of your customers through careful positioning of features on the menu.

Don’ts of Printed Menu Design

  1. It’s not about the money – design your menu so that the food descriptions are seen first, not the prices. This means avoiding price lists and even $ signs if possible, using only numbers.
  2. Keep the print large – avoid super tiny sized fonts as no one likes to squint when reading
  3. Be careful with the menu size – remember where your menu will be used and who will be using it. A larger sized menu would be more suitable for an upscale restaurant than it would be at a wedding.
  4. Don’t DIY if possible – use a professional designer to create your printed menu and have it look amazing – we can help with this!!

Finally, and here’s a very BIG do; have your menu professionally printed. We’d love to do this for you, so get in touch and let’s have a chat about your menu design and printing requirements.