Single-sheet menus

Sometimes the most practical menu is simply one well designed card. No folding, no multiple pages and no elaborate cover. A version like this is easy to swap out when prices, the season, the lunch offer or the availability of particular dishes change.

That is why a single-card menu works well in venues that update their offer regularly. It can be the standing menu, but equally the menu of the day, a weekend card, a seasonal insert or a separate drinks list.

It is used by restaurants, cafés, bars, bistros, hotels, pizzerias, burger bars, cake shops, food trucks, guesthouses and catering companies.

What you can use a single-card menu for

One card can be put to genuinely different uses, especially where you want a simple layout and the option to change the offer quickly.

An unfolded menu works as:

• A food menu or lunch menu - the venue's basic offer, set lunches or a menu of the day that can be changed regularly.
• A drinks, wine and cocktail list - a separate list of drinks, cocktails, wines, coffees or teas. In the slim formats a card like this can look very light and elegant.
• A seasonal, daily or weekend menu - a good option when part of the offer changes every few days or weeks.
• An insert or special card - as a supplement to the main menu, a takeaway offer, a wedding, communion or banquet card, or a special proposal for a particular event.

The card can carry more than dish names and prices. There is also room for allergen information, markings for vegetarian and gluten-free dishes, the chef's recommendations or a QR code leading to the full menu online, to bookings or to reviews.

Which format to choose

There are six formats. They differ in size, proportions and how much room there is for content.

• A5 - 148×210 mm - compact and convenient. It suits a short lunch menu, a dessert or drinks card, or a small offer standing on the table.
• A4 - 210×297 mm - the most versatile. It takes plenty of items and still stays comfortable in daily use. It works as the classic food menu in a restaurant, café or bistro.
• A3 - 297×420 mm - a large format with plenty of room for a fuller offer. It can be used as a counter card, a catering menu or a larger menu on display.
• DL - 99×210 mm - narrow and slim. It looks good as a cocktail, wine, coffee or dessert list, or a short seasonal menu.
• 150×300 mm - larger than DL but still with elongated proportions. It suits wine and cocktail lists and fuller themed menus.
• 300×300 mm - a square form, clearly different from the classic formats. It works well in modern venues and where the menu is also meant to be part of the table setting.

It is best to match the format to the amount of content. If there are a lot of items, choose a larger card or double-sided printing rather than shrinking the text too far.

Which paper to choose

We print menus on several papers, from light and economical to thicker, stiffer versions.

• Offset 120 gsm - a matt paper with a natural surface. It suits menus of the day, lunch cards, inserts and other frequently replaced materials. You can also write on it.
• Coated 135 gsm - a light coated paper with good colour reproduction. Practical for larger runs and for cards that do not have to be particularly stiff.
• Coated 170 gsm - a little thicker and more stable. It suits cafés and bistros, and drinks, dessert and seasonal menus.
• Coated 250 gsm - stiffer and more solid. It goes well with wine and cocktail lists, seasonal menus and more representative materials.
• Coated 350 gsm - the stiffest of the options available. It can be used for hotel menus, special cards, tasting menus and anywhere the card should be more durable.

It is worth matching the paper to how often the menu will be replaced.

For a lunch or seasonal offer a lighter material may be quite enough. If the card is to be used every day over a longer period, a thicker stock will be more practical.

Printing and finishing

We print menus in full CMYK colour, on one side or on both.

Single-sided printing works well for a short offer that fits comfortably on one surface.

Double-sided printing gives you far more room. You can separate food from drinks, the standing offer from the seasonal one, or use the second side for information about the venue, allergens, promotions or a QR code.

Lamination is available on coated 250 gsm and coated 350 gsm.

Offset 120 gsm and coated 135 gsm and 170 gsm are left unlaminated. Those versions suit cards that are replaced more often or that sometimes need something written on them.

For coated 250 gsm and 350 gsm you can choose:

• No finishing - the classic paper surface, good for seasonal, lunch and promotional menus.
• Gloss lamination - brings out colours and photographs of dishes more strongly. It suits bolder designs and venues with a more relaxed character.
• Matte lamination - reduces reflections and gives a calmer, more restrained surface.
• Soft-touch lamination - soft and velvety to the touch. It suits wine lists, tasting and hotel menus and more representative designs.

If you plan to write in prices, dishes of the day or other information by hand, it is better to choose an unlaminated version, for instance offset 120 gsm. Writing on a laminated surface is much harder.

File check and graphic design

When you place the order you choose how the design is prepared. The exact surcharges for each option are shown in the calculator.

• No file check - the file goes straight into production. This option is for agencies, designers and anyone confident it is prepared correctly.
• File check by a designer - we check the format, bleed, resolution, colours, the legibility of small text and the preparation for single or double-sided printing.
• Simple graphic design - if you have no file ready, send us your logo, the list of dishes, the prices, the descriptions, photographs and your guidelines on style. We will prepare a simple design matched to the format, paper and printing you chose.

The check by a designer is particularly worth choosing if the design was made in Canva, an online generator, an office program or with AI tools. Such files can look good on screen and still need the bleed, CMYK, resolution or safe margins corrected.

The check covers only the technical side.

We do not check prices, the names and descriptions of dishes, allergens, portion weights, the dates an offer runs, typos or whether the QR codes work. The customer is responsible for the content.

How to prepare the file for print

A PDF that follows our specification works best. We also accept good quality JPG and PNG files.

Prepare photographs and artwork at 300 dpi at 1:1 scale, and the design in CMYK.

If the background or artwork runs to the edge, add the right amount of bleed.

Keep dish names, prices, the logo, allergen information and QR codes a safe distance from the cutting line.

With a menu, legibility matters especially. It is a card used at the table, often in dimmer light, so text that is too small quickly becomes awkward.

Do not shrink dish names, descriptions or prices too far. If there is a lot of content, it is better to choose a larger format or double-sided printing.

A QR code should be a reasonable size and high in contrast. Before sending the design, check that it leads to the right page.

With double-sided printing, make sure both sides are the right way round. Download the right template and specification for the format you chose as well.