How Our Menu Design Works

Layout follows how menus are actually read, which is by scanning rather than reading line by line, so sections are short enough to take in at a glance and items are grouped by how a guest decides rather than by kitchen station. Prices are set in the same typeface and size as the item text and aligned close to the description rather than in a leader-dotted right-hand column, since a price column invites comparison shopping down the page. Currency symbols are commonly omitted where the context is unambiguous. Descriptions are kept short and concrete, naming preparation and notable ingredients. Allergen and dietary indicators use a consistent key defined on the menu itself. Typography is set for reading in low restaurant light: adequate size, generous leading and strong contrast, since a menu that fails at the table has failed regardless of how it looks on screen. Print files are built at trim size with bleed and safe margins, in CMYK at 300 pixels per inch, with fonts embedded. Where the menu changes often, the layout is structured so items can be swapped without rebuilding the page.