Takeaway menu printing cost and specification
A takeaway menu is a working document, not a leaflet. It gets folded, pinned to a fridge and read in a hurry, and the print specification should reflect that before you look at price.
Formats and what they cost to produce
The common formats are flat A5, A4 folded to DL, and A3 folded to A4 for larger menus. Every extra fold is a finishing operation, so folded menus carry a small cost per thousand above a flat sheet of the same size.
- A5 flat - cheapest, best for short menus and offer drops
- A4 folded to DL - the classic letterbox menu
- A3 folded to A4 - full menus with sections and photos
Stock choice for menus that get kept
130gsm to 170gsm silk is the sweet spot: heavy enough to feel real, light enough to fold cleanly and go through a letterbox in volume. Heavier stock resists folding and pushes both print and distribution weight costs up.
Quantity planning around your delivery radius
Work backwards from the households you can realistically deliver to, not from a round number. If your delivery radius covers 6,000 homes, printing 20,000 menus means three years of storage and a menu that is out of date before the last box opens.
Design decisions that cost nothing but earn more
Put the phone number and ordering method where a thumb naturally lands. Keep prices legible at arm's length. Give the fridge-magnet corner a purpose. None of these change the print cost and all of them change how often the menu is used.
Frequently asked
Should menus be laminated?
Not for letterbox drops - lamination adds cost and weight and stops the menu folding cleanly. Laminate the counter and in-store copies instead.
How often should a takeaway reprint?
Whenever prices or dishes change materially. Overprinting a price with a sticker undermines the whole menu, so plan runs around your pricing cycle.
Can you print and deliver the menus?
Yes. Print and GPS-tracked distribution can be handled together, so the menus go from press to letterboxes without an extra handling step.
Reprinting your menu this season?
Send us your current menu and delivery radius and we will spec and price the reprint.