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Laminated Menus
increase resistance to stains and spills
Laminated Restaurant Menus
Laminated restaurant menus can be created in a wide variety of styles. The style chosen is usually dictated by the amount of information the menu will need to convey, as well as the restaurateur’s preference.
Flat: A single flat sheet is the simplest form of laminated menu. To increase the content area, a flat menu could be made as an oversized sheet and/or be printed on both sides.
Folded: Menus often use various folds to create multiple panels. For example, the bi-fold, tri-fold, gate-fold, and double gate-fold designs are all popular choices for laminated menus.
Booklet: A laminated menu created as a booklet allows a great deal of information to be conveyed in a relatively compact and easy-to-use format. This type of laminated menu is ideal for restaurants offering an extensive food and drink selection.
Self-Standing: Some laminated menus are created to be self-standing, such as a z-fold menu or a miniature easel-type menu for table-top display. In most cases, self-standing menus are used to promote accompaniments to the main course, such as drinks, appetizers and desserts.
Benefits of Laminated Menu Printing
- Lamination increases the durability of the menu, allowing it to withstand frequent use.
- Lamination protects the menu against spills, stains, smudges, tears, wrinkles and abrasions, as well as moisture, grease, and other contaminants. It also makes the menu very easy to clean.
- Gloss lamination enhances the ink colors of the menu, making the content more vibrant and appealing. This creates a more professional appearance and grabs attention.
- Lamination adds strength and stiffness to the menu, providing an image of higher quality.
- Lamination is completely transparent and does not impair the printing in any way.
- Lamination has a reasonable cost. Also, because lamination increases the menu’s longevity, it saves money on reprinting.
Sealed-Edge Lamination (Encapsulation)
When laminating restaurant menus, it is most common to bond the laminate to both sides of the printed piece and include a sealed edge, so that the menu is totally encapsulated in plastic.
Sealed-edge lamination provides the ultimate protection against contaminants and moisture. The overhang lip created by the sealed-edge method is usually in the range of 1/8” – 1/2”. This lip creates a strong bond around the menu to ensure that fluids and dirt never contact the edge of the printed paper substrate.
Also, lamination that uses heat activation is generally the preferred method because it creates superior adhesion between the printed menu and the laminate. The laminate can be glossy or matte and is available in 1.5mil, 3mil, 5mil, and 10mil thicknesses. In addition, laminated menus can be made with square or rounded corners.
When creating a menu with folds, in some cases the dimensions of the menu and the rigidity of the laminate may not allow the menu to fold tightly or lay perfectly flat. If this is a concern, let us know in advance so we can discuss ways to limit this effect.