How to Make a Menu Cover
- 1). Meet with the owner or manager of the restaurant to do a bit of brainstorming. Discuss topics like types of food the restaurant serves, mood the restaurant would like to get across, and the clientele. The answers you get from this brainstorming session will help you as you begin designing the menu, because you'll know what to emphasize. Secure copies of the restaurant's logo at this time as well. You'll incorporate it into your design. Finally, make sure you discuss the type of paper on which you'll print the menu.
- 2). Make thumbnail sketches of your design ideas. Incorporate the themes you took away from your brainstorming session. Emphasize items like the restaurant's logo, popular menu items, or the restaurant mascot. Group items that are alike together. This provides visual continuity and helps direct the eye to the items the restaurant owner wants emphasized.
- 3). Take any photographs you need to do the project. These may include foods, restaurant locations shots, and photos of restaurant staff or willing customers.
- 4). Draw any illustrations required of the project.
- 5). Make a folder on your computer's desktop in which you can keep all your digital files. These will include digital photos, any illustrations, and the graphics you're creating that will become the menu.
- 6). Scan any photos or illustrations you have for the project which aren't in digital format. Scan the photos at 300 dpi (dots per inch) at least, and the illustrations from 300 to 600 dpi. If you've created line art illustrations, gravitate toward the 600 dpi; this resolution captures line art better. If you have logos to scan, scan them at 600 dpi as well.
- 7). Upload your digital photos using the accessories that came with the camera.
- 8). Open your graphics program and begin the design process. Set your page to at least 300 dpi, which allows a high enough resolution to print well without making the file too large. Many design professionals work with programs like Quark or Adobe Illustrator, but if another program works better for you, use it. You'll produce better results with a program you know well than with a program that requires you to learn as you go.
- 9). Lay out your design according to the sketches you've made. Save the digital file in your file folder.
- 10
Make a PDF of your work and burn it onto a disc. - 11
Take the disc to the printer as per the instructions of the restaurant owner and have the menu printed.
