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How to print & frame

Printing and framing your menu

Each file is supplied at 300 DPI in three standard frame sizes. Below is what we recommend for the best result.

Choosing a size

  • 8×10 inches — Small accent piece. Good in a cluster of three or more on a single wall, or above a bar back-counter at eye height.
  • 11×14 inches — The most popular size. Reads cleanly from across a small room. Fits a standard pre-cut mat in a 16×20 frame.
  • 16×20 inches — Statement piece. Best for the largest, most detailed cards, hung alone or as the centre of a wall.

Where to print

Three options, ordered roughly by quality and cost:

  1. Local independent print & framing shop. Best result. They will print on archival matte paper, mount, and frame for you. Bring the file on a USB stick or email it ahead. Cost: roughly $40–$120 per piece in North America depending on size and frame.
  2. Online print services. Mpix, Printique, Bay Photo, and similar will print on archival paper and ship to your door for $10–$40. Standard frame separately.
  3. Home inkjet. Acceptable for personal use. Use the heaviest matte photo paper your printer accepts. Avoid glossy.

Paper recommendations

These menus were originally printed on uncoated stock — sometimes laid paper, sometimes lithographic card. For modern reprinting, the closest visual match is an archival matte or natural-white cotton rag paper. Avoid glossy or photo-luster finishes; they look wrong on this kind of artwork.

Framing

A simple wood frame with a generous off-white mat is the safest choice. For bars and venues with a deliberate vintage interior, dark walnut or brass works well. Avoid heavy ornate frames — they fight the printed artwork. Museum glass (low-reflection) is worth the extra cost on the larger sizes.

Hanging in groups

Mixing two or three menus from the same line (e.g. three Hamburg-Amerika watercolours) or the same decade reads as a curated collection. Hanging menus from a single ship across multiple sizes works too. For larger walls of 6–10 menus, keep the spacing tight (2–3 inches between frames) and the bottoms aligned.