Menu in Canva: how to make a cafe menu that's easy to read

Step 1

Structure first, template second

Before opening Canva, put the whole menu in a text document: sections, names, descriptions, prices. Order the sections the way guests order: for example, breakfast, mains, desserts, drinks. Canva's own tips list several traits of a good menu:

• •it's easy to read;
• •it's divided into logical sections;
• •it's sparse on photos, with tasteful illustration;
• •it uses on-brand typography and doesn't emphasize currency in the prices;
• •dish names and descriptions sound enticing.

💡 Menus get updated. If prices or dishes change often, plan the layout so you can swap a line without rebuilding the whole page.

Step 2

Choose the format and template

In Canva, search for Restaurant Menu or Menu: templates include cafe, bar and wedding menus and A4 formats. Choose the format for how the menu will be used: an A4 sheet on the table, a folded menu, a wall board or a social media image. Pick the template for its style, but keep your own structure.

• •for double-sided or folded menus, Canva recommends a template with the same orientation as your design;
• •if there are many sections, two pages beat one very dense page;
• •check the paper size with the print shop before you start laying out.

Step 3

Hierarchy: name, description, price

Guests read menus quickly and selectively, so each level of text has its own job. The section title is the largest, the dish name stands out, the description is smaller and quieter, the price sits next to the name in one style across the menu. Don't highlight prices with bright color or large type, and don't put a currency symbol next to every one: Canva advises against emphasizing currency.

• •one font for names and one for descriptions, both supporting your language;
• •equal spacing between dishes and larger spacing between sections;
• •align prices on one line so they're easy to compare.

💡 Uploading your own brand fonts to Canva is a paid feature. On the free plan, pick the closest font in Canva's library and use it consistently.

Step 4

Readability, photos and a QR code

Menus are often read in dim light, so contrast matters even more than in a social post. The WCAG standard requires at least 4.5:1 between normal text and its background. For print, Canva recommends not going below font size 7 and checking the layout at 100% zoom, ideally with a test print.

• •only a few photos, and only good ones: at least 300 DPI for print;
• •dark text on a light background reads more reliably than thin light text on dark;
• •a QR code to the online menu should be at least 2 × 2 cm, with a quiet zone and contrasting colors;
• •a static QR code can't be changed after printing; a dynamic one lets you update the link without reprinting.

Step 5

Bleed and the print file

Turn on File → Rulers and guides → Show margins and Show print bleed. Stretch backgrounds and decoration that should reach the edge to the bleed line, and keep text and prices inside the margins. For Canva Print, bleed is fixed at 3.175 mm on each side; for another print shop, check their requirements.

• •download via Share → Download → PDF, preset Print (300 dpi);
• •in Advanced settings, turn on Crop marks and bleed;
• •the CMYK profile is a paid feature, so ask the print shop whether RGB works;
• •proofread names, prices, opening hours and contacts: a typo in a price is an expensive typo.

💡 Print one page on a regular printer and put it on a cafe table. If a dish description is hard to read while seated, increase the font size or cut the text.