Hospitality printing: compare quotes and prices

Describe products and units separately

Give required products and exact quantity of each. A menu means finished copies, with page extent for a multipage menu. Menus, placemats and vouchers require separate quantities; one combined total is ambiguous. Describe available artwork and existing holders too.

Distinguish single and repeated use

A daily replacement insert needs different materials from a drinks menu cleaned regularly. Match stiffness, surface, folding and binding to actual handling. Test cleaning and turning on a sample. Washable does not mean resistant to every cleaner. Direct food contact, if required, needs a separate suitability check for the chosen material.

For placemats or liners, state whether food will rest directly on them or only crockery. Where food contact is intended, establish the suitability of the finished printed item for that use; the paper name alone does not establish this.

Check the menu under real conditions

Check type size, contrast, reflections and organisation at the table under actual lighting. Prices and their association with offerings should be clear to guests. Check folding order and visible faces of a table tent; an on-screen file does not automatically show final viewing direction. QR codes need verified destination content and a test on the printed sample.

Approve content and food information

The establishment should check dishes, prices, languages and required information before printing. Switzerland has particular information rules for unpackaged food. Oral allergen information requires a written notice; staff must have the information in writing or a knowledgeable person must be able to provide it. Every detail need not appear on every printed product; clarify the presentation suited to your offering. Technical printing checks do not replace this content review.

Organise changing offerings and languages

State version count and exact quantities of each, for example by language, location or season. Replaceable inserts can ease frequent updates but need suitable holders and administration. Withdraw outdated menus in time. Compare smaller reprints and stock production with expected changes and internal work included.

Coordinate files and finishing

Agree file format, image quality, fonts and edge areas with the supplier. Folding, punching, cutting and protection should not affect important text or images. Test writing or stamping areas practically. State whether design, adaptation or production alone is required; confidential customer data is unnecessary for the initial enquiry.

Have the existing files and included file checks assessed first. Commission new artwork, additional bleed or paid corrections only where the chosen production actually requires them and the work is not already included.

Compare the lowest suitable complete execution cost

Compare matching products, quantities, quality and deadlines. Design, file checking, printing, protection or binding, necessary reserve, packing, transport and distribution belong together. Storage, frequent updates and your correction time also affect costs. Unknown delivery and internal work are not free. A durable menu is worthwhile only while its content remains usable.

If the printer will also sort, band or hand items over to the postal service, request separate costs for these tasks, transport and postage. Bundle size should follow the agreed distribution method. Compare the total, including necessary internal work and VAT, on the same basis.

Prepare a specific, comparable enquiry

For each product, give the finished size, quantity, printed sides, language versions, intended use and required arrival date. Mention existing artwork and holders. If material or protection is undecided, describe daily use and ask for suitable options.

Example: “We need 60 double-sided A5 menus: 50 in German and 10 in French, to fit our existing holders. We also want 500 single-sided A3 placemats in one shared bilingual version; these will hold crockery, with no food placed directly on them. Our logo and previous PDF files are available. Please assess reuse, list any necessary reserve separately, and itemise delivery and any adjustments. The menus should arrive before the seasonal change; we will agree the exact date.”

Agree samples, approval and repeat orders

Check an appropriate sample for readability, finishing and actual use. Approve each content revision and version deliberately. Coordinate delivery with introducing the offering, then reconcile quantities and versions on arrival. Retain artwork and responsibility for updates so repeat orders do not accidentally reproduce outdated prices or dishes.

Distinguish production completion, dispatch and arrival at the restaurant. Agree the approval deadline and whether a sample affects timing. Approving a PDF does not show the actual material surface; establish which check is sufficient for your order.