Product parameters and production process of the
MenuAs an important carrier for restaurants to display dishes and convey brand concepts, the quality of the menu directly affects the first impression of the restaurant by customers. The following are the main product parameters and production technology of the menu, which can be used by the printing factory for reference.
1. Product parameters
(1) Physical performance parameters
1. Paper thickness: The thickness of common menu paper is between 80-300g. 80-120g paper is relatively light and light, suitable for menus with a large number of pages that need to be changed frequently; 150-200g paper has moderate thickness and good stiffness, which is the choice of most restaurants; 250-300g paper is thick and textured, and it is commonly used in high-end restaurants. Fine menus can improve the overall grade.
2. Stiffness: Stiffness is a measure of the paper's ability to resist bending. High-quality menu paper has better stiffness, and it is not easy to deform and wrinkle during the reading process, ensuring the flatness and durability of the menu. Generally speaking, the larger the thickness of the paper, the higher the stiffness, but it is also related to the material of the paper.
3. Folding resistance: The menu needs to be flipped frequently, so folding resistance is one of the important parameters. Good folding resistance can make the menu less prone to creases and fractures in long-term use. Generally, paper with better toughness, such as coated paper, matte powder paper, etc., has excellent folding resistance.
4. Surface smoothness: The surface smoothness of the paper will affect the printing effect. Paper with high smoothness can make the printing pattern clearer and the colors more vivid. The surface of coated paper is smooth, which is suitable for printing colorful pictures of dishes; the surface of matte powder paper is slightly rough, and the color is softer after printing, which has a certain texture.
(2) Printing performance parameters
1. Printing accuracy: Printing accuracy is usually expressed in resolution, and the resolution of menu printing is generally 300dpi, which can ensure that the details such as the pictures and text of the dishes are clearly visible, and avoid blurring, serrations, etc.
2. Color saturation: Menus with high color saturation can better present the color of the dishes and stimulate customers' appetite. In the printing process, through the reasonable deployment of ink, to ensure that the color of the food pictures is close to the actual object, while the text color is bright and easy to read.
3. Overprinting accuracy: For multi-color printed menus, overprinting accuracy is very important, and the positional deviation between the color versions is required to be controlled within the allowable range, otherwise there will be ghosting, blurring and other problems, affecting the aesthetics of the menu.
(3) Applicable performance parameters
1. Stain resistance: In the restaurant environment, the menu is easily contaminated with oil, water, etc., so it is necessary to have a certain stain resistance. The stain resistance of the menu surface can be improved by laminating treatment (such as re-brightening film and matte film), which is convenient for wiping and cleaning.
2. Water resistance: In a humid environment, if the water resistance of the menu is poor, it is prone to deformation by moisture and wrinkling of the paper. The use of waterproof paper or waterproof coating treatment can enhance the water resistance of the menu and extend its service life.
3. Size specifications: The size specifications of the menu are diverse. The common ones are 16 open (210mm×285mm) and 32 open (140mm×203mm). Special sizes can also be
customized according to the needs of the restaurant. The choice of size needs to consider the quantity of dishes, the display effect, and the convenience of carrying and flipping through.
Second, the production process
(1) Design and layout Design the menu according to the positioning of the restaurant, the characteristics of the dishes and the brand style. Designers use professional design software (such as Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc.) to reasonably layout the picture, name, price, introduction and other elements of the dishes, paying attention to the overall aesthetics and legibility of the information. At the same time, the feasibility of the printing process should be considered to avoid designing effects that are difficult to achieve or too costly. Bleeding space needs to be reserved during typesetting to ensure accurate late cutting.
(2) Material selection According to the design style, usage scenario and budget of the menu, choose the appropriate paper material and thickness. If the menu is based on picture display and needs bright colors, you can choose coated paper; if you pursue a simple and textured style, matte pink paper is a good choice. For menus that require long-term use and wear resistance, thick-pound paper or specially treated paper can be considered.
(3) Printing
1. Digital printing: suitable for small-batch, personalized menu printing, it has the characteristics of fast speed and high flexibility, and can meet customer needs for rapid menu updates. Digital printing does not require plate making, and the design documents can be directly output and printed, with better color reproduction.
2. Offset printing: suitable for large-volume menu printing, low cost and stable printing quality. Offset printing transfers ink to paper through plate making, which can achieve high printing accuracy and color saturation. It is a commonly used process in menu printing.
(4) Post-processing
1. Laminating: Divided into bright film and matte film, laminating can protect the surface of the menu, increase wear resistance, stain resistance and water resistance, while improving the gloss or texture of the menu. The bright film makes the menu more colorful and shiny; the matte film gives a low-key and elegant feeling.
2. Bronzing / silver stamping: The use of bronzing or silver stamping technology in the title, logo and other parts of the menu can enhance the visual effect of the menu, improve the grade, and make the menu more textured and luxurious.
3. Concave-convex embossing: Concave-convex embossing is performed on the surface of the paper through a mold to form a three-dimensional pattern or text. Without the use of ink, the menu can have a unique tactile and visual effect, and the artistry of the menu can be increased.
4. Die-cutting: For menus with special shapes, such as round, special-shaped, etc., die-cutting processing is required. Die-cutting The paper is cut into the desired shape through a dedicated mold to make the menu more personalized and creative.
5. Binding: Choose the appropriate binding method according to the number of pages and style of the menu. The common ones are riding nail binding (suitable for menus with fewer pages), glue binding (suitable for menus with more pages, strong binding), thread binding (with retro style, suitable for specialty restaurants) and so on.
(5) Inspection and packaging
After the printing and production is completed, the menu will be thoroughly inspected to check the printing quality (such as whether the color is accurate, whether the overprint is accurate, whether there is any leakage, etc.), the post-processing quality (such as whether the film is flat, whether the bronzing is firm, whether the die-cutting is accurate, etc.), and whether the size meets the requirements. The inspected menu is packaged, and the appropriate packaging method can be selected according to customer needs, such as strapping, bagging, etc., to ensure that the menu is not damaged during transportation and storage.
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