· 5 min read
Old-style vs lining numerals: the detail that makes menu prices look right
What old-style and lining numerals are, when each belongs on a menu, how tabular figures align prices, and how to switch them on in your typeface. · 5 min read
The handwritten look: doing it well on a printed menu
Three honest ways to get a handwritten feel on a printed restaurant menu, the fonts and scanning techniques that work, and the mistakes that make it look fake. · 5 min read
Dish name, description, price: a typographic hierarchy that sells
How to size, weight and space the three elements of every menu entry so guests read the dish first, the story second and the price last, with exact settings. · 5 min read
Free vs licensed fonts for menus: what you can legally print
Which font licences allow you to print a restaurant menu, what free for personal use really means, what a commercial licence costs, and how to check before you print. · 5 min read
How many fonts should a menu use? Two, and here is how to choose them
Why two typefaces cover every job on a restaurant menu, when a third is justified, how to pair them, and a role-by-role map so nothing on the card is set by accident. · 5 min read
Accents, ligatures and special characters: typesetting multilingual menus correctly
How to keep accents, ligatures, apostrophes, the euro sign and language-specific punctuation intact on a multilingual restaurant menu, from font choice to the print PDF. · 5 min read
Typography for French bistro menus: the chalkboard look on paper
How to translate the Parisian chalkboard into a printed bistro menu: typefaces, capitals with accents, the formule block, price conventions and the details that feel French. · 5 min read
Typography for Italian restaurant menus: tradition, accents and legibility
Typefaces, heading conventions, accented capitals and the coperto line: how to typeset an Italian restaurant menu that looks authentic without falling into cliché. · 5 min read
Uppercase, small caps or title case for menu headings
How to choose between all caps, small caps and title case for section headings on a restaurant menu, with tracking, size and weight settings for each. · 5 min read
Aligning prices on a menu: dotted leaders, right alignment or inline
The three ways to place prices on a restaurant menu, what each does to the way guests compare dishes, and the typographic details that make each one look finished. · 5 min read
Leading, tracking and measure: the typography settings that make a menu breathe
Line spacing, letterspacing and line length for restaurant menus, with concrete values per text level and the spacing between dishes that separates a menu from a spreadsheet. · 5 min read