Trifold menu templates
قوالب منيو ثلاثي الطي بالعربية والإنجليزية
A trifold menu is one A4 sheet (297 × 210 mm) folded into three panels, which closes to the DL size of 99 × 210 mm. It is the standard format for takeaway and delivery menus. Every QaiMa template can be printed as a trifold, in English, Arabic or both, with the panels already arranged for the fold.
Templates that work best folded
Any of the 15 menu templates will print as a trifold, but a narrow 99 mm panel suits some designs more than others. These four were drawn with the fold in mind.
Petit BistroFrench bistro menu template
Bold StackBurger and shawarma menu template
TrattoriaItalian restaurant menu template
BeirutLebanese restaurant menu template- Petit Bistro changes its line drawing from panel to panel, so the menu tells a small story as it opens.
- Bold Stack puts every price in a ticket stub, readable from a bag on the passenger seat.
- Trattoria alternates dishes side to side, which keeps a long pizza list from reading as one column.
- Beirut sets mezze two across in cards, the densest layout for a narrow panel.
Trifold menu size and panel widths
| Size | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Flat sheet | 297 × 210 mm | A4, printed landscape on both sides |
| Each panel | 99 × 210 mm | Equal thirds, as QaiMa lays it out |
| Folded | 99 × 210 mm | DL size: fits a DL envelope and menu racks |
| With bleed | 303 × 216 mm | 3 mm added on every outer edge |
| Roll fold, typical | 100 / 100 / 97 mm | Tucked panel 2 to 3 mm narrower |
QaiMa uses three equal panels. That is exactly right for a Z-fold. For a roll fold, where one panel tucks inside the other two, the tucked panel is usually made a couple of millimetres narrower so the menu closes flat. Tell your printer it is a roll fold and they will set the fold positions, or choose the Z-fold. Full specs are in the menu printing guide.
Roll fold or Z-fold?
A roll fold wraps the two outer panels over each other, like a letter going into an envelope. The front cover is the right-hand panel of the outside sheet, and the reader unrolls it to reach the inside spread. It feels finished and protects the inside, which is why most restaurant trifolds are roll folds.
A Z-fold folds back and forth like a concertina, so it opens in one pull and all three panels stand flat. The cover is the left-hand panel. It suits a menu people read standing at a counter.
The mistake that costs a print run is laying the file out for one fold and printing it as the other: the cover ends up inside. QaiMa arranges the panels for the fold you pick, labels each one, and you can turn the finished piece around and fold it in 3D before you export.
What to put on each panel
- Front cover. Your name and logo in both languages. QaiMa can design this panel as a cover rather than starting the dishes on it.
- Inside, three panels. The menu itself. Put your best sellers on the middle panel, where the eye lands when the menu opens.
- Back panel. Opening hours, phone number, WhatsApp, delivery areas and the QR code for the digital menu.
- Tuck-in flap. Drinks, desserts or extras: things people look at last.
Trifold menu questions
What size is a trifold menu?
The usual trifold menu is an A4 sheet printed landscape, 297 × 210 mm, folded into three panels of about 99 mm each. Closed, it is 99 × 210 mm, the DL size, which fits a standard DL envelope, a takeaway bag and most menu racks.
Should all three panels be the same width?
For a Z-fold, yes. For a roll fold, where the right panel tucks inside, printers usually make the tucked panel 2 to 3 mm narrower, giving panels of roughly 100, 100 and 97 mm, so it closes flat without bulging. QaiMa lays the trifold out in three equal 99 mm panels. If you print it as a roll fold, ask your printer to set the folds for a tucked panel.
Which panel is the front cover?
It depends on the fold. In a roll fold, the right-hand panel of the outside sheet becomes the front cover. In a Z-fold, it is the left-hand panel. QaiMa arranges the panels for whichever fold you choose and labels each one in the print view, so the cover lands on the front once the sheet is folded.
What paper should a trifold menu be printed on?
Takeaway trifolds are commonly printed on 150 to 170 gsm gloss or silk paper, which folds cleanly. A dine-in trifold that gets handled every service holds up better on heavier stock of 250 gsm or more with a laminate, but heavier paper needs creasing before it is folded. Ask your print shop what they recommend for the number you are printing.
What if my menu doesn't fit on a trifold?
QaiMa tells you in the print view how many panels the menu fills and suggests a fold that holds it, such as a four-panel gatefold. If nothing larger fits, it continues onto a second folded piece rather than cutting dishes off.
Comparing formats? Menu sizes for printing covers A4, A5, DL and square. For a menu with more than six panels of dishes, a gatefold or a four-panel roll fold holds more in the same closed size.
Design a trifold menu and fold it in 3D before you print.