Smart Hospitality manufacture bespoke menu covers with a range of fixing mechanism specifications.
Choosing your style of fixing depends entirely on the size of your menu and how you want to present it. Do you want a contemporary looking menu or do you need something to complement a more traditional setting? These are the questions you should be asking yourself when making your decision, perhaps over a glass of wine or two to make the task a little more exciting! We have lots of fixing options, take a look below.
Cord & Eyelet
The traditional cord and eyelet menu cover fixing is very simple to use, especially when combined with PVC pockets. Each pocket shows 4 sides to view and you could show up to 16 sides with ease.
Superb for a menu that changes frequently and has the potential to be considerably added to over time.
Grip Fix
The grip fix mechanism is a plastic spine which pinches your paper to hold it in place without the need for any pockets or screws. You simply open the folder and slide your paper into the spine. This will hold up to 12 pieces of paper tightly. This fixing option is ideal for a menu that changes frequently due to the speed and ease to insert your pages.
Concealed Elasticated Cord
This type of menu cover fixing is perfect for a simple four-sided menu; one you could print on card and literally fold down the centre to create a neat booklet. All you need to do is tuck the card behind the elasticated cord (which is subtly concealed through a straw-like structure) to hold your menu neatly in place.
This fixing mechanism is not limited to four sides to view, you can show as many as you like in multiples of four; eight and twelve is also possible.
Outer Screw Fix
The outer screw fixing mechanism is perfect for menus that continuously change and grow. You simply punch your paper or card using a standard hole puncher and line them in between the front and back cover, so that it all opens like a book. Taking your screws, secure them into the holes (so that they also run through the punched menu cards) and then twist on the backs. You should now be able to pick up your menu cover from the spine and shake without any cards falling loose.
PVC pockets can also be used with this design, but please make sure to specify this at the point of sale so our manufacturing team can ensure the spines are made a little wider in order to keep the cards flush to the cover. A4 menu covers have 4 holes, A5 menu covers have 2 holes.
Inner Screw Fix (Wing & Interscrew)
The inner screw fixing mechanism, or wing and interscrews as otherwise termed, are a compact way of retaining your menu. Simply punch your paper or card using a four way hole puncher and line it in between the two wings running down the inner spine of the cover. These wings have been drilled four times so all you need to do is ensure the menu cards line up with the holes. You then use your four screws to tighten the whole lot together. A4 menu covers have 4 holes, A5 menu covers have 2 holes.
PVC pockets can also be used with this design, but please make sure to specify this at the point of sale so our manufacturing team can ensure the front and back covers are made wider.
Corner Mounts
Corner mounts are a very understated way of displaying your menu. Paper is held in place by four small corner pockets on the inside front and inside back of the menu covers. You can display four or six sides retrospectively by adding extra hinges to the inside of the spine, or by using a wing and interscrew if you wish the pages to be removable.
Opaque acetate sheets are also available if desired for protection against potential marks and spillages to your menu cards.
Parallel Bars
Parallel bars work in the same way to corner mounts and are perhaps more suited to a contemporary cover. Paper or card is held in place by two parallel bars, top and bottom, fixed to the inside front and inside back of the cover. Once more, you can display four or six sides retrospectively by adding extra hinges to the inside of the spine, or by using a wing and interscrew if you wish for the pages to be removable.
Opaque acetate sheets are also available if desired for protection against food and beverage spillages.
Magnet Fix
There are 2 options for the Magnet Fix;
-Magnets discretely hidden to the inside of the front and back spine or;
-Magnets bound into our traditional wings, which are usually used for the internal screw fixing.
Simply open the magnets, insert your pages, and release the magnets to hold your paper in place securely.
US Frames
Super strong PVC pockets, with either a nylon or PVC trim, sewn into the inside spine of your menu cover. Each pocket will display two sides back to back and you can generally opt to have a maximum of four pockets (showing eight sides) per cover. If more pages are desired, please ensure to let us know at the point of sale so we can manufacture the spine to suit.
The PVC itself can either be opaque or slightly frosted. The trim can also be requested in a number of different colours with either a matching or contrasting stitch.
Picture Frames
This particular menu cover fixing mechanism works in exactly the same way as a photo album. Frames are attached to the inside front and back of your menu covers so all you need to do is simply slot in your paper or card behind the acetate.
Extra sides to view can be added by simply sewing in more frames to the inside spine of the cover, or by using a wing and interscrew should you require them to be removable.
Metal corner protectors for the frames are also available upon request, with a colour choice of silver, gilt, bronze or black.
Booklet Holder
The booklet holder fixing consists of a vertical pocket on the inside front of your menu cover and a vertical pocket on the inside back. You then insert the front and back pages of your printed menu booklet into the pockets to hold it into place.
This particular menu cover fixing mechanism is fantastic for wine lists and cocktail lists that are half A4 in size.
Concertina Fixing
The concertina fixing mechanism is an extremely contemporary way of displaying your menu cards.
We actually print your food and/or drink menu in-house on thick mat or gloss laminated card and then score it into a Z fold (or leaflet style should you will). Depending on how big your menu is, the folds can display 2, 4, 6 or even 8 sides of either ½ A4, ⅔ A4 or ½ A3 paper.
The front and back panels of the print are purposefully left blank in order to bind them to two boards that are themselves made to one of the above sizes. These boards are then bound in a menu cover material of your choice; for example, wood-effect, metalX, simulated leather or buckray bookcloth. This enables you to personalise the front of your menus using a more traditional method like hot foil or a blind emboss. When you open up the cover; however, it is a fresh, modern design that is bestowed upon you.
