Description

The Menu Upgrade That Makes Food Photography Sell Itself.

Photography sells food, and food photography sells food better when it is printed under a high-gloss UV finish. The UV gloss is a clear, high-gloss protective coating cured directly onto the menu surface; it intensifies colour saturation, deepens contrast on dark sauces and rich finishes, and makes every plated dish look closer to how it actually arrives at the table. For restaurants whose menu is image-driven — where the visual hero of every page is a photograph that does the selling — UV glossy is the upgrade that turns the menu into a higher-converting sales tool.

At Graphics Decal HQ we print custom UV glossy restaurant menus in Winnipeg on premium 14pt or 16pt card stock with vibrant full-colour digital printing, then apply a high-gloss UV finish that takes a standard menu into a premium category at lower cost than full lamination. Whether you are a Winnipeg cafe whose seasonal menu rotates with photography of the new dishes, a Manitoba steakhouse where the rich tones of the food deserve gloss saturation, or a Canadian hospitality brand running an image-led menu program across multiple locations, the UV gloss makes the food on your menu look as good as the food in your kitchen.

UV gloss differs from full lamination in two important ways: it costs less and the coating bonds to the surface rather than encapsulating the card, so the menu has a slightly thinner profile and a different tactile feel. The visual difference vs uncoated is immediate — colours pop, photography reads sharper, blacks come through deeper. The functional difference is real-world durability against fingerprints, scuffs, and the moisture that ages standard menus during nightly service.

UV Coating Coverage

CoverageBest For
Single sided UVFront gloss for cover or featured page; back left uncoated for daily-specials writeable space
Double sided UVFull gloss both sides — standard for image-driven dine-in menus


Sizes Available

  • 5.5" x 8.5" — compact takeout and drink list size
  • 8.5" x 11" — standard dine-in menu size
  • 4.25" x 11" — long check-style menu, popular for craft cocktail and wine programs
  • 11" x 17" — large-format presentation menus, often folded to 8.5" x 11"
  • Custom sizes available on request


Paper Weight

StockBest For
14pt coverStandard premium menus — strong feel for daily-use service
16pt coverHeavyweight luxury feel — fine dining and high-check-average concepts


Format

  • Single sheet — ideal for image-driven seasonal feature menus and daily specials
  • Bi-fold — standard dine-in menus with structured course flow
  • Tri-fold — multi-course menus with dedicated drink and dessert sections


Print Side

  • Single sided — economical for menus that only need one printable side
  • Double sided — standard for dine-in menus


Finish Comparison

  • UV gloss (this product) — cured high-gloss coating; intensifies colour and adds scuff resistance at lower cost than lamination
  • Lamination — plastic film bonded to surface; thickest premium feel, maximum durability, wipeable and waterproof; available as Laminated Menu
  • Synthetic — plastic substrate (no paper core); fully waterproof, tear-proof; available as Synthetic Menu
  • Standard finish — matte, gloss, or uncoated paper; available on standard Menus


Add-Ons

  • Rounded corners — soft, premium edge that pairs naturally with the gloss finish
  • Custom die-cut shapes — distinctive menu silhouettes for branded concepts
  • 48hr Rush Production — select at checkout before the 2pm daily cutoff

Graphics Decal HQ is Winnipeg's locally operated full-service print and branding shop — trusted by Manitoba restaurants, fine dining concepts, hotel groups, and image-led hospitality brands to produce menus that perform as sales tools rather than just service tools. UV coating is unforgiving on production: the gloss layer amplifies every print artifact, every misregistration, every colour shift; which is why UV-coated menus demand the calibrated equipment and experienced production team we run from our Winnipeg facility. When you order through GDHQ a local team reviews your artwork before press, catches the file issues that hide under matte but show up under UV gloss, and produces your order to a consistent premium standard.

Important note for UV menu design: heavy ink coverage in fold areas can crack the UV layer over repeated guest folding, photography quality matters more under UV because the coating amplifies both the strengths and weaknesses of the source images, and ink saturation has to be controlled on the back if you want a writable surface for daily specials. Our Winnipeg team reviews every file before press and will flag any issues that affect UV performance.

Our high-resolution digital printing followed by precision UV coating means your brand colours, food photography, and typography come through with the saturation the format is engineered to deliver. We offer local pickup at 2095 Logan Avenue, Winnipeg — ready in 4 to 5 business days — as well as Canada-wide shipping for restaurants and hospitality groups ordering from across Manitoba and beyond.

For other menu finishes, see our [Standard Menus] for the standard paper finish range, [Laminated Menus] for the maximum-durability premium finish, or [Synthetic Menus] for fully waterproof tear-proof menus that last years. For takeout and promotional inserts, see our [UV Coated Flyer] in matching finish family. For folded marketing material, see our [UV Coated 2 Panel Brochure] and [UV Coated 3 Panel Brochure] for catering brochures.

We are also a 3M Certified Graphics Installation Company and a CBSA-approved barcode printer — credentials that reflect the standard of quality and compliance we bring to every product we produce.

UV glossy restaurant menus are the right choice for Winnipeg food businesses and Canadian hospitality operators whose menus need to feel premium and amplify food photography:

  • Image-driven restaurants and bistros across Winnipeg's Exchange District, Osborne Village, St. Boniface, and Corydon producing menus where photography is the visual hero of every page
  • Steakhouses, seafood concepts, and chef-driven restaurants where the rich colours of the food deserve gloss saturation
  • Hotel restaurants and in-room dining programs producing premium-feel menus that match the property positioning
  • Cafes and breakfast concepts producing seasonal feature menus with hero photography for new dishes
  • Cocktail bars, wine bars, and craft beverage programs producing image-led drink menus
  • Catering companies producing client presentation menus where photography drives booking decisions
  • Wineries, breweries, and distilleries producing tasting room menus with bottle photography and pairing imagery
  • Multi-location restaurant groups producing consistent premium menu quality across every venue
  • Quick-service brands producing premium dine-in menus for new concept rollouts and brand refreshes


To order, configure your UV coverage, size, paper weight, format, and print side using the options above, upload your print-ready artwork file, and add to cart. Important note for UV designs: avoid heavy ink coverage in fold areas, plan your back side for either UV gloss or writable handwritten daily specials (not both), and ensure full bleed extends to the trim line. Our Winnipeg team reviews every file and will flag any issues. Design assistance is available — reach out via our [Contact] page or call us at (204) 403-4347.

Local pickup is available at 2095 Logan Avenue, Winnipeg MB. Standard production is 4 to 5 business days after artwork approval. Rush 48hr service is available — select at checkout before the 2pm daily cutoff.

Menu

UV Glossy Menu (Premium)

Price by quote

Paper Weight
Print Side
Finish
Size

Delivery
Available

Guarantee
6 days

Ready
in 2-4 days

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