Paper placemats for restaurants: paper, sizes and quantities.

The printed item every guest sees

The paper placemat is the most visible piece of print in a restaurant: it sits in front of every guest for the whole meal. It keeps the table clean and at the same time carries the brand, the menu, an offer or a QR code. Because it is used daily in large numbers, the right decisions on paper and format have a direct effect on cost.

Paper

Placemats are usually printed on 80, 90 or 100 gsm paper. The most widely used option is uncoated stock, which has a natural feel, does not slide on the table and absorbs moisture better. Silk-coated paper at 100 or 115 gsm is also a fairly common choice, where stronger colour and finer image detail are wanted. More in our article on choosing paper.

Sizes

The size is set to suit each business. The most common are A3 (29.7 × 42 cm), 25 × 35 cm and 35 × 50 cm. Where the whole table is to be covered, large formats are also produced, from 50 × 100 cm up to 70 × 100 cm.

The exact size is worth agreeing with the printer: a few millimetres can decide how many placemats fit on the press sheet, and therefore the price.

Colours and artwork

• One or two colours. An economical option for a logo and simple graphics, with the possibility of a spot colour for the brand.
• Four-colour process. For photographs, illustration and menus with many colours.
• Printing to the edge. Where colour runs to the edge of the sheet, the artwork needs bleed.

Artwork is supplied print-ready, in line with our file specifications.

Inks suitable for food

Cutlery, bread and often the food itself rest on the placemat. It therefore matters that it is printed with inks suitable for printed items that come into contact with food. See what food grade means.

Quantities

Offset printing is the economical choice when quantities run into the thousands. The minimum order quantity for placemats is 5,000 pieces. Unit cost falls markedly as the quantity rises, so one larger order covering several months is better value than many small ones. For chains and businesses with several sites, a single production run also ensures exactly the same colour everywhere.

Our approach

At Terzidis Print placemats are printed on an industrial offset press, with food-grade inks and European paper, and every stage checked in line with ISO 9001:2015. Send us the size, quantity and number of colours in a quote request. More under commercial print.