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Free size guide
What size should your menu board be?
Chart
TV size by viewing distance
Stand where your guests read the menu, usually the back of the line, and find your distance. That row gives you the TV size and the smallest text to use.
Several screens beat one giant screen. A row of two or three TVs lets you split food, drinks and specials and keeps the text big. Just a Menu builds designs for one TV or a whole wall.
Text size
How big the text needs to be
Text size matters more than TV size. A common signage rule of thumb is about 1 inch of capital-letter height for every 10 feet between the guest and the screen. Use it for the smallest text on the board: item names and prices. Titles can go bigger.
Measure your wall
Check your space in 3 steps.
Five minutes with a tape measure and the printable test sheet tells you more than any chart.
Pizza Di Roma · Austin, TX
1
Stand where they read
Go to the back of your usual line, not the register. Guests decide what to order while they wait, so that’s where the menu has to work.
Illustration
2
Measure to the wall
Use a tape measure, or count your steps (about 2½ feet each). That number is your viewing distance. Find it in the chart.
Sample
3
Tape up the test sheet
Print page 2 of the PDF at 100% and tape it where the TV will hang. Step back. The smallest line you can read easily is your minimum letter size.
Real install: Abilene Christian University · Abilene, TX
Wide or tall
One TV or a row, wide or tall
Match the screen to the wall, then check the text size again for your distance.
- ✓Wide (landscape) suits most counters and rows of screens.
- ✓Tall (portrait) suits narrow walls, pillars and single-category boards like drinks. Check the TV’s manual allows it first.
- ✓A long menu? Add a screen or split it by time of day, instead of shrinking the text.
Real install: Thistle Cafe · Austin, TX
Size questions.
Planning a wall? Call (202) 886-2442 or email sales@justamenu.com.
What size TV do I need for a menu board?
Go by distance. Most counters, where guests read from 6 to 10 feet: 50–55″ for each screen. Under 6 feet: 32–43″. 10 to 15 feet: 55–65″. Farther than that: 65″ or larger, or a row of screens.
How big should the text be?
About 1 inch of capital-letter height for every 10 feet. On a 55″ TV at 10 feet, that’s a font size of about 55–60 pixels in a 1920×1080 design.
How many items fit on one screen?
Roughly 20 to 30 on a landscape screen, fewer with photos. For a longer menu, use a second screen or split it by time of day.
Is one big TV better than two smaller ones?
Usually not. A row of two or three lets you split food, drinks and specials and keep the text big.
Does 4K make small text readable?
Not from across the room. Designs are made at 1920×1080 for each screen and look sharp on both 1080p and 4K TVs. At a distance, letter size is what matters.
What about printed menu boards?
The same distance rule works for print. For printed menus and posters, see Print menus.
Tacos & Burritos Metro · Phoenix, AZ
Choose the right TV
Regular TV or commercial display, brightness, 4K and mounting.
Read the guide →
Pizza Di Roma · Austin, TX
Design a board people can read
How much fits, which fonts, and where photos earn their place.
Read the design guide →
Our demo menu
Menu board design
Snap a photo of your menu in Just a Menu and see it as custom boards.
See how it works →
Got the distance? Let’s talk about the menu.
Once you’re set up, a photo of your menu becomes custom menu boards sized for your screens, ready as is.
Talk to a real person. We reply within one business day.
Wing Dash · Dallas, TX