Restaurant and café graphics

Which surfaces can take a print near food

Cleanability comes first. Walls near coffee machines, banquettes and serving counters get touched and splashed, so ask about a wipeable laminate on any vinyl or wallpaper-style print. Smooth painted plaster takes self-adhesive wall graphics well, while bare brick, grouted tile and fresh paint can cause lifting. Let new paint cure as its maker advises. For anything close to food preparation, check suitability with your environmental health contact and fire risk assessor before ordering.

Keep prices off anything permanent

A menu printed straight onto a wall becomes out of date the first time supplier costs move. Put the brand story, illustration or food photography on the wall, then show changing items on removable panels such as foamex boards or framed posters. Food photos need real resolution too: a phone shot stretched across two metres will look soft, and soft food looks unappetising. Warm restaurant lighting also shifts colours, so ask for a sample and view it in the room at evening service.

Giving window tables some privacy

Diners by the glass often dislike being watched from the pavement. A band of frosted film at seated eye height gives them privacy while still letting daylight in, and the street can still see the room is busy. Opening hours and a short line about what you serve can sit above it in cut vinyl, as covered on our window graphics page. External signs and pavement boards may need permission from your council or landlord, so check that first.

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