If you’re trying to market a restaurant, strong visuals are a good strategy. Posters can attract a variety of customers, both online and offline. However, the challenging part is that hiring a professional designer or using complex software isn’t always the most practical way to go about it. If you’re on a tight budget, you need an all-in-one solution that doesn’t require prior experience or extra hiring costs.
Worry not, there are plenty of affordable design tools which make it easy to create different types of visuals. In this guide, we’ll compare 5 budget-friendly poster design tools and evaluate which one would be the best fit for your restaurant.
- Canva
Canva is one of the most widely-used design tools for small businesses, complete beginners, and social media marketers. Its interface is fairly simple and user-friendly, making it easy to create posters quickly.
Main Features
- Easy and intuitive drag-and-drop editor
- Ready-made restaurant and good poster templates
- Pre-sized poster formats for ease
- Access to stock photo library (pictures, icons, and fonts)
- Mobile app to make edits easily anywhere
AI Features
- Magic Studio: Quick AI design and image generation from text prompts.
- Magic Write: AI text generation (copies, taglines, and captions).
- AI Background Remover: Isolate objects in a single click.
Limitations
- Premium tools and advanced editing require a paid subscription.
- Not tailored for restaurant marketing workflows.
Pricing
- Free tier
- Canva Pro: $14.99/month per user
- Canva Teams: $29.99/month per user
- Adobe Express
Adobe Express is a suitable option for those that want their visuals to have a crisp, polished, and professional look to them. If you have established logos and a branded colour palette, this tool can help maintain brand consistency. If you’re already familiar with the Adobe ecosystem, this platform can be a seamless fit for your restaurant.
Main Features
- Professional-looking poster and flyer templates
- Brand kits for logos, fonts, and colour palettes
- Access to Adobe Stock photos and other design assets
- Quick resizing for digital and print designs
AI Features
- Generative Fill & Text Effects (Adobe Firefly)
- One-click background removal
- AI-assisted layout suggestions
Limitations
- Fewer template options than other tools on this list
- Limited AI credits on free or lower tier paid plans
- No built-in publishing or email-marketing tools
Pricing
- Free tier
- Premium: $9.99/month per user
- If you buy Adobe’s Creative Cloud, you’ll get Premium Adobe Express with no added cost.
- Pixlr
Pixlr differs from other tools on this list as it’s entirely focused on photo-editing and photo enhancement. It isn’t a full design platform with layout assistance but does offer features to tweak and polish food photography content that can be later used as poster elements. If you’re creating menus, you can use Pixlr to touch up promo images.
Main Features
- Browser-based photo editor with layer control
- Advanced colour correction and retouching features
- Basic poster layouts for quick visuals
- No software installation is required
AI Features
- AI background removal
- AI cutout and object isolation tools
- Smart image enhancement, powered by AI
Limitations
- Very limited poster templates
- Not ideal for restaurants looking to run a full marketing campaign
- No support for social media and email marketing
Pricing
- Free tier
- Pixlr Plus: $1.99/month per user
- Pixlr Premium: $7.99/month per user
- PiktoChart
If you’re looking to transform numbers into visuals, Piktochart can be a good fit for you. This platform is used mainly for creating infographics but you can use it to design menus, pricing charts, and other informational posters for your restaurant.
Main Features
- Structured and clean layouts for menu and pricing boards
- Easy text-heavy design editor
- Simple export options for print and digital media
AI Features
- AI-assisted smart layout suggestions
- Smart content formatting and editing
Limitations
- Limited AI image generation compared to other tools on this list
- Not optimized for food-centric posters and flyers
- Lesser templates for restaurant-specific posters
- No support for marketing automation or publishing tools
Pricing
- Free tier
- Pro: $29/month per user
- Business: $49/month
- PosterMyWall
If you’re looking for an all-in-one tool that can handle design and promotion in one place, PosterMyWall has got your back. For restaurants, this can mean doing multiple workflow tasks at once such creating posters, publishing them across social media channels, and designing email marketing headers.
Main Features
- Thousands of professionally designed restaurant poster templates
- Drag-and-drop editor which is easy and intuitive to use
- Built-in social media publishing and email marketing features
- Easy resizing for posters, menus, and social media posts
- HD export and sharing options
AI Features
- AI Background Remover for clean and polished food photography
- AI image generation for unique promotional graphics
- AI copywriting to generate captions, taglines, and copies for posts
- AI video subtitles for Instagram Reels, voiceovers, and other promos
Limitations
- Advanced AI and marketing tools require an upgraded paid plan
Pricing
- Free tier
- Premium: $9.95/month
- Premium Plus: $29.95/month
How To Choose the Right Poster Tool for Your Restaurant?
Now that you have gone over this tool listicle, it’s time to make a choice. It’s easy to feel stuck comparing features instead of actually designing posters. You don’t need the ‘perfect’ tool to run a successful campaign, you need one that fits the marketing goals of your restaurant. Here are a few simple tips to help you decide faster so you can get to designing:
- How often do you create posters?
If your restaurant offers weekly specials or discounts, you should pick a tool that lets you duplicate and edit designs quickly. Redesigning again and again can waste a lot of time so reusable templates should be your go-to. This way, you can also keep your branding consistent.
- Choose clean food visuals over fancy effects
Nobody likes to read through a menu that is visually overcrowded and cluttered. That’s why you need to display clear and appetising food photography rather than inserting haphazard and complex design elements. Tools which offer features such as photo enhancement and background removal can be helpful.
- Are there any collaboration requirements?
If you’re working with a team of collaborators, pick a tool that allows shared access. Brand controls are important for marketing teams as they help avoid mismatched designs, inconsistent branding, and last-minute edits. Canva or PosterMyWall can be a good fit for you in this scenario.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about poster design tools for restaurants.
- Do I really need a design tool to make restaurant posters, or can I just use my phone?
You can use your phone for designing posters. However, if you’re looking to create professional-looking posters with layout alignment, spacing, and typography, you need a web-based design tool. Balancing visuals and sizing posters for print and social media are both tasks which are hard to get right on phone apps.
- What should I focus on first when designing a restaurant poster?
Start with a clear plan and one singular goal in mind. What is your poster promoting? A discount, a new dish, or an event? Use images, text, and colours to support your message. Do not overcrowd posters with multiple discounts and offers.
