An alternative to the Canva PDF menu
Canva is great for a printed menu. Exported as a PDF and opened from a QR code, that same design becomes a page guests pinch, zoom and scroll sideways to read. Keep Canva for print, and give guests a menu made for their phone.
14 days free. No card needed.
From a Canva design to a live menu
- 1
Choose a template
Pick the one closest to your Canva design, or one that suits the venue better.
- 2
Copy your text across
Sections, dishes, descriptions and prices, from your design into the dashboard.
- 3
Add your logo and colour
Your logo, a cover photo and an accent colour, so it still looks like you.
- 4
Point your QR code at the link
Print a new code once. From then on, changes never need a new file or a new code.
Why PDF menus are bad on a phone
A PDF is a printed page. Nothing about it changes for a 6-inch screen, so guests have to work to read it:
- Text sized for A4 or A3 is too small until you zoom, and then you scroll sideways line by line
- Large image-heavy files can be slow to open on mobile data, at the table
- Every price change means editing the design, exporting again and uploading again
- If the new file gets a new address, the QR codes on the tables open the old menu
- There's no way to mark one dish sold out for the evening
- Two languages mean two files, or one crowded page
How to turn a Canva menu into a website
There are two ways. You can publish the design as a web page or share the PDF's link, but guests still get a layout made for paper, scaled down to a phone, and every change is a new export.
Or you move the menu's content into a menu made for phones. In Craftel you choose a designed template, then copy your sections, dishes and prices from your Canva design into the dashboard. There's no automatic import, so this takes one sitting; after that a change is a quick edit on your phone. Your menu gets its own link, such as craftel.app/m/yourcafe, which is the menu's website: it opens on any phone, in the guest's language, and you put it in your QR code, your Instagram bio and your Google Maps listing.
Keep Canva for what it's good at
Posters, the board behind the counter, flyers and social posts are still Canva's job. Download your Craftel QR code as SVG or PNG and drop it into those designs: the poster stays the same and the code always opens today's menu.
What changes when you leave the PDF behind
Readable without zooming
Text set for phones, one column, in a template designed for small screens.
Edits without exporting
Change a price on your phone. No new file, no new upload, no new QR code.
Sold out tonight
Grey out a dish when it runs out, and bring it back tomorrow.
Arabic and English on one menu
Guests switch with one tap, and Arabic reads right to left in a proper Arabic typeface.
What it costs
Free for the first 14 days, with every template and no card needed. After that it's $12 a month or $99 a year for one venue's menu, with your link and QR codes included.
See pricingQuestions about replacing a PDF menu
Can I upload my Canva PDF to Craftel?
No. Craftel isn't a PDF host: you type your sections and dishes into a designed template once. If you only need a QR code for your existing PDF, our free QR tool does that.
Can my Craftel menu look like my Canva design?
It takes the look of the template you choose, with your logo, cover photo and accent colour. It won't copy your Canva layout exactly; it's designed for phones instead of paper.
Will my existing QR codes keep working?
They keep opening the PDF they point to. Print new codes for your Craftel link once, and they never need replacing again.
Is a PDF menu ever fine?
For a printed menu, a downloadable catering list or an events pack, yes. For the menu guests read at the table on their phone, a menu made for phones is easier to read and to keep up to date.
Is Craftel affiliated with Canva?
No. Canva is a trademark of Canva Pty Ltd. We mention it because many owners design their menus there.