Great photos. More orders.
Unless a guest has already visited your restaurant in person, your website and online ordering menu are often your one shot at making a great first impression.
Your photos should reflect your restaurant’s vibe, colors, and story—but most importantly, they need to highlight the food you serve.
Research shows that photos of dishes can drive a 15–30% increase in sales.
But the wrong images can actually work against you, making food look unappealing and sending your customers elsewhere.
The good news? High-quality, appetizing photos work in your favor—turning hungry searchers into orders.
Let’s make sure your photos are doing their job: positioning your food as the solution to your guest’s hunger and cravings and bringing in those orders.
Here’s what you’ll need to know:
Follow These Requirements To Get Your Best Photos
Here are the types of photos we need (in plain terms):
- Food: The dishes you’re proud of—your best-sellers, house specialties, and seasonal items clearly labeled with the names of each dish.
- Exterior shot: A clear picture of the front of your restaurant with the sign visible.
- Inside shot: A photo of your dining room, counter, or bar so guests know what it’s like inside.
- Staff/Owners (optional): Friendly, candid team moments if you’d like to show the people behind the food. (Consider employee turnover as a possible downside.)
- Logo: A clean file of your logo for consistent branding. Common file types are .jpeg, .png, .svg, .ai, .eps, or even PDF.
Got the list? Great. Now let’s make sure those photos are the right size.
Photo sizes we need (don’t worry, we’ll help if you’re unsure):
- Big banner photo (the wide one at the top of your site also called a Hero image): Horizontal, at least 1000x300 pixels.
- Menu item photos: Horizontal only, at least 1000 pixels wide.
- General rule of thumb: Bigger is better—aim for around 2000 pixels wide if possible as long as it is smaller than 20 MB.
Dimensions sorted? Perfect. Now let’s cover the technical stuff—file type and orientation.
Format & orientation (what this means):
JPEG or PNG only. These are the most common photo types used online.
No RAW files. RAW files are the super-large, unprocessed files professional cameras make. They’re too heavy for websites.
Horizontal only. Turn your phone sideways when you take the picture.
Style and Content Guidelines
Lighting:
- Use natural window light (but not direct sunlight)
- Avoid overhead kitchen lights
- Watch for glare and shadows
Once the light’s working in your favor, it’s all about how you line up the shot—let’s talk angles.
Framing & angles (how to line up your shot):
- 45° angle: Imagine sitting across from a friend at the table—you’re looking slightly down at the food, not standing over it, not eye level. Great for bowls, layered dishes, and pizza.
- 90° overhead: A straight-down bird’s-eye view. Works well for flat dishes, spreads, or when showing several plates at once.
- Head-on: Camera straight at the food. Best for burgers, sandwiches, or drinks where layers matter.
- Tip: Pick one style and stick to it for consistency. Always center the dish and clear the background.
Lighting and angles set the mood—now let’s stage the scene so your food is the star (without any distractions sneaking in).
Staging:
- Real plates preferred: if possible, don’t use Styrofoam or to-go containers
- No Hands: No utensils, or packaging in the frame, no fingers, and no hands.
- Keep it clean: Make sure any surroundings you get in the photo are clean. No restroom doors, dirty floors, trash bins, crumbs on counters and tables.
Once it’s staged, how do you know if it’s actually good? Let’s break it down into Great, Usable, and Do-Over.
Quality tiers:
- Great: Sharp, well-lit, staged cleanly
- Usable: In focus, decent lighting, simple background
- Unusable: Blurry, dark, vertical, cluttered, dirty, shows packaging
So you know what a good shot looks like—now here’s how to get it, using just your phone.
Tools and Process
- Smartphone is fine. No pro camera required.
- Tips: Wipe the lens, tap to focus, hold steady.
- Optional editing apps: Pixlr, Canva, Snapseed, Lightroom.
- File names must be clear: (e.g., FrontDoor.jpg, PadThai.png).
- No cropping: Send final horizontal photos only.
- Tripod: not mandatory but helps with framing and consistency.
Got the basics down? Great. Here’s the fast track to ruining all that effort—so you can skip these mistakes.
What to Avoid
Blurry or pixelated images
Harsh shadows, glare, or hand shadows
Styrofoam containers or cluttered counters
Heavy filters or stylized edits
Screenshots from social media or delivery apps
Stock photos or watermarked images
NO HANDS!
If your photos pass the ‘no hands, no clutter’ test, you’re ready for the final step: sending them our way.
Submission and Support
You’ll receive a Dropbox link to upload your photos.
Labeling is required: Each photo file must be named with the exact menu item name as you want it to appear on your menu. For example: ChickenTikkaMasala.jpg or VeggieBurger.png. This helps us match the right photo to the right dish without confusion.
File rules:
- Final images only (no drafts or uncropped shots)
- JPEG or PNG format
- Horizontal orientation
Our team will review for quality, but following this guide is key.
Not sure if you nailed it? Run through this quick checklist before you hit upload.
Quick Checklist
Horizontal only
Natural light, no glare
Taken at 45° or 90°
No hands, packaging, or clutter
Clearly labeled filenames
Uploaded to Dropbox link
Still have questions? You’re not the only one—here are the answers we hear most often.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s a hero image? It’s the big banner photo at the top of your website. It sets the tone and gives guests their first impression of your restaurant.
My photos are HEIC files how can I change them to JPEG? iPhones often save photos as HEIC files. For step-by-step instructions on converting them to JPEGs, check this out: Convert HEIC photos to JPEG. Haven’t taken the photos yet? On iPhone, go to Settings > Camera > Formats and choose Most Compatible (this will save new photos as JPEG).
Q: Do I need a professional camera?
Nope! A smartphone is fine. Just use natural light, wipe your lens, and hold steady. Most great food photos on restaurant sites today are taken with phones.
Q: Why do photos need to be horizontal?
Website menus are designed for wide, landscape images. Vertical photos won’t fit the format and will get cropped awkwardly. Always turn your phone sideways before snapping.
Q: Can I send social media screenshots or stock photos?
No — we need original, high-resolution images of your actual dishes. Screenshots are too small, and stock photos won’t match your menu.
Q: How big should my photos be?
Aim for at least 1000 pixels wide (2000 pixels if possible). Bigger is better because we can always scale down — but we can’t fix blurry or tiny images.
Q: How should I name my files?
Use the exact menu item name so it matches what guests see on your menu. For example: ChickenTikkaMasala.jpg, VeggieBurger.png.
Q: Can I edit or filter my photos?
Light touch-ups (like brightness or cropping) are fine. But avoid heavy filters, colored overlays, or stylized edits — they can make food look unappetizing.
All set? Time to hit upload and let your food do the talking.
Still have questions?
Our team is here to help. Call us at (913) 738-9399 or email support@menufy.com before you upload.