HoReCa · 6 min read

Paper napkin sizes, folds and printing for hotels and restaurants

Published 5 October 2026By GramBask

Napkins are the one piece of tissue every guest touches, which is why restaurant groups and hotels spend more time specifying them than any other consumable. This guide covers the sizes, folds, plies and printing choices that matter, so your order matches the way your outlets actually use napkins.

Sizes

Type	Open size (typical)	Where it is used
Cocktail / beverage	24 × 24 cm to 25 × 25 cm	Bars, cafés, room service trays
Lunch / dispenser	30 × 30 cm to 33 × 33 cm	Quick service, canteens, counters
Dinner	33 × 33 cm to 40 × 40 cm	Restaurants, banqueting, hotels

Tell your manufacturer the size you use now; most standard sizes can be matched, and the quote will say which.

Folds

A quarter fold (folded twice into a square) is the standard table napkin. An eighth fold (folded three times into a narrow rectangle) suits dispensers and tight table settings. Interfold or dispenser napkins pull one at a time from a holder and cut waste in quick service. Choose the fold by how the napkin is presented, not by price; the paper cost is the same.

1-ply or 2-ply

1-ply napkins are the economical choice for dispensers, counters and high-volume outlets. 2-ply napkins feel fuller, absorb more and hold a print better, so they are the choice for dining rooms and banquets. GramBask makes both from 14 to 18 GSM per ply; see our GSM and ply guide for what the numbers mean.

Logo printing

Printed napkins turn a consumable into branding on every table. Three things decide the result: the number of colours (one or two colours print cleanly and cost least), the placement (usually one corner of the folded napkin), and the artwork (vector files reproduce sharply; low-resolution logos do not). Printed runs have a minimum quantity because plates are made per design, so group outlets under one artwork where you can.

Planning consumption

Count napkins per cover, not per day: a quick-service outlet might use two per cover, a dining room one, a banquet one and a half. Multiply by covers per month and add 10 per cent for events. A monthly supply plan with your manufacturer removes the end-of-month scramble and usually earns a better price.

Where GramBask fits

We make plain and logo-printed napkins in 1-ply and 2-ply at our ISO-certified plant in India, supply Indian HoReCa on scheduled monthly deliveries, and serve hotels and restaurants across the UAE through GramBask General Trading in Abu Dhabi. Send your sizes, folds and monthly covers through the quote form for samples and pricing.

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