On professionally printed materials, about 40 percent of the cost is for the paper. The two basic choices are cartridge paper which has a matte finish, or coated which has a shiny finish. While coated paper looks really nice, when folded it tends to crack. Be sure you see the color print on the actual paper you will be using, as the colored ink looks different on different types of paper. If you provide a printer with a sample of the color you want, he will be able to best decide which ink to use to match the color.
Color adds variety and interest to the menu.
However, production costs escalate as you add colors, so it is usually preferable to stick with two colors, the paper and one ink color. Usually dark ink on white or light colored paper makes the best contrast and is easiest to read. Colors are important. Choose classic colors. For the covers, deep royal purples, rich dusky blues, dark greens, chocolate to mahogany browns - are elegant and convey reliability and a sense of permanence.