A Guide To Letterhead Printing

Professionally designed and printed branded stationery is one of the most impressive business tools a company can use! It portrays a professional, smart image and will always have an impact when delivered to your suppliers, clients, and customers – often it is the first contact your business will have with a potential client or customer, so it can create that all-important first impression and convey your business in a positive light.

One business stationery item that always impresses is the printed letterhead – your corporate branded letterhead will contain important information of your business and exhibit your corporate logo and colours – printed letterheads are effective advertising tools highlighting your corporate image and brand! Here are some aspects of professional letterhead printing for you to consider:

Letterhead Design

The design and layout of your letterhead is important – you need to consider, not only the overall appearance of your letterheaded paper, but the content that you include in the design. It is likely that the design you use for your letterheads will be replicated on all your other business stationery items such as letters, invoices, and business cards, along with all your marketing materials – it should also be displayed on your corporate website and social media platforms. There are certain elements that all letterhead design should contain:

• Company Name
• Business Address – If more than one site, then use the main or head office address
• Contact Details – Important information – this is how prospective customers or clients will know how to engage with your business! Your contact details should include your company Telephone Numbers, Email Addresses, Website Address, and any Social Media Platforms on which your business may be present. If there is space, and it fits nicely with the overall design, you could incorporate QR codes that customers can scan directly, connecting them to your corporate sites.
• Company Logo or Word Mark

There may be a legal requirement for the inclusion of further corporate detail such as:

• Company Number
• Registered Company Address
• Place or Country of Registration

Consideration should be given to the different elements of your letterhead design:

• Font – The most important aspect of any font you choose for your letterhead printing is that it is easy to read! If you want to create an aesthetic that looks professional and stylish, then your lettering must be clear and concise – this will make your message and brand easier to convey to your customers.
• Colour – If your corporate marketing materials use a certain colour and lettering style, then incorporate this into your letterhead design. Using the same colour and style helps build a consistency and readily recognisable image – a colour that typifies, and is already associated with, your corporate brand helps establish a familiar and recognisable image for customers and business partners alike. Consider your marketplace and the type of business you have, and the product or service you provide – darker colours, black and navy blue, suggest professionalism and high-quality, whereas, if your business is more flamboyant, such as a marketing agency or events and party planning, then perhaps choose brighter and boisterous colours like reds, oranges and yellows! These colours will automatically create a picture of your company image subconsciously for your target market!
• Consistency – Consistency is the key with the style and format of your letterhead printing – a consistent aesthetic creates a professional and cohesive look for all your printed business correspondence and documentation portraying your business as a ‘high-end’, quality company. This professional look helps attract new clients and retain existing business – it gives the impression that yours is a company that values quality – if your printed stationery is professional and smart, clients will assume that your products and services are of the same quality!

Simplicity

It is important to keep the design simple – the details mentioned above displayed in the company colours and style. Consider the size of the lettering and images, and how it would best look on the different stationery items you employ and adapt accordingly for the best, professional appearance.

Letterhead Sizes

Letterheads can be printed either single or double-sided and it is best to print on an uncoated paper – this ensures that the letterhead can be over-printed for use in your office or elsewhere. The most common-sized letterheads are A4 and A5 – consider the size and format of your corporate envelopes and choose accordingly.

Quality

Your letterhead will always look better printed on quality materials – choose a high-level brand of paper for your corporate printing and choose an experienced print company to produce your stationery.

Relevance

Some people may regard printed letterheads, or any printed stationery, as outdated and unnecessary in these busy times of digital and online communication, with modern marketing materials having overtaken the older, more ‘traditional’ methods and tools – however, there are many business instances in which printed, physical materials are a legal requirement, and you should not underestimate the impact of professional, high quality business stationery can have on clients and business partners.

Whilst everybody should make use of the digital communication methods, there is still a definite requirement – and desire – for high-quality, professionally printed documents on personalised letterheads that look professional and can demand attention.

Printed letterheads will always make a positive impression on everyone who receives business materials from your company – accompanied with a personalised compliment slip, it makes the communication more professional and, importantly, more personal, and it tells your client or customer that you consider their business important!