CleanStyle

Building the Perfect Letterhead

No matter what business you're in, you will always need to have a way for professional communication, and it needs to be the right look and feel for your company.

Here are some tips for making your letterhead more beautiful and effective in your marketing efforts.

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1. Guidelines and Specifications

Your letterhead should coordinate with your business cards and other marketing materials. To coordinate well, you should establish some basic guidelines when creating and ordering letterhead, such as:

  • Position, size, and color of logo
  • Margins and positioning for the letter content
  • Guidelines for the second sheet.

2. Paper and Printing Selection

When choosing paper, ask to see samples to see how your logo and colors will hold up on the paper. You'll also need to consider surface quality and texture, content type (e.g., tree-free or recycled), stock availability, cost, and more.

There are several professional options for printing, too. For example, offset lithography, gravure, flexography, screen printing, nonimpact, letterpress, and specialty processes (engraving, embossing, watermark, and foil stamping). You will want to check out your options to determine which method aligns with your brand's look and feel.

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3. Design Considerations

When it comes time to design your letterhead, remember to keep these seven tips in mind.

  1. Design enough space for letter content
  2. Provide vital contact information
  3. Utilize consistent elements within the entire brand identity
  4. Design for consistency across other brand applications
  5. Design a second sheet without the logo and some of the design elements
  6. The letterhead should enhance the bond between the reader and the brand
  7. Make the design relevant to your audience

4. Process of Designing and Producing Letterhead

Letterhead is a part of a larger visual identity stationary system, including brand name, logo, color palette, brand, brand signature, and more. There's a lot that goes into designing an effective letterhead. Here are some of the elements:

  • Identifying the components of the stationery system
  • Acquiring the necessary content information
  • Designing all parts, both print and digital
  • Choosing paper and ink
  • Working with the printer to manage production, review proofs, and supervise the press run.

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Practical Considerations for Your Letterhead

  • Scans and faxes well
  • Works well in print and on-screen
  • Ensure paper quality and appropriateness
  • Works well in a printer and with black printer ink for text type
  • Enough room for content
  • Easy to read
  • Conforms to regulations sizes for international office use
  • Second sheet coordinates well with the letterhead.

When creating expert letterhead that will make your brand looks its best, look no further. You'll find what you're looking for right here. Reach out today!

Designing Brand Experience: Creating Powerful Integrated Brand Solutions

by Robin Landa

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