Business stationery
should project its company's image and mission.
A company's business stationery, used for snail-mail letters, marketing and other correspondence, should present the business' brand in an appropriate and attractive light. Together with coordinating business cards, envelopes and printed sales materials, business stationery is designed leave a positive impression of the company with the customer through intelligent choices of logo, colors and other elements.
Logo
Identify your brand to customers by designing a corporate logo. Choose a simple, straightforward design that looks striking on business stationery. Experiment with different designs, printing out test versions until you get one that looks right. Many logos consist of the company name and a symbol, like the Nike "swoosh," or the company name incorporated into an eye-catching design, like the CNN logo. The company logo could be placed at the top of business stationery, close to the business address and other contact information. It may also be placed near the bottom of the page. The logo color(s) depends on the image you want to portray and the products or services you offer. For example, a perfume manufacturer may use pastel colors, while a sporting goods store may use bold greens or reds. The font type used for the business name is important to a company's identity. Too much color in a logo design, or a complex and hard-to-read font, may obscure the brand message and company name.
Letterhead
The business stationery letterhead delivers all the basic contact information for the corporation. It contains the firm's name and address, logo, slogan (if one exists), phone and fax numbers, website and email info. It may or may not include the name and title of the letter writer. Instead of a corporate logo, a graphic image indicating the type of business, e.g., balloons for a children's party service, may be included. A bar, wavy line, or other decorative element can separate the letterhead section from the remainder of the page. Use color fonts and graphics sparingly. Too much color can draw the reader's attention away from the business information.
Font
Browse through different fonts included with graphic design or printing software to determine the best font for contact information and other printed words on the stationery. Use no more than two different fonts on the letterhead. Print the company name in a large font (13 point or over) and use a medium-sized font (between 9 and 12 point) for contact information.
Paper
Once the colors, logo and design have been chosen, it's time to select the type of paper for the final printed version. Paper grades range from 20 pound copy paper used in everyday office correspondence to fine linen finish paper. Higher quality papers contain an image ingrained in the paper, called a watermark. This image is usually the paper manufacturer's name. Choose a thicker, 24 percent white cotton rag bond paper to provide contrast to logos and design elements. It contains a watermark, as does the softer, 24 pound laid bond. Businesses may create their own watermark, such as a company logo, and order specially designed paper with that image. If you run stationery through a laser printer, be sure that the paper is laser-compatible.
