Copyright (c) 2008 Bryant Anderson

Image is everything in winning a client or in dealing with other professionals. You must make a very good first impression. Image doesn’t only include things like the way you look, dress, act, what you wear, or what company you run to make people take you seriously. Your professionalism must also show in the most conspicuous part of your written communication with others. Your image must also include a well-crafted letterhead.

A letterhead is the first thing your clients or other professionals see when they open a mail from you. It not only provides your company address, it also affects how your potential clients see you. The letterhead bears your company name and logo. Writer Charmaine Joy Caro says that a letterhead introduces your company to your prospects, stating who you are and what products and services you have.

You should design your letterhead with the right image for your company. A letterhead is well-designed when it effectively gives you a good image to your prospective customers.

Keep these in mind in making your letterhead:

- Plan carefully the design of the letterhead you are going to use before printing it. Take note all the information to be used in your letterhead, like the company name, company address, person to be contacted, phone and fax number, E-mail address, and Web site (if there is any).

- Choose a logo. The logo represents your company. Clients can easily recognize your company through your logo. Compress your company’s big logo to a size that is fit to your letterhead. Dean Mapa relates that graphic is preferably not larger than 5×2 inches.

- Your letterhead may be printed in one color, two color or full color, on a nice, high quality paper stock. Choose the right kind of paper. You can use textured paper other than the usual bond paper.

There are letterheads written in this way: the logo and the company name are put together on the upper portion of the paper, while the the address and other details are near the bottom page.

- Carla San Gaspar relates that the standard size for a letterhead is the 8.5 x 11 for it is conveniently sent through the mail or through fax.

- Use an excellent quality printing method in fabricating your letterhead. Choose the printing company that provides you with the best services you need. Gaspar notes that four-color printing gives a business letter more character and that it makes logos more identifiable. Another writer, Charmaine Joy Caro relates that the more colors used in the letterhead, the more expensive it becomes.

- Match your letterhead with the envelopes. The paper of the letterhead must match that with the paper used on your envelopes to create a good corporate impression for your business package. Every large and established firm has custom printed letterhead.

Read more on Using Letterheads to Create a Good Impression…

Usually when a small business owner is making a list of all the marketing materials he needs, hell forget about letterhead. Other business owners may not think letterhead is that important. But letterhead is extremely important. Along with a business card, a nice letterhead gives off a feeling of a professional, established company.

When creating your letterhead design, think about what kind of reaction you want potential customers and current clients to feel when they first see your letterhead. A fun, laid-back company with a bright, colorful letterhead design? Or a serious, strong company that doesnt take anything lightly? Neither one of those choices are bad, and there are numerous choices in between these extremes. Whatever gets the feeling of your brand and your company across is right.

Here are some tips to help you get started in creating your letterhead.

Dont necessarily shy away from color. Granted, most professional companies, like banks, have black and white letterhead. But, these designs border on being boring. Using colors in your letterhead can make the page really pop and grab someones attention who might otherwise ignore your letter. Just make sure to use appropriate colors, like light blue (relaxing) for a spa rather than bright pink. If you can pull one color out from your logo design to use, that makes a nice design element. Because you should always

include your logo.
You should already have a logo to include in all of your marketing materials, but if you dont, get one. Generally, logos are the centerpiece of letterhead design. Your letterhead will be seen over and over again in direct mail letters, invoices and other business communications, so you need to get your logo on there so people will recognize it when they see it other places.

Use good quality paper.
You should use bond paper that weighs at least 24 lbs. These papers bear a watermark when held up to the light. Bond paper comes in finishes like linen, which add a nice texture to your letterhead. This texture is an easy way to give the impression that you are a high-class company that people should be doing business with.

Include pertinent info.
Your company name will probably be the primary element of your letterhead. Either that, or your logo, if your logo contains your companys name. You should also include phone numbers, fax numbers, a company email address, your Web site and optionally, the name and title of the President or CEO. Many schools have letterhead with the Principal and Vice-Principals names and phone numbers. This makes it easy for parents (customers) to reach someone at the top of the chain.

Dont forget matching envelopes!
Matching envelopes in the same type of bond paper and with the same font or logo in the return address section exudes class. It might seem like something extra, but think of how out of place your nice letterhead will look coming out of a store-bought, you-can-almost-see-through-it envelope. People will notice if you dont have a matching envelope. Ask your printer for a discount on envelope printing to go with your letterhead printing.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit: Letterhead Printing

Read more on 5 Tips on Letterhead Printing That Will Get You Noticed…

Letterhead printing is a standard practice for organizations and firms. This is because letterheads contribute a lot to a firm’s image and of course the formality and credibility of its paper work. Have you received a memo or an announcement from you company with a letterhead? Doesn’t it feel so important, urgent or maybe even officious? Letterheads have power in their own right because of this. Still unconvinced? Then let’s discuss each point.

Makes letters look formal
letterhead printing gives your paper work a semblance of formality. For example, would you take a memorandum or official notice seriously if it was written in some yellow paper or other writing pad? How about legal documents printed only in plain bond paper? It takes a leap of faith to see them as a work of a professional right? There is something about the look of a letterhead that demands respectability and formality. If your company isn’t writing its paperwork with letterheads it will look unprofessional. If this happens how would you think your company image will last against your competitors?

Lends to Credibility
One of the major points for investing in letterhead printing is that it lends to credibility. If you guard your letterheads well, and use them for important documents then people will always believe what those letters say. Moreover they will believe that the letter, memorandum or announcement came from you, your department or your firm. Usually with no questions asked. For example, a CEO or head of an organization can make a policy decision and enforce it just by distributing its announcement with the power of a letterhead. People will read it and of course bow down to the decision so to speak. It is almost like a bill becoming a law. Once it is written with the letterhead, it is believable and it will be done so to speak.

Security
Linked to credibility is security. Again, if you guard your letterheads and use them for official functions then people should always note that they will only believe the official information coming from those notes. This is important in firms and organizations where a degree of security in the paperwork is needed. For example, high level research firms, government agencies and corporate management staff could use guarded letterheads to pass on vital information to colleagues. With the official letterhead stamped on to the header people will think the information is secure and believable. So, if you want to feel secure about your paperwork, then letterhead printing is for you.

Those are the major advantages in letterhead printing. Most organizations and firms print letterheads primarily because of these reasons. However, in the end it is about pride and the firm’s image actually. Having a letterhead in your paperwork tells people that you are credible, believable and of course professional.

Read more on Why Should You Invest in Letterhead Printing…

Letterhead printing is a standard practice for organizations and firms. This is because letterheads contribute a lot to a firm’s image and of course the formality and credibility of its paper work.

Have you received a memo or an announcement from you company with a letterhead? Doesn’t it feel so important, urgent or maybe even officious? Letterheads have power in their own right because of this. Still unconvinced? Then let us discuss each point.

Makes letters look formal
Letterhead printing gives your paper work a semblance of formality. For example, would you take a memorandum or official notice seriously if it were written in some yellow paper or other writing pad? How about legal documents printed only in plain bond paper?

It takes a leap of faith to see them as a work of a professional right? There is something about the look of a letterhead that demands respectability and formality. If your company is not writing its paperwork with letterheads, it will look unprofessional. If this happens how would you think your company image will last against your competitors?

Lends to Credibility
One of the major points for investing in letterhead printing is that it lends to credibility. If you guard your letterheads well, and use them for important documents then people will always believe what those letters say. Moreover, they will believe that the letter, memorandum or announcement came from you, your department or your firm.

Usually with no questions asked. For example, a CEO or head of an organization can make a policy decision and enforce it just by distributing its announcement with the power of a letterhead. People will read it and of course bow down to the decision so to speak. It is almost like a bill becoming a law. Once it is written with the letterhead, it is believable and it will be done so to speak.

Security
Linked to credibility is security. Again, if you guard your letterheads and use them for official functions then people should always note that they would only believe the official information coming from those notes. This is important in firms and organizations where a degree of security in the paperwork is needed.

For example, high-level research firms, government agencies and corporate management staff could use guarded letterheads to pass on vital information to colleagues. With the official letterhead stamped on to the header, people will think the information is secure and believable. Therefore, if you want to feel secure about your paperwork, then letterhead printing is for you.

Those are the major advantages in letterhead printing. Most organizations and firms print letterheads primarily because of these reasons. However, in the end it is about pride and the firm’s image actually. Having a letterhead in your paperwork tells people that you are credible, believable and of course professional.

Read more on Why You Should Invest in Letterhead Printing…

Letterheads seem to imply, and it does so effectively at that too, as a sign that the business has made it. It indicates that the business is legitimate and is performing with a class of its own, befitting its status within the business community.

Read more on Good Letterheads That Make Good Business Sense: a Simple Guide…

A letterhead can be your front liner in communication. It’s the first thing that your clients and colleagues will see when they receive a mail from you. Your letterhead will not only serve as an idea where you are located, but also affect how your clients will perceive you. A letterhead contains your everything about your company at a glance; a letterhead acquaints your company to your prospective clients, and indicates who you are, what products or services you are offering.

Design your letterhead with the good company image in mind. You should keep in mind when you select your printer too. So what should you put in your letterhead? In one word: information. And when we say information, we mean information that includes the company’s name, address, contact person, phone number and fax number, e-mail address. Should your company own a website, indicate it on the letterhead too.

Your letterhead should also have your logo. Your logo is easily the most recognizable representation of your company. When you’re designing the letterhead, resize the logo to fit proportionately to your letterhead. It should be at 5×2 inches or smaller.

In general, letterheads are written this way: the logo and company name are indicated together on the upper side of the paper. The company’s address and other contact details are placed near the bottom page. Standard sizes for letterheads are at 8.5 x 11 inches, because at that size letterheads sent easily through mail or fax.

Printing Your Letterhead

You can print your letterhead in three color printing options: one color, two colors, and full color. In general, printing a full color yields your business letter more depth and breadth. They also make your logos more identifiable. Be ready for the cost of quality though, the more colors included in a letterhead, the more expensive it is to print.

Choose quality stock paper in your printing. For more effect, use textured paper rather than plain bond paper. In choosing a printer, your printing company should choose high-quality printing methods. But of course, quality customer service should also be a part of your consideration.

When you’ve printed your letterheads, make sure that there are matching envelopes. So you can create a clean and professional look, the paper of your letterhead must be compatible with your envelope’s paper. Don’t scrimp on the cost if you want to create a good impression. All the big companies you know make letterheads and their printing a part of their budgets.

Read more on Letterhead Printing: How to Do it Right…