How You Can Improve Your Business with Letterhead Printing

We are living in the digital era where paperless communication is on the rise. Bills are available to view online, emails have messages asking you not to print the document, and for some companies, mail has gone the way of the dinosaurs. However, there are some important reasons why you should not be ridding your business of paper communication and branding. In fact, a letterhead continues to provide an invaluable asset to businesses offering a professional image and carrying on your company’s branding.

Benefits of Business Letterhead

Stationery has always held an important role in company branding, from business cards to letterheads. It is still a must if you want to maintain a professional image even when utilizing modern technology. Letterheads and envelopes provide you with a formal way to communicate with customers, partners, and suppliers with a more official and trustworthy marking that adds to your positive reputation.

There are many benefits to letterheads, including:

• Professional Correspondence: Whenever you communicate on behalf of your company you want to specify that the communication is coming from you. A letterhead provides an official printed message that will be unmistakable when it arrives in your customer’s mailbox.
• Trust: A branded letterhead provides proof of any correspondence you might have with your customers which encourages a sense of trust. The more professional your letterhead, the more likely it is you will be viewed with respect.
• Marketing Tool: Getting your name and logo out there at every opportunity is important to marketing your business. Using a letterhead can provide a powerful tool to market your business especially when using stationary that includes letterheads and envelopes. Your logo and company name will become more recognizable the more people see it. As well, if you are using any form of direct marketing, a letterhead is a staple of most mailing campaigns.
• Invoicing: Letterheads and branded invoices provide an official record for customers which they can use for business purposes as well as when filing income taxes.

Designing A Letterhead

For your letterhead to be effective it is important to have a professional design that reflects your brand and your line of business. Designing a letterhead is simple if you already have a logo, but there are still some tips that will help when designing and ordering your letterhead including:

• Layout: Logo and address placement depend on your logo design. Some prefer the logo to appear in the upper left-hand corner, but it is also very common to have the logo and contact information centered at the top or bottom of the page. You can also choose to use a watermark on your paper to add a sense of propriety and elegance.
• Paper Stock: Paper stock has a major impact on your letterhead. You can find many different colours, textures, and weights of paper. Avoid going with a flimsy paper and instead opt for a stock that feels substantial in your hand. Something like a 70lb offset text or higher will also look better. Textured papers like linen stock can often add a more tactile feel to the paper, while a very smooth paper like lynx text can have a sense of elegance.
• Finishes: There are a number of finishes available including gold leaf, embossing and even special edging such as scalloping. These finishes can add up in cost but in some cases can really add a sense of dedication and professionalism to your letterhead. You can also consider adding a fold to your letterhead. You can use a die cut for special edging but also create special effects and shapes. You can add a curve to the edge, make a ragged top edge for a raw look or cut out any effect you’d like. Foil stamping is also an excellent option to really make your logo stand out. A fold can be added on your letterhead to add interest and intrigue. This can be used for your tagline, or even hide a message such as a list of your services. The fold can be placed on the top bottom or side. A fold can act as a call to action as customers have to fold it back to see what’s there. That provides another marketing opportunity with every letter you send. In many cases, however, the less is more approach might be preferable.
• Colour: Colour applies to both the paper and your logo. You have to consider how your logo colours will work with the paper stock you choose. You don’t want to put a yellow logo on yellow stock for example. As well, you don’t want colours to clash. You can get creative such as using a pastel colour if you are an ice cream parlour or bakery or go for something more elegant such as a cream or gray if you are a lawyer’s office or accountant.
• Raised Printing or Thermography: This printing technique brings attention to your logo. It adds texture and has the same effect as engraving.
• Quality: It might be tempting to save money and print your own letterhead at home or your office. However, quality is a very important aspect of a letterhead as it speaks volumes about the attention paid to your image as well as the services you offer. When you do not use professional printing services it will show in all aspects of your letterhead from the lack of crispness and detail in your logo, to the alignment and quality of the paper. Poor print quality can also make your contact information more difficult to read which means you could frustrate clients who might try to contact you.

A letterhead is still a vital part of your branding and marketing efforts. It can be affordable, impressionable and professional as well as an excellent way to raise brand awareness and credibility with your customers.

For more information about letterhead printing and other commercial printing services, call Troi Mailing Services at 1-866-486-0423 or contact us here.