How to make your letterhead look presentable
When a small business owner thinks of the essential items that they need, many of them forget about the letterhead. Others simply overlook the importance of the letterhead. But a company’s letterhead is truly an essential piece to their business identity. It sets the stage for everything else that follows. Almost every piece of advertising literature that the company produces will feature its letterhead, which continually reinforces its importance.So invest some time in creating a solid letterhead. Consider what feeling you want each of your customers to have when they receive something from you, and incorporate that into your letterhead design. Here are some tips to get you going:Color is Your FriendA black and white letterhead can be effective, but there really is no reason why you shouldn’t use color. Color printing is not that expensive, and the positive impact it will have on your letterhead is significant. Use colors that emphasize the purpose of your business and that evoke the type of feelings that you want your customers to have.Smooth Paper is Your FriendThe smoother the paper, the better your letterhead will look. For any literature that you print yourself, you will want to use the smoothest paper appropriate for the task.Remember Your LogoIf you don’t already have a logo, get one designed. Your logo should play a big role in your letterhead; it should be placed in a visible and prominent location. Since you will be using your letterhead on virtually everything you give out, it is going to build up name recognition for your business. Your logo will make that even easier.Bleeds are not NecessaryWhile you can use a bleed and other special ink techniques to enhance the look of your letterhead, it really is not necessary. They will significantly add to your costs, and you can make a perfectly effective letterhead without any of them. Try to avoid these techniques if you can.Match up your EnvelopesIf you commonly send out letters from your office, you might want to consider getting envelopes that match the type of paper you use for the letters. It may seem like a superfluous cost, but it can have a tremendous impact on the recipients.Don’t Forget to Use ItOnce you have your “perfect” letterhead made up, remember to use it. Put it on all of your letters and other things that you print from your office. Also, send it along with all of your other printed material when you send the designs into your printer. Your letterhead should appear on all of your brochures, business cards, posters, flyers, and everything else that you use in your marketing campaign.
