With everything going virtual, is good stationery design still important? Absolutely yes! When you receive a letter or a company brochure, the first thing that strikes you is not the content – it’s the pieces visual appeal. Good stationery design plays an important role in the corporate identity and branding of a company. Look and feel are crucial factor’s that separate a professional company from an amateur one. Stationery that’s professionally designed attracts more attention and enhances the visibility and effectiveness of your brand.

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Should I design my own stationery?

Some companies and individual entrepreneurs, make the mistake of having amateurs design their stationery, or worse, they may even design it themselves. Although such measures might help you save money, they may hurt you in more important areas that effect overall business potential. Some design software programs come with pre-designed templates that may be personalized to a small degree. But remember that these templates are being sold to thousands of users. So, there is a chance that your design will look just like someone else’s. Also, since customizing is limited, you’re probably stuck with what the software offers.

A Complete Stationery Set

A complete set usually consists of a letterhead, business card, envelope and depending on the business, a note card and mailing label. The design of these items should look like they belong to the same family, but they do not necessarily need to be identical. For example, a letterhead and business card are used for different reasons, and it’s important that they’re designed with their specific purpose in mind.

Business Card

The Standard size for a business card is 2” x 3.5”. Which means, there is a compromise you have to make with the amount of information you can put on the card. A difficult compromise to make, especially when the card is the one piece of stationery that you want to give a way as often as possible. But it’s important to remember that the card has to be simple and easy to read.

OBSERVATION: Regardless how flashy or clever your card is, if the contact information is not readily available, the card will fail.

Letterhead

Although the Internet and email has taken over some of the communications purposes of a letterhead, a well-designed letterhead in your hand never goes unnoticed. Because the letterhead is 8.5” x 11”, there’s more room to market the company. But don’t over do it. The purpose of a letterhead is to be a backdrop for the communications content directed to the reader.

Envelope

The envelope is probably considered the most disposable item of the stationery set. Mostly because it’s just considered as something that carries correspondence so it can be handled by the post office. While envelopes and their layout need to comply with postal requirements, their effectiveness should not be depreciated. An impressive envelope design is an effective way to make a good first impression when you’re communicating by mail.

Additional Pieces

Depending on the nature of the business, other items that require design can include purchase orders, fax cover sheets, transmittal forms, proposal covers, appointment cards, directions to your location, shipping labels and packing slips to name a few.

Tip: Quick Stationery Guidelines
• Is it legible?
• Is it original?
• Is it simple?

Remember, your stationery will be seen and kept by your customers and will influence the way they see your business. It’s important to take the time to try to impress them with every opportunity you get.