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Printed Envelopes, Stationary and Letterhead

 

Printed Envelopes, Stationary and Letterheads that coincide with your other marketing collateral are always a plus. It is a great way to present the professionalism of your business. In an economy like today's, you have to get value out of your advertising dollars. With this in mind, we will use this article to go through a conscious decision process of when to use printed envelopes, stationary and letterhead as part of your printed media mix.

Dimensions and Paper - The standard dimensions for envelopes include 5.25" x 7.25", 9" x 12" and 9.5" x 4.125". The standard for letterhead is 8.5" x 11", 8.5" x 5.5", 8.5" x 14" and 11" x 17". The paper used by printers for both is usually 70lb premium. Most offer 4 color printing for stationary. Envelopes come with or without an address window. Those with address windows are typically higher cost than those without.

Design/Message - The design and message for stationary must be classy and coincide with the branding of your other printed promotional materials. My basic recommendations follow:

• Envelopes - The return address area on the upper left hand corner of the envelop should include a small logo (color preferred) but black and white is OK, placed by the address. The business tag line just below the address is also good. I like the looks of the tag line placed on the back top fold of the envelope. It is seen when opening even if a letter opener is used. Most printers offer that capability. Also ensure your designer is familiar with US Post Office regulations on return address locations.
• Letterhead - Going simple on stationary is best. My recommendation is small logo (with business name), centered on top with or without business tag line. The business address, phone number, web site, email address and other information horizontal across the bottom of the page. In some instances a faint watermark of the logo in the center of the page adds an appealing touch, but again, keep it simple and classy. Most printers offer a second page that is blank or with watermark only. The goal is to have only the first page of a multi-page letter have the contact information. The second page matches in color and paper texture.

Uses - As suggested earlier, this section of the article will focus what businesses should go to the expense of stationary during these tough economic times.

• The businesses that should are those that mail invoices, customer requests, instructions and etc. almost daily. Examples of these types of businesses include a property management or rental company that is sending invoices, information requests and confirmation letters would benefit. Realtors that are mailing to prospective customers on a regular basis and need to maintain a classy professional appearance would also benefit. A medical office that needs to maintain a certain image with their patients, health insurance companies and health associations would benefit.
• Those that I would not recommend going to the expense during these times are the small service businesses that take cash or credit card receipts. They do not rely on invoice mailings or contract mailings for their revenue base. If they have sales or specials they want to advertise by mail, their highest return print media would be postcards. They are cheaper to design and print, and cheaper postage if designed correctly. The bottom line is that small cash and carry retail and service businesses will probably not get the return on the expense during this economy.

There are always exceptions based on unusual circumstances, but the above are not a bad rule of thumb. If you do decide on stationary, make sure your designer brands your stationary with the rest of your printed promotional materials in terms of colors, logos, fonts, themes and tag lines and overall appearance.

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