Letterheads: How To Make Them Right

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 indicates your company address, it also affects how your credible customers picture 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. Be aware that all the information 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. Shrink your company's big logo to a size that is appropriate to your letterhead. Dean Mapa relates that graphic is preferably not larger than 5x2 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 a high quality printing method in producing your letterhead. Opt for a printing company that offers you with the best services you need. Gaspar comments that four-color printing gives a business letter more character and that it makes logos more recognizable. 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.

Copyright (c) 2008 Bryant Anderson