Letterhead (фирменный бланк)

Whether sent electronically or in an envelope via snail mail, a well-designed letterhead is an important marketing piece for any business. While the field of graphic design is always open to creativity, there are a few basic rules to keep in mind for a successful letterhead layout.

Appear Professional

A letterhead’s design should reflect a serious, business-like manner to give the business more clout and integrity. It should appear to the receiver that some thought was put into the overall design. A methodically designed letterhead says the business cares about its image and wants customers to take it seriously.

Keep It Simple

Remember, the main objective of a letterhead is to communicate with a client or customer. Keep the design simple. A layout that is too busy distracts and annoys customers trying to read the message on the page.

Focus on the Logo

A letterhead is also used to further distribute a company logo to increase brand awareness and identity. A big part of marketing for a business is its logo. Make it a main element on the page. Some designs place the logo at the top and repeat it (or a part of it) enlarged and faded in the background for added emphasis.

Leave Writing Space

Don’t take up too much room with graphics or very large text. Leave enough space to type or write a good amount of information with a comfortable margin around it.

Fade All Backgrounds

If placing an image or shape in the background of the writing field of the letterhead, make sure its shade is light enough that any text placed on top is easily read. A background image that is too dark becomes distracting—for both reading and design purposes.

Include Basic Information

Certain elements must be included for the letterhead to be an effective marketing piece. In addition to its name (and logo), the business’s contact information must be included: the mailing address, phone number(s), fax number, company website and main e-mail contact. Additional text, such as the names of board members or a company slogan, can be added, but the important information should be easy to spot.

Maintain Balance

Leave at least a 1/4-inch margin around the outer edges of the letterhead, unless using a bleed as part of the design. Type placed too close to the edges looks less professional and makes the overall design look unbalanced. When typing a letter on the computer, make sure the message is centered on the letterhead with even margins around it.

Use Legible Fonts

Since the letterhead is a major communication tool for a business, make sure the fonts used in its design are clean and legible. Be careful designing the important contact information in frilly, cursive type that is difficult to read. A customer should not have to wonder if part of a phone number is a “0” or a “9.”

Purpose of Letterheads

One of the first things a new business must create for itself is an official company letterhead. The company’s logo and basic contact information should be on the letterhead. Sometimes, extra graphics come into play to create a more interesting letterhead layout.

One of the first things a new business must create for itself is an official company letterhead. The company’s logo and basic contact information should be on the letterhead. Sometimes, extra graphics come into play to create a more interesting letterhead layout.

Corporate Identity

Letterhead stationery plays a huge part in a company’s brand identity. Everything sent from a company to its clients (letters, publicity folders, envelopes, invoices) must create a cohesive, recognizable corporate identity. The company’s logo and address must be repeated on all business marketing material. The goal is for the public to be able to instantly know who the correspondence is from by spotting the logo on the company letterhead. The letterhead is another way to ingrain the company’s logo, or image, in the public’s mind.

Visual Interest

A letterhead’s main purpose is to convey a message to the recipient. The design of a letterhead should not be so busy, and the graphics should not be so large, that there is little room left to type a letter. Most companies choose to add designs behind the text on their letterheads. This adds visual interest to the page, but designers should make sure that the background image is light enough and doesn’t compete with the legibility of the text. A letterhead should visually continue to carry out the company’s brand identity with the use of a logo and particular choice of color(s).

Contact Information

A letterhead must include the company’s contact information. The business name, address, phone number, fax number, e-mail and Web site address should be large enough on the stationery for the customer to read easily but not take up so much space that there is little room for a message.

Authenticity

Businesses create their letterheads as a means to show recipients of their letters that the business is a serious and reliable company. The creation of a letterhead shows commitment to brand identity. If a potential customer receives a letter written on professional letterhead, it makes a much more positive impression upon the potential client. The better the quality of paper used and more professionally designed a letterhead, the more seriously a potential client may look at the business and be willing to give it a try.

Communication

Just like the early civilizations writing on parchment in ancient Rome, clay in ancient Babylonia, papyrus in ancient Egypt and eventually paper in ancient China, the purpose of letterhead has always been a method of written communication. Originally called “letter paper,” the term letterhead is said to have surfaced in America around 1890. By the early 1900s, letterheads became smaller and lighter so that the paper would fit in typewriters. By the mid-1900s, corporate logos became a popular design included on a letterhead.