Letterhead is one of those things that often doesn’t get much thought. But when you look through letterhead examples, you can see how they transgress the ordinary and speak to your brand, your style, and what you represent. Letterhead is much more than a name and address. Read on to learn all about letterhead design and see what suits you best.
Let’s talk about letterhead
When we talk about letterhead, we’re referring to the heading at the top of your paper for your business or personal correspondence. These days, we also, of course, see electronic letterhead. This is the heading on your virtual correspondence. Business letterhead usually contains the company name and logo. It can also include your title and the address and contact info of your company, too. Personal letterhead will include your full name and any other contact information you’d like. Good letterhead examples will take your brand into account and adhere to that vibe to help showcase who you are.
Why is letterhead important?
Just like anything else associated with your brand, letterhead is going to speak to who you are. If you are a lawyer practicing in a traditional firm, the letterhead you use will probably be different than if you are a freelance artist. Even if you don’t think you’ll use letterhead very often, you should still invest in it as it’s important to have on hand. It not only adds to who you are but also contributes to an air of professionalism. It shows your business is a real thing that you take seriously.
Also, letterhead offers a first impression of who you are. This is often the first thing someone sees about you as a professional, and it should give that impression you’re looking for. A great graphic artist can help you create just what you want. And don’t be afraid to step off the traditional path, especially if your business is a less traditional one.
When will you use letterhead?
You’ll probably see letterhead examples in more places than you realize. We often think of businesses using them in correspondence, and that’s true. For instance, a business may use their letterhead in communications with clients and customers, as well as internal communication. This lends that professionalism we like in the business world.
If you are looking for a job, it’s a great idea to have a professional letterhead. Remember, we talked about that first impression. Here we go – this is the perfect place for it. Sure, you could have a mundane, everyday, ordinary Joe letterhead, but wouldn’t letterhead examples that show who you are be a bit more impressive? We aren’t saying go all-out crazy here, but some interesting font or a personal logo is nice on letterhead to showcase yourself.
Another time we recommend letterhead is if you are reaching out to potential clients. Maybe you’re a baker looking to work with a local restaurant. Wouldn’t it be nice if your introduction is on some professional letterhead depicting your business? This is a form of job seeking, and you want to include that great first impression here, too.
This is also great for thank you’s and follow-up communication. You may find more uses than you imagined when it comes to using your letterhead, so go ahead and make it good!
What makes great letterhead examples?
When we see impressive letterhead examples, there are usually a few things that stand out to us.
Simplicity. One thing we love is a combination of simplicity and brand recognition. Whereas the letterhead should be simple and nonintrusive, it should stand out enough to make a positive impression. Remember, the content of the letter should be first and foremost, but your letterhead is a reminder of who you are and where this information is coming from. Keep your letterhead refined to enhance, not control the communication.
A bit of detail. Letterhead examples with a bit of detail stand out in a good way. How about this…you own a succulent farm. While designing your letterhead, could you incorporate a few leaves sprouting from your name or logo? Sure, that’s a great idea! But keep them small and delicate, maybe even add a little pop of green in those leaves. You can also add some color from your brand’s palette. Don’t be afraid of detail, but again, keep it subtle and refined.
Font. Just like small detail or color, a font is a nice way to express your brand. It’s also a good way to add that cohesiveness across your marketing materials. Use the same font that’s in your other material, like your business cards or website. Remember, like detail, keep it refined and be sure to make sure that everything is readable. There are some fonts out there that make people wonder what they’re saying; stay away from those. While you may like a flourish, keep it legible.
Letterhead adds cohesiveness to your brand
As we mentioned, letterhead lends that cohesiveness and brand recognition. If you’re using the same details, artwork, color, and font on all of your marketing tools, your brand will have more recognition. And everything doesn’t have to be exactly the same; you can take bits and pieces of your brand design to incorporate onto your letterhead. This is a great way to connect all your pieces while still keeping your letterhead professional. Just as you’ll use your logo over and over, you can incorporate components to connect your brand here.
Business cards
When you are thinking about your letterhead, think about your business cards. If you have some already, maybe draw some components from them to your letterhead. If you don’t have business cards yet, it’s the time to get them. And pairing them with your letterhead is a smart idea. Think about this, you send a prospective client a letter on your new paper, you include a business card, and put it in the coordinating envelope. When they open it, everything matches and sends an aesthetic, well-thought-out vibe. This is just what we want!
Envelopes
We know that communication has changed over the past few years, and much of it is electronic. However, there is still that time and place for snail mail correspondence or enclosing an actual letter. Whether it’s a thank you note, a bill, or an enclosure in a package, having all your paper components match is important. You can take your letterhead example and use it on your envelope to tie up the package nicely.
How do you find great letterhead examples to use?
Maybe this is a part of your business you don’t want to deal with. You’d rather focus on your actual business than designing letterhead. It’s okay to reach out to a professional designer to get this done. In fact, we think it’s a great idea! A professional graphic designer can use the information you supply and their extensive knowledge of graphics to design a great-looking, brand indicative letterhead for you. They should know the current trends to help get your brand noticed and remembered.
Sure, you could browse around online to see letterhead examples, and that’s not a bad idea, but by having a professional create the final product, you’re going a notch up. They know how to combine size and font and logo and all the components to offer a strong, confident, representative letterhead for you. You can either start with some ideas or start from scratch and get your professional designer to help as much or as little as you need.
Aesthetics
Today more than ever is a focus on aesthetics. Because the tools are out there, that’s what people expect. Instagram and Pinterest are blessings and curses at the same time. They offer ideas and beautiful images, but they also raise everyone’s expectations. However, letterhead is something that you can have in an aesthetically pleasing design without going to too much trouble or expense. And it will benefit you. Even if your business is not in the area of aesthetics, people are drawn to cohesive, smart branding that shows you take care and pride in your profession. Just pop into Pinterest for a quick browse, and you’re sure to get some great ideas. You’ll also see that letterhead examples shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Bunny Studio designers
We love our designers and know they have all the tools you’re looking for. Our Bunny pros can work with your current letterhead and transform it to a Pinterest-worthy one or start from scratch whether you’ve got a plan or not. We are also a great place to get all your designs at once for that cohesion we’ve been talking about.
Our designers are skilled in graphic design and can use these to create well-balanced, stand-out marketing material for you. It takes more than just knowing what looks good, and that means skills in programs and a good eye for balance and alignment, white space and layout. Consider working with a pro for your letterhead, you’ll be happy you did!
The big takeaway on letterhead examples
Who knew letterhead could have such an impact on your business? Maybe it’s not the end all be all of your profession, but it can only help to have professional, brand-worthy, and cohesive letterhead. When all your marketing tools mesh and form a lovely, complimentary brand story, you’ll see the ears perk up of your clients, customers, potentials, and anyone else you communicate with. And once you have that great design from Bunny Studio, you can use it wherever you like. Think electronic letterhead, too. We’d love to help out, so just hop on over to our design page and let’s see what we can do. If you think you might like to hire a designer for your letterhead or any other part of your marketing endeavors, let us know. We’re here to help and you’ll love what we do!
