How to design a business letterhead

A business letterhead is just one aspect of your business stationary. However, it has a huge impact on the first impression people will develop regarding your company. There are several key steps to follow when designing this aspect.

Your logo

Having reached the point of designing a business letterhead, you should have a company name and business logo as they should both feature prominently on this letterhead. To design your own logo, bear the following things in mind: 1. Keep it simple
2. Keep it relevant to your sector Important note Remember that your logo design should influence further design aspects like letterheads to provide a unified company image. So, ensure that you are comfortable with the design you create as this will dictate your colour scheme or theme overall (for example even when you create your own business card).

Colour schemes or themes

It is important to consider what, if any, colour scheme or theme you will attribute to your letterhead. If you are going to engage in activities like direct mailing (large volumes of printing and sending), it might be wise to ensure a greyscale version of the colour scheme looks as professional as the full colour version to save your company money overall. However, if you wish convey your full company image (including colour) in the letterhead, it may be wise to use one or two colours maximum as this will limit costs and also provide a non-confused image for potential customers. When choosing these colours, remember that they should be clearly visible on the paper you choose and not obscure the necessary information customers will need.

Necessary information

The following things should be included in a business letterhead: 1. Company name
2. Contact info (get as much information on here as possible without cluttering the letterhead. Remember you can also add a footer to your letters with things like your address. So, focus on immediate contact details such as telephone number or email).
3. Company logo To get some ideas as to structuring this information sample letterheads can be found in many office suites and this can provide free access to letterheads for your business.

Use of the letterhead

Having a letterhead template on a word processor is the first step. However, remember that any email correspondence should include a similar, fit for use design. Most companies achieve this by using the signature option which an email provider offers. This allows you to insert your company image into email but does not require you to invest in a HTML or web designed email format.

Legal protection

Make sure your letterhead and logo are copyrighted as otherwise, you may face copies of your overall design if your company is successful.