Why Do Companies Use Letterheads?
Letterheads are used globally everyday. Companies use letterheads to relay important information to private individuals, other companies and legal entities without the need of a phone call or email correspondence. When used correctly, a professional letterhead is also a highly effective marketing tool. Having pre-printed letterhead is hassle free and saves time when there is a busy office needing to send out important letters quickly and efficiently.
Personalised letterheads and custom stationery are an essential form of correspondence and present an opportunity to impress the recipient, who may be a potential customer. Sending out a letter is a great opportunity to communicate or reinforce your brand image. A company letterhead should always contain your logo, contact details and any other information required by law in your country/state. In the UK, this means including your registered office and trading address (if different), as well as, your VAT registration number, if you are VAT registered and your company number or if you are registered as a limited company. Partnership Company Letterheads must include all names of Partners, the Address of the Main Office and the Registration Number. If you are a charitable organisation, then all documents, including your letterheads, must state the Company as a Charity and show the Charity Registration number. Trade Body information may also be required if you are within certain industries.
Benefits of using pre-printed company letterheads
Once you have checked and confirmed all the required details on your letterhead, you can begin to design the layout, while maintaining your brand’s image and personality. You can do this yourself in Microsoft Word or pay a professional graphic artist to create your letterhead design.
Once your letterhead has been designed, it needs to be printed. If you have created your letterhead in Word, you can simply type out your letter, then print your letter and your letterhead design in one go. If you have quality paper and a good printer this may suffice. However, companies often use pre-printed letterheads to present a more professional image. This may include having them professionally printed on premium paper, using a coloured paper stock such as, cream or adding luxury finishing such as, having embossed or foil blocked letterheads.
Foil blocking and embossing adds the ultimate accentuation and commands authority, as well as, showing prestige. If you receive an embossed or gold foiled letterhead, you immediately feel important and that you are dealing with a highly professional company. This is one of the reasons foil blocked letterheads are so popular. If you do decide to go with a coloured paper, make sure the colour is light enough to be able to read the letter that's printed on it. Stick with shades of white and cream or pastel colours. Combining cream or pastel letterheads with foil blocking is another popular option we see a lot with brands dealing with high-end clientele.
It is also commonplace for companies to have a consistent look across all their stationery. This includes printed letterheads, compliment slips, business cards, correspondence cards and envelopes. All stationery, including letterheads, are a pivotal representation of your business.