Letterhead

Letterhead that really works in an office

Letterhead is one of those pieces of visual identity used almost every day, though it usually goes unnoticed. A letter, a quotation or an invoice prepared on a sheet with the company logo and details looks more consistent and more professional at once.

Classic letterhead can carry a header, contact details, a footer and plenty of open space for the actual content of the document. What matters most, though, is that it is comfortable in everyday use.

That is why we print it on office and offset papers. It is a deliberate choice that follows from what the product is for. The paper should take printer ink, a ballpoint pen and a stamp impression well, and pass through an office machine's feeder without trouble.

We use no film or gloss laminate here. A sheet that is hard to write on and does not take ink well would soon stop being practical. Letterhead is there above all to be printed on, signed, written on and stamped.

What you can use letterhead for

Letterhead works wherever a company prepares documents for clients, partners, staff or institutions and wants to keep its correspondence looking consistent.

It is most often used for:

• official correspondence and covering letters,
• commercial quotations and price lists,
• invoices and other accounting or sales documents,
• contracts, annexes and agreements,
• certificates, confirmations and official letters,
• reports, specifications and internal documents,
• correspondence with clients, partners and institutions.

It is used by offices, law firms, clinics, accountancy practices, service and trading companies, foundations, schools, hotels, design studios and agencies, among others. In practice it is useful to any company that prepares documents regularly and wants to keep a consistent visual identity.

Formats to choose from

Letterhead can be ordered in two formats:

• A4 210×297 mm - the standard size for company documents. It works for official correspondence, quotations, contracts, letters, certificates, reports and accounting documents. It fits the usual flow of paperwork and standard office printers.
• A5 148×210 mm - a smaller, handier format. It suits shorter messages, company notes, confirmations, information cards, short quotations or thank-yous that do not need a full A4 page.

If the letterhead is to be used for most standard documents, A4 is the most versatile version. A5 can round out the stationery for shorter texts.

Papers - from economical to distinguished

There are four papers to choose from. All of them take writing and printing every day, but they differ in weight and in the character of the surface:

• Offset 80 gsm - classic office paper. Practical and economical, suited to standard correspondence, letters and larger runs. It is the versatile choice for documents used day to day.
• Offset 90 gsm - a little thicker and more solid to the touch than offset 80 gsm. It keeps a typically office character but gives a slightly more distinguished impression.
• Offset 120 gsm - noticeably thicker and stiffer. It suits quotations, letters addressed to clients, commercial documents, invitations, certificates and attestations.
• DCP Satin 120 gsm - has a smoother, more elegant surface. It works for letterhead with a more distinguished character, premium quotations and correspondence where the impression it makes matters.

All these papers stay practical in daily use. You can write on them, stamp them and print on them in office machines. Even the more elegant 120 gsm versions are not laminated.

Single or double-sided printing

In the calculator you can choose single or double-sided printing.

• Single-sided is the most common version of letterhead. The sheet carries the header, the footer and the other fixed identity elements, and the middle of the page stays free for the actual content of the document.
• Double-sided is worth choosing when fixed information should go on the back, for instance contact details, terms of business, terms and conditions, a list of branches, a map or a short presentation of your services. The design of the second side should be prepared so that it does not make the document harder to read, print and sign later.

File preparation - three options

Not everyone has a design ready and prepared to our specification, so when you place the order you can choose one of three options:

• No file check - for agencies, designers and anyone confident their file is technically correct. The design goes into production without further control.
• File check by a designer - the option for anyone who wants the technical preparation of the design checked. The designer looks at the format, bleed, safe distances from the edge, the quality of the logo and artwork, the colours and how the file was saved. It is not a proofread. We do not check company details, numbers or typos.
• Simple graphic design - if you have no design ready, send us your logo, the company details and your basic guidelines. We will prepare a clear sheet matched to the format you chose.

The technical check is particularly useful for designs prepared in Canva, online generators or AI tools. Files like these can have problems with the format, the margins, the quality of the logo, embedded fonts or a background that is too light.

How to prepare the file for print

Before you start designing, it is best to download the technical specification and the template for the format you chose.

When preparing the design, watch a few things:

• Work in CMYK, the standard for printing.
• A PDF prepared to our specification is best. We also accept good quality JPG or PNG files. Photographs and artwork should be at 300 dpi at 1:1 scale.
• Keep the header and footer compact, leaving as much free space as possible for the actual content of the document.
• Backgrounds and watermarks should be subtle. Artwork that is too dark can make printing text over it in the office harder.
• Place the logo, company details, tax and registration numbers and the bank account number a safe distance from the edge. If the background runs to the edge of the page, prepare bleed to the specification.

A correctly prepared file gives a predictable, attractive result. If you are not sure whether your design meets the technical requirements, you can choose the check by a designer or order a simple design.

Check the price in the calculator

You can check the price of letterhead directly in the calculator. Choose the format, the paper, the printing, the run size and the file preparation option, and the cost of the order is worked out automatically.

You can also compare the versions easily, for instance offset 90 gsm against DCP Satin 120 gsm, and decide which paper best suits the character of your documents.

Letterhead can also be paired with the rest of your company stationery. Presentation folders go well with quotations, and business cards in the same style can round out the whole identity.