Creating the right corporate image
Several decisions need to be made when creating professional and business card stationery. You'll need to consider the following points before selecting and designing your stationery:
1. What kind and color of paper should I use?
2. What items should I include in my corporate stationery wardrobe?
3. What information should I include?
4. What color ink should I use?
5. Should my stationery be engraved, thermographed, or flat-printed?
The paper proposition
Paper is made from either cotton or wood pulp. Cotton papers are considerably softer and have a richer feel than pulp papers. The soft nature of cotton fibers make cotton papers far better suited to accepting the impressions made by engraving and letterpress printing methods.
Traditional business stationery was either white or ecru but today there are endless options. Choose a color that works well with your corporate identity and image but recognizes you're all business.
Creating a corporate stationery wardrobe
A basic corporate stationery wardrobe includes letterhead and business cards. As your business grows, you may wish to add correspondence cards and jotter cards which allow staff to dash quick, less informal correspondence but without compromising your corporate integrity.
Information please…
Businesses will often have corporate letterhead and personalized versions of that letterhead for top-level executives. All versions should include your company's name, address, phone number, fax number, and website. Personalized versions should include an individual's name, title, email address, and other ways the individual welcomes contact (i.e. cell phone number, twitter account, etc.).
Putting ink on paper
Ink choice is largely based on corporate identity. Dark colors such as black, navy, or grey are easiest to read but are not must-haves if they conflict with your corporate vibe.
Your printing process should also match the image you wish to create. Engraving, embossing, and letterpress are at the top-end of the spectrum in terms of quality and impression made. While thermography and lithography are less impactful, they are also less expensive options. In addition, for short-runs, a top-of-the-line home printer may also fit the bill.