Even in today’s electronic world most businesses still find a need for corresponding with customers and clients using printed stationery. Letterheads can be produced in house or there are many reliable letterhead printing services to be found locally or from the internet. Provided here are three options for producing a letterhead and the benefits of each.

1. Self print

For those who have an artistic flair, self printing could be an inexpensive option for producing a letterhead. There are some well designed templates available for free download through Microsoft and other software companies. Using a template gives you a base to start from and can be modified to suit.

If you need to add a picture or image these can be found through clip art. Even a basic word program will give dozens of choices of fonts that can be simple or dramatic with any number of sizes to select with a mouse click. The beauty of designing your own letterhead is being able to see through a preview screen how it will all turn out but it can take a while to get it right. Once you have designed the perfect layout the letterhead can be saved to file for use with all your written material to be sent to your customers.

2. Local printers

If you prefer to deal with someone face to face then a visit to your local printer might be best. Perhaps you have stationery or letterheads that need to be revamped so take a sample with you or have someone from the printing company create a design for you based on your industry or the products you sell. Using a local printer will mean you can call in at any stage of the design process to see how things looks on paper.

3. Online printers

With the move toward shopping online, finding a printer from the comfort of your home or office desk has become an easy and convenient option. The printers offer different paper weights and finishes and have graphic designers to help with all the design steps through to the final layout. A good printer will give you options for your individual specifications.

A reliable brochure printing company will work in with you and your requirements so don’t be shy about asking questions and getting as much information as possible from the printers before committing your order. Find out if they provide delivery or if this is going to be an added expense.

Producing your own letterhead is not for everyone. It takes time to design anything on a computer and unless you have excellent skills in this area you may find yourself getting frustrated just trying to get the alignments right. The costs of ink and paper need to be considered and the finish may not be of the quality you were after. Going to the professionals will give you better choices and a finer result. Of course, once they have your letterhead design on file, the reprints will be cheaper and can be used for other stationery requirements.

3 Options for Producing a Letterhead is a post from: Dark Horse Articles

A well designed business letterhead will say a good deal about your company. If you are not artistically minded designing your own letterhead could prove to be too much of a challenge and you may want to think about approaching a graphic designer instead. The actual letterhead printing is best left to the experts as the printers use a high quality ink and have a selection of paper weights and finishes to perfect the final look.

In case you would like to try your hand at producing your own design, have a look at these ideas to get you started. Remember, if it all gets too hard, a graphic designer is only a phone call or mouse click away.

1. Surfing the Web

If time is on your side, surf the internet for ideas. Microsoft Office has a free tutorial for setting up a letterhead using Microsoft Word. There is advice for the initial layout and format and instructions on the use of colours to suit your business and existing logos. Trying design ideas on line is so much easier than on paper. Cut and paste or edit existing documents till you get the image you are after or close the whole page and start again.

If you don’t already have one, there are free or share wear paint and drawing software programs that allow you to draw your design and experiment with layers and backgrounds.

2. Pre-designed templates

There are some rather good sites on line that have pre-designed templates especially for letterheads. Once you have downloaded the template, editing is easy. You can start with the basic white background and the addition of one or two colours for your logo and see the results on screen.

3. Brainstorming

Get creative and set up a brainstorming session with your staff. Start with a blank sheet of paper or an existing letterhead. Grab a bunch of colourful marking pens and see what the team comes up with.

4. Graphic Designers

The best outcome for a professionally styled letterhead is by using an experienced graphic designer. Most printers have designers on staff or perhaps use freelancers who will work closely with you to bring your ideas to life or start from scratch to portray your company image. They may even suggest envelopes printingto match the letterheads.

5. Online Printers

Consider the convenience of using online printers over the local printer. There are many to choose from online so do research the market well to make sure you are dealing with a reputable firm. Look for a printer who offers discounts for bulk printing or equal costs for colour over black and white.

Letterheads can be bold and brassy or simply elegant depending on the style of your company and the look you want to achieve. Strive for perfection to present a professional look and you will go a long way in setting your business reputation for the future.

5 Design Ideas for Business Letterheads is a post from: Dark Horse Articles

Experience is the key to having your stationery professional printed. The difference between using brochure printing services and self printing will show in the end result. If you take pride in your business and products it makes sense to extend the satisfaction to your promotional materials.

Professional printers have a reputation to uphold meaning their work will be of a high quality. With access to qualified designers they can take your printing project for a blank sheet to a premium finish. Here are six reasons why your stationery needs to be professionally printed.

• Value for Money

The costs for printing from you own office may find you spending much more than your budget allows. Not many businesses have access to laser colour printers and using bubble jet printers for big jobs can be quite costly before you even begin to look at the costs of paper and card. If done well stationery that is professionally printed results in a value for money project in the long run.

• Time Saving

Any printing job done from your own office is going to take time when you consider the formatting and layouts required. Unless you are trained in the proper software and have great design ideas this is something better left to the people who have spent years understanding the techniques involved.

• Professional Touch

A professional touch equals a professional look for the finished product. It may be cheaper to print your own stationery for a basic black and white look and by using light weight papers, but having stationery printed to a high quality says a lot about your business.

• Growth for your Business

By using a printing company to produce classy flyers and brochures you are promoting your business to not only existing customers but future markets as well. Brochure printing services can be affordable and a sensible approach to advertising where the costs of using media services are well out of reach to most small businesses.

• Package Deals

Package deals for having all your requirements printed at once can save you money. The printer might have specials on envelope and letterheads or business cards and flyers so make sure you ask what deals they have available. There may even be discounts on offer for bulk printing.

• Guarantee

One of the real benefits of having your stationery professionally printed is the guarantee that the work will be finished to your specifications and more often than not ahead of schedule. There would be nothing worse than spending your own time on design and money on paper and ink only to find the whole lot has to be reprinted.

Whether using your local printer or looking at ordering your stationery online a quality result will give that professional look. This will reflect your attention to detail with your own services and products and leave your customers with a sense of confidence.

6 Reasons Why You Need Stationery Professionally Printed is a post from: Dark Horse Articles

Marketing and promoting your products or services is an important part of any business. The use of promotional materials is an affordable and effective way of advertising your business and getting your logo recognised. The choices for the printed medium can be as basic as letterhead printing to complicated and detailed brochures.

If the budget for advertising has had to be tightened over recent years it could pay to research some of these cost saving ideas for your next promotional printing campaign.

Online Printers

The costs of promotional printing need not blow out of proportion as there are some great savings to be had if you source your printing service on line. These printers do the same job as the local printer and may even offer additional types of printing not available form the local.

Using online printers is easy and convenient. A simple search on the internet will list an abundance of quality printers and may even locate one in your area. The process of ordering on line is a simple and straight forward one. There will be a selection of materials to start from business cards, posters, stickers and general stationery lines.

Once you have chosen what it is you want printed there may be an option to request a quote. This is always a sensible way to start as you will then have an idea of how much the printing job will cost. From here you decide if you want quotes from other services. Just because you are on line doesn’t mean you can’t shop around for the best deals.

Paper Sizes and Weights

All printing jobs can be customised to suit not only your needs but your budget. Look at the costs of different paper sizes and weights and for stationery that will be used internally, ordering a cheaper finish makes sense. While it is important to impress for promotional materials that are to be viewed by your public, notepads for memos for instance need not be the higher quality that you would want on your ‘with compliment slips’ or business cards printing.

Discounts

It is advisable that when you do find a reliable printer that you stick with them as they already have your designs on file and may offer discounts for the next print run. Getting your printing done in bulk can save extra dollars so ask what the printer is prepared to do for some extra savings.

There is no getting away from the fact that to operate a business and do well, there must be some form of advertising. Television and radio advertisements are out of reach of most small businesses which is why promotional printing has become so popular. It is such an affordable and effective way of getting recognition. By looking at the various options around there are more savings to keep your budget on line.

Cost Savings Ideas for Promotional Printing is a post from: Dark Horse Articles

In today’s fast-paced world, just having a web site sometimes isn’t enough! Remember, not everyone uses a computer. Many entrepreneurs fail to realize that there is a nice sized group of people that their carefully designed web site never reaches, because these non-computer users never see it.

Even if you do have a business web site, there will be times when you may need to get in touch with a potential customer by mail. Or, the need to use a letter to contact your current customers may crop up. Those who are your potential customers do not know you, and most likely know nothing at all about your business. Those who are your current customers may only know you by the design and content of your web site.

You want your business to make the best impression possible on everyone who comes in contact with it. The fact that you are a professional must be evident in everything you do if you want to be successful. Did you know that the image you project can make a lot of difference in how people see both you and your business? People you have never met really don’t have too much to go on when it comes to knowing about you and the quality of the business you are the owner of. It’s up to you to show them that your business is professionally owned and professionally run.

The best way to do this is to invest in letterhead printing services and have letterhead stationary printed up for your business. This way, when you contact people by mail, the very first thing they will see when they open your envelope is your well-designed letterhead with your business logo. The logo is important. You want the graphic or photo that identifies your business to stand out in people’s minds, so that each time they see it, they will associate it with your products and services.

You should plan the design for your letterhead as much as possible before sending it off to have it printed. Proofread the information that you will be placing in your letterhead, such as business name, owner’s name, address, telephone numbers, fax numbers, contact person, if any, email address, and web site address. If you have difficulty in deciding upon a logo, you’ll be pleased to know that many professional printing companies who do letterhead printing have graphic designers on staff who will be happy to help you come up with a design for a logo that you will be quite proud of.

Once you have decided on the letterhead you want, don’t forget that you will also need envelopes with your return address and smaller logo in the proper place, either on the upper left of the envelope, or on the back flap. You wouldn’t go to the trouble of having a beautiful, professional done logo placed on business stationary, and then stick it in just any old kind of envelope, would you? Remember, people are going to judge you and you business by what they take out of their mailbox and open. Make sure that your letterhead and any accessories is of the quality that your business deserves!

Your Letterhead Is Your Business Identity is a post from: Dark Horse Articles