Letterhead Printing
As expert digital and litho printers, letterhead printing is one of the most ordered items on kaizenprint.co.uk. While just a little piece of paper, the use of letterheads is commonplace right across business. Today we’re going to deep dive into letterheads and the process around letterhead printing.
What are letterheads?
Letterheads are a printed piece of paper used in both private and business settings as an “official” company document. They are commonly used throughout the organisation for a range of uses including:
- Company letters and correspondence
- Invoices
- Quotations
- Presentations
- Tenders
What size is standard for letterhead printing?
The standard size for letterheads is A4. It’s uncommon but not unheard of for clients to order A5 letterheads also.
For reference A4 size is 210mm x 297mm and A5 size is 148mm x 210mm. When setting artwork for letterhead printing, please ensure there is a 3mm bleed on each side of the artwork. Please also include a 3mm safe zone on each inner edge.
How does paper type affect the finish on my letterheads?
Even in today’s’ digital age, printed letterheads are one of the most affordable and regularly used business communication tools. A letterhead is generally created with the logo and other company specific identifying information. It also includes a large blank area for over-printing by the end user.
With this in mind, the paper the letterhead is printed on must be suitable. It is highly recommended that letterheads are only printed on a laser guaranteed paper. This will ensure that when you overprint your letterheads on your office copier, that the ink does not run due to excess heat.
The quality of your letterheads is also incredibly important. As with anything, first impressions count. The texture, feel, thickness and weight with convey your brand and the content differently depending on the paper choice. We highly recommend a minimum of 120gsm Uncoated paper as a minimum and a 160gsm Uncoated stock as the upper end of letterhead printing. These paper weight will work within most commercial printers and do not feel cheap, but still retain a very cost effective price point.
Where Do I Position the Fold Mark on Letterheads?
It would be uncommon today to include a fold mark on your letterheads. However, if you wish to do so, this could be present on the half fold (148.5mm from the top) or on the first 1/3 (99mm from the top) and second third line (198mm from the top). This would allow you to fold the letterhead in half or in thirds.
Digital versus litho letterhead printing
Letterhead printing was traditionally slow and costly. Today however with the advent of digital printing, letterheads have become cheaper, faster to produce and maintain the highest levels of printing quality.
Benefits of digitally printing letterheads
- Quality
- Speed
- Cost
At Kaizen Print we digitally print full colour letterheads, starting from a quantity of 100.
For larger quantities, we will be happy to quote for litho letterheads.
Letterhead Design
With letterheads being one of the most seen communication tools for your company stakeholders. It is wise to think of them much more than a little sheet of paper. How can we use letterheads to effectively communicate and engage our customers if a better focus. It is mindful therefore to engage with a graphic design team to create or refresh your letterhead design.
What information is shown on letterheads?
It’s standard for letterheads to include the following information
- Logo
- Company Address
- Contact Details – Telephone, Company Email
- VAT Number
- Incorporation Number
Beyond that, you may wish to include industry accreditations or logos that will support your communications.
When designing letterheads, what design rules should we follow?
When designing letterheads they are a number of rules that if followed will create a perfect print finish. These include:
- Correct sizing – A4 (210 x 297mm)
- Addition of bleed (3mm)
- Safe Area on all sides (3mm)
- Artwork set up as CMYK, not RGB
- High quality images and logos
- Exported as a high quality PDF
How much is the delivery?
We offer free delivery on all orders over £95. For orders under £95 we offer a range of delivery options. The cost of these depend on your location and the chosen delivery schedule.
Can I order matching envelopes for letterheads?
We work with envelope manufacturers across the UK and Ireland to provide matching envelopes on request. To discuss envelope printing, please get in touch with our Client Services team on 028 9002 2474 or visit our contact page.
