Specific business communication techniques have fluctuated over time, while other methods have remained popular. To better grasp the importance of letters and letterhead examples, let’s discuss them.
The professional look and brand consistency are two advantages of using a business letterhead. You can create impressive documents such as letters, memos, and notes with a letterhead.
Letterheads today have become visual art, delivering an initial impression of who you are, what you do, and why you do it.
What did you see the last time you received a physical letter from a business? Was it addressed to you? Did you notice prominent colors, a big logo, or any branding that grabbed your attention?
These factors have a considerable impact on how consumers perceive your brand. By demonstrating that you care about the details, you can establish yourself as a company consumers will want to purchase from.
Let’s take a closer look at letterheads now. We’ll begin by exploring what they are and how they can benefit your business, then move on to 20 letterhead examples that will inspire your designs.
- What is a letterhead?
- How can letterhead benefit your business?
- 3 Key Elements To Design A Great Letterhead
- 20 Best Letterhead Examples With Logos
- 1. Add a prominent brand logo
- 2. Feature one strong color
- 3. When in doubt, keep it simple
- 4. Use directional cues to guide readers
- 5. Add a creative footer
- 6. Use an illustration or image to frame your letter
- 7. Experiment with typography
- 8. Use a solid background-color
- 9. Pick contrasting colors for your letterhead design
- 10. Use a colorful border for your letterhead
- 11. Go off-center
- 12. Draw geometric patterns
- 13. Create a custom-shaped border
- 14. Use a color gradient in your header
- 15. Divide your letterhead into columns
- 16. Reposition elements on the page
- 17. Create a visual hierarchy
- 18. Place a watermark
- 19. Add quirky illustrations using icons
- 20. Leave some space
- Wrapping Up
What is a letterhead?
A company letterhead is a top sheet in a business letter. It consists of the business name, address, contact details, and logo.
You can utilize it in any letter or document you produce. The letterhead has been used for a long time and is therefore used for business communications.
A letterhead is a multipurpose tool that you may use for the following:
- Job letters to prospective employees
- Notices to the public or specific groups
- Invoices and letters to customers
- Job notices to potential employees
You may use letterhead to accomplish the following:
- Cover letters for company proposals and presentations
- Minutes of meetings
- Internal communication between departments
Letters are also helpful in sending information to authorities and other organizations of importance, such as banks and local, state, and federal government agencies. The letterheads you use are the best way to convey your document’s credibility.
You can also advertise a website for your business using letterheads. Besides sharing important information, online communication is the best and fastest way to connect with your customers.
How can letterhead benefit your business?
The way your customers perceive your business has a significant effect on its ongoing success. Your company’s materials must present an optimistic picture. Your company’s materials are just as important as your logo or online presence.
Why don’t you bring some of this branding material to your stationery and envelopes? You may be surprised by the effect.
Here are the reasons why letterheads can benefit your business.
1. Show your professionality
Have you ever received a company letter on a plain white envelope or off-the-shelf printer paper? This kind of letter appears to be unprofessional. Some people will not even bother to open it up.
The use of premium letterhead indicates that your business is professional and well-organized. It goes a long way from establishing clientele and trust by demonstrating that you care about your business image.
You can personalize your letterhead to match your company’s image. It is much better than an unmarked envelope.
It is not a problem if a particular team or employee requires a customized letterhead. You demonstrate your commitment by being a detail-oriented company that cares about providing the best experience.
2. Market your business
The competitive nature of the marketplace demands that you advertise your brand. Always be on alert for new opportunities to market your service. Professional business letterhead is a powerful marketing tool.
Whenever someone accepts a letter from you, they see your business’s logo and name. Maintaining brand recognition across all platforms reveals that your company is a serious player in your industry.
Presenting yourself as an authoritative presence is essential for your business reputation. Because letterhead provides free advertising, you can include your logo and contact information in an eye-catching way.
3. Make communications easier
Letterheads can improve communication between clients by providing them with the necessary information for communication. You can include your company logo on an envelope to assist the recipients of your letter in identifying you.
By doing this, you will establish a dependable line of communication. Using personalized letterheads to place yourself in your company is also a good idea.
Your personalized letterhead will reinforce your services if you are an account representative or part of the sales team. This will increase client satisfaction and, in turn, client retention and revenue.
4. Stand out from the competition
The little things can make a big difference when choosing one company over another. You might benefit from a great-looking letterhead if you are seeking to attract new customers.
Which letter appears more professional? Which letter attracts the most interest when sending out solicitations to gain clients?
Your letterhead doesn’t have to be bland. It may be advantageous to improve it with an extra visual element to make it stand out. Don’t pass up an opportunity to stand out.
5. Appear larger
A slick letterhead design and custom envelopes will make you look like a big company with an extensive infrastructure if you use them. It might help you land more prominent clients that you wouldn’t otherwise.
By using a custom letterhead, it’s not that you’re deceiving your current or future clients; it’s just that larger companies get more business because of their public perception.
Smaller businesses should not be afraid to appear strong and capable. Whether you use a dedicated network of professionals or outsource jobs, you don’t need a large in-house team.
3 Key Elements To Design A Great Letterhead
The 3 keys to making a great letterhead are an appealing logo, a robust brand framework, and document consistency.
Thanks to the attractive logos, each letterhead design is unique and exciting in the examples below. Your design should reflect your brand, not your graphic designer’s views. Every element of your brand personality should be visible.
From colors to layout structure, your brand personality should be evident. Tamper-proof templates should prevent logo stretching, rogue fonts, and clashing colors.
Other factors to consider are layout, paper color, quality, and weight.
Prominent, legible company names on letterhead draw the reader’s attention, so it’s essential to ensure they’re visible. It is crucial to choose the paper color cautiously.
Including inappropriate colors can only distract your readers from your message. Weight and quality are also significant, as they help create a satisfying tactile experience.
These components are crucial in influencing how a paper feels and how effectively you can utilize it in conjunction with its color and texture.
You can create your business letter using free software like Canva, Template.net, Adobe, and Template Lab.
20 Best Letterhead Examples With Logos
Do you want to create a letterhead? Use brand guidelines to determine the format. Add your business logo, colors, and fonts to an existing letter template to create your own.
Let’s look at some letterhead examples and see what design ideas we can take away from them.
1. Add a prominent brand logo
You can make your materials recognizable by placing your company logo at the top of your letter. One of the most popular approaches to branded letterheads is a large, bold logo in the upper left corner or centered at the top.
The letterhead examples above include the brand’s logo on a dark blue background to make it stand out and separate it from the remainder of the content in the letter without taking up too much space. It appears decorative but not overbearing.
2. Feature one strong color
Color is an effective method to draw the eye to certain areas of a page or guide the reader’s focus. It can draw the eye in, show the direction throughout the page, and draw attention to its most critical parts.
Using one color to establish your document is a popular approach. Using more than three colors, however, can overwhelm readers. The letterhead examples use only one shade of blue to emphasize certain page areas.
3. When in doubt, keep it simple
If you believe that a flashy letterhead design is too much for you, there is nothing wrong with keeping it simple. Include your logo and contact information if you want a more straightforward design.
If you don’t know which template to use, begin with a simple company letter template that is easier to customize. Your goal is to ensure that anyone who receives your letter recognizes your brand from other company letterheads in your industry.
4. Use directional cues to guide readers
The use of arrows, lines, and pointing fingers is a type of directional cue. Readers are guided to look in a particular direction based on these indicators.
While they aren’t necessary for a letterhead, directional cues can help your information move smoothly. An arrow at the top of your letter directs readers to the beginning of the text.
You can use directional icons and pictures to draw the eye down the page on professional letterhead. Although they may seem like an aesthetic element, directional icons and images effectively draw the eye.
5. Add a creative footer
Footers are dull and straightforward, and they frequently include contact information. You may use colors and fonts that match the letterhead to make your documents feel more cohesive and balanced.
You may also add some creativity to your footers despite what you think. In this letterhead example, the footer template adds some personality to the letter.
6. Use an illustration or image to frame your letter
Rather than the standard header or footer, you may use an image to frame your letters. This is a fantastic way to personalize your business communications. You might want to use a photo with a transparent background to blend in with the remainder of your design.
In letterhead examples, this template for a design firm is creative and balanced, using a flower image in opposite corners. A picture can appeal to the imagination far better than text.
Some firms use a company letterhead template with a picture. Choose an image that matches your business letterhead, or upload your photo.
7. Experiment with typography
Regardless of which design you select, it would help if you considered typography to locate a font that is readable, visually pleasing, and consistent with your brand.
However, if you desire to make an impression, follow the example above and include more edgy text elements in your page design. You may also include your brand on the page, providing each piece has enough space.
8. Use a solid background-color
By taking a few more risks with your design, you can make your branded letters recognizable at a glance. You can use a solid color background instead of the standard white background on your letters.
To achieve this, use light text on dark backgrounds and dark text on light backgrounds. Consider the following letterhead to determine if a background color will impact the printing process. The navy blue background and gold text instantly grab your attention in this letter template, making it different from other letterhead examples.
You do not have to be a designer to choose letterhead templates with a bold background. However, it would help if you kept your branding in mind and the printing impact of the letterhead designs.
9. Pick contrasting colors for your letterhead design
A custom letterhead design allows you to accentuate your company’s communications with a dash of color. You may emphasize the header, border, and body text by adding colors to them.
Don’t be afraid to include bold colors and backgrounds in your graphics. Choose two colors that complement each other (opposite colors on the color wheel).
You don’t have to employ a graphic designer to select colors your customers will associate with your brand. When customizing business letterhead templates, follow your brand’s color scheme.
The image above shows three contrasting colors making it different from other letterhead examples.
10. Use a colorful border for your letterhead
A simple border can tie your design together, especially if you select one of the business letterhead templates available. Consider whether you want to use a simple frame or a more subtle one like charcoal or gray.
If you want your message to be especially noticeable, you may choose a bold color, but if you’re a solopreneur, you might prefer a more personal letterhead.
In the above letterhead example, we have used a pink color border which makes it different from other letterhead examples.
Borders not only look great on personal letterheads but official letterheads as well. Borders are excellent for drawing attention to the edges of a letter, especially the first thing people notice.
11. Go off-center
Minimal designs are also suitable for unconventional letterheads. In the example above, the letterhead content is located on one side of the page rather than in the center of headers and footers, making it stand out from other letterhead examples.
You can obtain a similar effect by putting your letterhead text in smaller font size. Readers will not be perplexed by adjacent columns of text if the visual hierarchy is maintained.
12. Draw geometric patterns
Simple geometric patterns are eye-catching. In Microsoft Word, you can create your pattern by drawing lines and filling them in with colors. These eye-catching geometric designs make excellent business letterhead templates.
Business letterhead templates already include the shapes you desire, so this is simpler. To keep the design clean and simple, don’t overdo it with text. Don’t include your postal address.
The geometric elements are for aesthetics, although they can overwhelm any text you place on them. As a result, the letterhead example above looks appealing compared to other basic letterhead examples.
13. Create a custom-shaped border
A custom-shaped border can add a cute quirk to your business letters and match your official letterhead. You don’t have to stick with a conventional rectangular border.
You can use a framing image, dashes instead of straight lines, to create a frame that looks like the page has been turned. You may also use a rounded border on your letterhead template to make your content stand out.
14. Use a color gradient in your header
Color gradients are becoming popular again. You may add them to your letterhead design if your business communications wish to be on the cutting-edge design trends.
You may create a professional letterhead by employing a subtle shade gradient instead of a more elaborate one. This business letterhead template uses a slight blue-pink color gradient in the header column. It also uses icons to illustrate the content.
As a result, the letterhead example above looks appealing compared to other basic letterhead examples.
Remember that you have to print your company letterhead, so your chosen colors may impact its final cost.
15. Divide your letterhead into columns
When you don’t know how to structure your page, starting with columns is an excellent way. The header or spine column can be placed proportionately on your page after dividing it into columns.
Corporate letterhead templates already include columns, so pick one with your desired structure and alter it to your specifications afterward. A line separates the spine column from the letterhead body in the above example.
16. Reposition elements on the page
It’s possible to make your logo appear like an official seal by placing it at the bottom of the page rather than at the top. You can use a lower logo position to signify your branding.
The concept may seem simple, but most firms keep to the standard letterhead format, so putting your branding in a different, longer-lasting position may be more effective.
In the above letterhead example, the firm’s logo is placed at the lower right corner differentiating it from other letterhead examples.
17. Create a visual hierarchy
Visual hierarchy is a critical principle in design. Visual hierarchy refers to arranging elements on a page to show importance. The visual hierarchy determines the essential data on the page or the information that viewers should read first.
Your header and footer can contribute to the visual hierarchy of your page. You can emphasize the header and footer by adjusting the font and icon sizes. You can make your title heavier and your footer lighter to increase emphasis.
This business letterhead example above maintains the same level of intensity while balancing the footer and header.
18. Place a watermark
A watermark can strengthen the branding on your letterhead without interfering too much with the text. Be sure to increase the transparency enough, so the text remains legible when layered on top.
The image above shows the logo as the watermark, differentiating it from other letterhead examples.
19. Add quirky illustrations using icons
Incorporating icons on your company letterhead can add some creative flair. You may alter the icons to fit the situation if your audience is diverse or your letter’s goal is varied.
To maintain consistency with your brand’s icon design, choose an icon style and utilize it on all your letters. Icons are an excellent way to add a creative touch to your company letterhead because they are instantly recognizable and understandable by everyone.
Since they’re so versatile, icons make an excellent addition to corporate letters. Please keep the number of icons low to maintain legibility and avoid overusing them.
20. Leave some space
Having space around your page elements allows your choices to stand out more. In many cases, impactful designs are the opposite of hectic ones. Readers are spared the mental work of separating different items on the page by using whitespace.
Furthermore, it gives the page an offbeat feel that draws attention and differentiates the brand from competitors.
Wrapping Up
Make your letterhead an extension of your branding and character, not an afterthought. Make sure your design doesn’t stray too far from the norm, or it will be off-putting. Since creating a letterhead is another chance to reinforce your brand and personality, readers might be more inclined to give your content a closer look.
If you’re artistically challenged or in a hurry, you may grab one of our expert, simple-to-use letterhead examples. Even if you’re not a creator, you can see from the letterhead examples above that any business can do it.
