The letterhead

A business card, a letterhead, and envelope used to be the gold standard of business stationery. In an age when typewriters were commonplace and physical personal correspondence the norm, the business expense of ordering corporate stationery was too. 

Here are some fun, historic business stationery that we discovered and love.

Gene Shalit

An American journalist and film critic with an iconic look. Receiving a letter from Gene must have felt like he was standing in front of you.

The Muppets

Note the difference between the two examples above and how the design choices are a reflection of the content and audience. One is more subdued, while the other is much more playful and character driven.

Twin Peaks

An interesting example because it is a fictional place from a cult tv show, but so inline with the brand the show built. It also appears to serve as a “fan club” type correspondence. (If fan clubs still exist, they are like 100% digital and social media driven—no letterhead necessary.)

Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol featured his Mother’s handwriting at the top of his letterhead. It is both personal, and visual. Unmistakably him.

But in an age when most business communications are done online is a letterhead still necessary? 

To answer this question, consider your business. How do you communicate with clients or customers? Is it mostly through email and social media? What is your brand’s voice? Do you speak with your audience like a confidant or best friend? Is the nature of your interactions personal? Emotional? Or is it more transactional? Who are your clients and customers? Is receiving a hand-written post-marked note from you something they would appreciate?

When we design letterheads for clients we answer much of the same questions and keep the content of the correspondence top of mind. Will a playful design work? Or should it be more serious and conservative?

In addition there are specific design constraints we will keep in mind. Will these be pre-printed by a professional printer like in the past? Or will they be printed in an office setting on an as-needed basis?

Here are some examples of letterheads we have created for clients.