Letterheads

The text area — the main constraint

A letterhead exists so that text can be printed onto it, so the design must leave most of the sheet clear. Practical proportions: three to four centimetres at the top for the logo and corporate elements, two to three at the bottom for contact details, and the middle — at least 60% of the sheet — entirely clear. A common mistake is adding decorative side bars: they look attractive on a blank letterhead but narrow the text area and complicate contract formatting.

• Top 3-4 cm — logo and corporate area
• Bottom 2-3 cm — contact details
• Middle 60%+ — entirely clear
• Side bars narrow the text area

Office printer compatibility

This is the detail to check before printing. Ordinary laser and inkjet office printers do not print to the sheet edge — they have a technical margin, usually four to five millimetres. That does not affect us (we print with bleed), but it does affect the client: if the letterhead is planned so text must sit very close to the edge, an office printer cannot produce it. The second consideration is paper weight: very heavy stock will not feed through some office printers or jams. Standard office weights are safe for letterheads.

• Office printers have a 4-5 mm technical margin
• Text too close to the edge cannot be printed
• Very heavy stock jams in printers
• Standard office paper is safe for letterheads

Full backgrounds — why they are not recommended

A coloured or textured background across the whole letterhead looks attractive but creates three practical problems. First, black text printed on it by an office printer loses contrast and becomes harder to read. Second, copying or scanning turns the background into blotches, and contracts are frequently copied and sent on. Third, ink or toner consumption rises. So we normally propose a white background with styling only in the logo and contact areas.