Custom Letterheads Printed on Paper Your Office Printer Accepts

Choosing Paper Weight and Texture

The most common choice is a 100 to 120 gsm smooth white uncoated paper. It feels a little more substantial than standard copier paper, takes a signature in ink without feathering and runs through office printers without jamming. Going much heavier can cause feed problems in smaller printers, so check your machine's paper specification if you want something weightier.

Textured papers add character. Laid paper, with its faint ribbed lines, has a traditional feel favoured by law firms, estate agents and private schools. Wove and smooth papers look clean and modern, suiting design studios and tech companies. Off-white, ivory and soft cream shades are gentler on the eye than bright white and pair nicely with dark green, navy or burgundy print.

Avoid coated gloss or silk papers for letterheads. They look attractive but toner and ink do not always bond well to them, and a fountain pen signature can smear.

Colour of print matters as much as paper. A dark navy or charcoal logo reads well on any stock, while very pale tints can disappear on cream paper. If your brand uses a light colour, we often suggest a slightly deeper version for the letterhead, shown side by side on the proof so you can choose. Our overview of paper stocks and finishes describes the different surfaces in more detail.

Making Sure the Letterhead Works in Your Printer

A letterhead has to survive a second trip through a printer after we deliver it, so we print with inks that cope with the heat of a laser printer's fuser. Tell us whether your office uses laser or inkjet machines, and if you plan to print on both sides, so we can advise on the paper and on any finishes that might cause trouble.

Raised effects such as thermography and heavy embossing look wonderful but can catch inside some printers, so they suit letterheads written by hand or printed in small numbers. Flat foil can work if kept small and away from the paper's leading edge. If in doubt, ask for a few sample sheets to test in your own printer before ordering the full quantity.

We also supply a matching Word template with the margins set to avoid your printed header and footer, so staff do not accidentally type over the logo. Paper that is only ever written on by hand, such as branded notepads for the desk, does not need this printer check.

Building a Matching Stationery Set

Letterheads usually live alongside compliments slips, business cards and envelopes. Ordering them together keeps colours consistent, because everything is printed with the same colour settings and on related paper. A continuation sheet, printed with just the logo or a small footer, is useful for longer letters so the second page does not repeat the full header.

Window envelopes are worth planning at the same time. If you post letters in DL window envelopes, the recipient address on the letter must line up with the window when folded. We can mark the address area on the template so it falls in the right place every time. Letters sent in window envelopes pair well with our printed DL envelopes for letters, matched to the letterhead colours.

Who Orders Printed Letterheads

Solicitors, accountants, surveyors and architects use them for client correspondence. Schools, nurseries and charities use them for letters to parents and supporters. Trades businesses use them for quotations and invoices that need to look trustworthy, and medical and dental practices use them for referral and appointment letters. New businesses often order a small first batch alongside business cards when they launch, then reorder in larger runs once the details are settled.

Anyone who has moved office, rebranded or changed directors should also check their letterheads, since an out-of-date address or name on formal correspondence can cause confusion.

Larger organisations sometimes need several versions: one per department, per office or per director, each with different contact details but the same design. These can be printed in the same run with the details changed, which keeps the look uniform and avoids staff making their own versions in Word that drift away from the brand over time. Trades that also need signed paperwork often add multi-part carbonless forms for jobs to the same order.

Ordering Your Letterheads

Send your logo, your contact and company details, the paper you prefer and the quantity, and we will send a custom quote by email within one working day. Prices start from £0.25 per sheet on short runs, falling as quantities grow, and minimums are low and quoted per job.

You will get a free design proof to check every detail, especially numbers and addresses, before printing. From proof approval to dispatch is 4–7 working days, with free tracked UK mainland delivery taking 2–3 working days after that. If the sheets arrive misprinted or damaged, report it within 10 days and we will reprint or refund.

Store unused letterheads flat in their box, away from damp, so the paper stays crisp and feeds cleanly when you need it. Every other item we print for offices is listed on our printed stationery range page.