Two-Colour Letterheads

Paper Choices for Everyday Office Use

Letterheads must work in office printers, so paper choice matters. Uncoated bond or wove paper of 100 to 120 gsm is the usual standard. It feels substantial, takes signatures cleanly and runs through laser and inkjet printers without trouble. Heavier papers feel more premium but may not feed reliably in every printer.

Laid papers, with a fine ribbed texture, give a traditional look suited to solicitors, estate agents and professional firms. Smooth white papers suit modern businesses and give the sharpest print. Off-white and cream papers soften the look and suit heritage brands.

If your letterheads will be used in a laser printer, tell us. We use inks and drying methods compatible with laser printing, so the toner sits cleanly on top and the pre-printed colours do not smudge.

Paper colour affects ink colour. A brand blue printed on cream paper looks slightly warmer than on bright white, and very pale inks can almost disappear on off-white stock. If you are choosing a tinted paper, ask us to check your colours against it in the proof.

Watermarked papers are another option for formal correspondence. The faint mark in the sheet, visible when held to the light, adds a sense of quality that suits legal and financial firms. p4 The papers are compared in the guide to board and card types.

What Goes on the Letterhead

A letterhead typically carries your logo, business name, address, phone number, email and website. Limited companies should show their registered name, company number and registered office address, and VAT registered businesses often add the VAT number. Professional firms may need regulatory body details in the footer. The exact requirements depend on your business, so please check them yourself before approving the proof.

Keep the top margin and the footer compact enough to leave plenty of space for typed content. A letter that has to squeeze into the middle third of the page looks cramped, however good the design.

Think about how letters are folded. A standard DL envelope takes an A4 sheet folded in three, so keep important elements away from the fold lines. If you use windowed envelopes, set the address block position to match the window, so you can print the recipient's address directly on the letter.

Matching Stationery

Two-colour letterheads are often printed alongside compliment slips, business cards and continuation sheets in the same colours. Continuation sheets carry a smaller logo or just a rule, for the second page of longer letters. Ordering them together keeps colours consistent across every piece.

Envelopes printed in one of the same spot colours complete the set, and presentation folders with the same logo carry the look into client meetings. p1 Client meetings are covered by our embossed folders with the same logo.

Who Orders Two-Colour Letterheads

Solicitors, accountants, surveyors, estate agents, schools, charities, building firms and engineering firms all rely on printed letterheads. Medical and dental practices use them for referral letters and patient correspondence. Any business that sends formal letters, quotes or invoices on paper benefits from a consistent, well-printed letterhead.

Even businesses that send most correspondence digitally often keep a stock of printed letterheads for contracts, formal notices and documents that must be signed and posted.

Trades businesses, such as electricians, plumbers and roofers, use letterheads for quotes, invoices and warranty letters. A clean two-colour design with trade association logos, where you are entitled to use them, makes paperwork look more professional to customers. p2 Trades that need duplicate copies use our carbon copy letterheads for quotes and invoices.

Send the Pantone Numbers and Name Your Printer

Two things decide a letterhead run: the ink recipe and the office printer. Send the Pantone references for both colours, or a printed sample we can match to, and tell us the printer model the sheets will run through, because laser toner needs a paper and an ink that will not smudge under heat. If you have no references, we suggest close matches on the proof.

Order continuation sheets and compliment slips in the same run so the colours are identical, and send a current sheet if this is a refresh so familiar elements are kept. Check the registered company details on the proof before approving. The custom quote arrives by email within one working day with the minimum set per job.

Printing takes 4 to 7 working days after approval and the boxed reams reach UK mainland addresses by free tracked delivery. We keep the artwork and ink references on file, so a reorder needs only a quantity. Firms that post the letters usually add C5 envelopes printed in one spot colour on the same quote.