From the cover letters you send out to get a job, to the invoices you mail to get paid, your communications should be printed on stationery that refl ects your personal or professional identity. You can have letterhead and envelopes commercially printed on matching paper and envelopes, or you can produce your stationery on the fl y using your desktop printer or other ready-to-hand materials and processes. Designing your own stationery is an opportunity to express your personal brand through imagery, typefaces, and materials. Set yourself loose in a deluxe paper store or an ordinary offi ce warehouse, and build your own self-portrait in paper.

the letterhead is the core of your stationery program. A letterhead typically includes the name, address, phone number, and e-mail contact for an individual, business, or organization. Include your logo if you have one. Letters printedon letterhead are considered offi cial documents; a reference from a school or a warning from a lawyer uses letterhead to establish the legitimacy of the content. Likewise, when you send out bills to your clients or inquiries to potential employers, a well-designed letterhead refl ects your seriousness of purpose.

personal notepaper can be more informal than a letterhead, presenting only your name or a simple image. Attach a handwritten message to a report, paper, book, CD, or other document, or use it to send personal letters or thank-you notes. We recommend printing notepaper on a smaller size than standard letter paper, such as 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches (half sheet).

business cards can be coordinated with your letterhead; see our business card chapter.

StationeryVeronica Semeco

envelopes come in many sizes, and they can be annoying to run through a desktop printer. Plan your design in one or two useful sizes to avoid endless formatting headaches. The standard business size is Number 10 (9 1/2 x 4 1/8 inches). We also like booklet size (6 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches), which holds a standard letter-sized sheet folded in half. When designing envelopes, consider what you will be mailing. You may need a larger envelope for sending out press kits or proposals. For more information on designing envelopes, see our envelope chapter.

labels are a handy alternative to printed envelopes, as they can be applied to packages, folders, and envelopes of any size. Labels make it easy to reuse old boxes and packing envelopes.Depending on your needs, you may want to produce CD labels as part of your overall stationery package. (Don’t send out your digital portfolio on a disk marked in Sharpie.) Labels in numerous sizes are available at offi ce supply stores; you can also make your own using adhesives or clear packing tape.

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use labelsMake any envelope match your own personal identity with adhesive labels. Create simple shapes with the drawing tools in your software program, or look through your closets and shoe boxes to fi nd photographs, maps, magazine pages, or drawings with interesting textures and patterns. You can put fabrics and small objects directly on your scanner to create instant high-resolution photography. Insert images into a word-processing or page layout fi le, and combine them with typography. Save the fi le as a template and use it any time.Design: Veronica Semeco

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use a word processorLetterheads and envelopes can be designed and printed from the computer workstation in your home or offi ce. You can set up a letterhead as a template in a word processing program such as Microsoft Word, or in such as Microsoft Word, or in a sophisticated page layout program such as Adobe InDesign.Use interesting paper and techniques such as hole-punching to give your letterhead a distinctive physical character.Design: Veronica Semeco

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surfacesPut your mark on different surfaces by screen printing or rubber-stamping. The image stays the same, while the material keeps changing.Design: Veronica Semeco Photography: Dan Meyers

paper, scissors & glueGlue strips of patterned paper to paper, envelopes, and cards to make personal stationery.Design: Veronica SemecoPhotography: Dan Meyers

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