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5 areas to consider when designing quality business stationery

7 April 2016

Let’s start by looking at what we mean by “quality”.  One definition we’ve found is “the degree of excellence of something”, and that seems a very good place to start.  “Excellence” – we all strive for it, all the time, in all that we do, and so it’s important that we project an excellent image with our business stationery.

When we consider quality in the context of business stationery, what do we mean, exactly? Your business stationery needs to portray your brand in a positive way through good design, use of colour and good quality paper.

So if you are going to make a good impression there is plenty to think about and here are 5 of the most important factors to consider ……

Size

Size is an important aspect when it comes to designing business stationery. A larger size may be able to attract more attention, yet a large business card that can’t fit in a pocket or wallet might be counterproductive, as people are less likely to take and keep it.

So, what size should you go for? Here are the most common print sizes used for the main types of business stationery:

Business cards             85 x 55mm

Compliment slips        210 x 99mm

Letterheads                 210 x 297mm

Sometimes though using a slightly unconventional size can make you stand out from the crowd. That could be worth considering but if you do, make sure the size you select is practical.

Colour

The use of colour is a vital aspect in design, especially in business stationery. Emotional responses can be brought about by using different colours, and a well-designed finished product can be used by businesses as effective promotional and marketing tools.

colour wheel

Space

The way space is used is a fundamental part of any design; knowing how to use it effectively is another matter entirely. Empty areas can make a design appear somewhat blank, yet cramming space can make a design seem clustered. Poor application of space can have a large impact of the effectiveness of any design, and good use of space is certainly something to consider when you are designing any type of business stationery.

Positioning

A key aspect of a design is the positioning of its various elements; be that text, headings, images or calls to action. The position of your elements can make some certain features more prominent or pronounced. Their position can also be used to draw peoples attention into the areas you most want them to see.

Typography

Presenting the text on your design is an important component of your business stationery. Fonts provide an impression on people, whereby you convey tone and emotion.

A great way to go about choosing a font is through the Google Fonts tool. The tool allows you to view a word, phrase or entire body of text in a large range of fonts that can be viewed in a range of slants, thickness and sizes.  Best of all, the tool and its many fonts are is free to use and download.

google fontsDesign services at Blue Ocean Printing

At Blue Ocean we place a great deal of emphasis on good design practises and our design team have many years experience in providing effective designs for a wide variety of different print products including all aspects of business stationery.

You can call us on 01438 907070 or contact by submitting an enquiry.

We will be delighted to help you!

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