Letterhead & envelope printing

Printing on a letterhead happens in two stages: the logo and header are printed once in the workshop, and the sheet then passes through an office printer repeatedly for the actual correspondence. How the paper behaves on that second pass depends on the printer type. In a laser printer, toner is fused onto the surface with heat; on a coated or very smooth sheet the toner does not bond fully, and fine lines can flake at the edges. On an inkjet, the paper's absorbency is what matters — on a surface that does not absorb, ink spreads before it dries and the text loses its edge. The two technologies do not necessarily suit the same stock, so which printer the organisation actually uses is a question to settle before the paper is chosen.

On sizing, a letterhead is almost always fixed to A4, since printers and binders are built around that format. The real design decision sits in what is left blank rather than in the dimensions. The wider the header carrying the logo and contact details, the less room remains for the body copy, and if a clear, empty band is not left at the foot for a wet signature, the signature collides with the text above it. The left margin also needs to allow for hole punching — standard two-ring filing calls for clear space at a set distance from the edge, and if text or the logo drifts into that space, the holes end up punched straight through the lettering once the sheet is filed.

The paper itself can also carry a mark of security and impression. A watermark is a difference in density formed while the pulp is still wet; it is not added afterwards in print, it is born in the paper's own manufacture and only shows when held to the light. That makes it hard to imitate, and on corporate stationery it works as both prestige and verification. Textured stocks work on a different register — linen or embossed finishes give a sense of weight to the touch, but the surface irregularity means fine type prints less crisply than it would on smooth paper, so type size is usually kept a little larger on textured stock.

The envelope is a separate design problem that has to be thought through alongside the letterhead. On a windowed envelope the real risk is not the window itself but its alignment: if the address block on the letterhead sits even a few millimetres off from the envelope's window, the recipient's details either run off the edge of the envelope or fall outside the opening. That is why the address block's position is planned against the envelope size, and the envelope against how the sheet folds. A DL envelope is the everyday standard and carries an A4 sheet folded in three; for thicker or unfolded documents, a gusseted pocket envelope is preferred instead, since its extra depth handles the added bulk and makes it the safer choice for sending a catalogue or a multi-page contract.

In a presentation folder the subject is no longer a flat sheet but a form that is cut and folded. Pocket depth is what decides it here: a pocket meant to hold an A4 document needs to be cut a little deeper than the sheet itself so paper can slide in and out without dragging, otherwise the document wears at the pocket's mouth every time it is removed. The narrow slot cut for a business card needs a different measurement again; get the depth wrong and the card either does not go in at all or slips straight back out. How the folder closes is planned alongside the cutting form too — an elastic closure needs a different flap allowance from an adhesive one.

A corporate stationery set is less a single print job than the same identity repeated across different surfaces. When logo position, colour value and typeface do not match across the letterhead, envelope and folder, the set reads as three unrelated jobs rather than one. That consistency does not stop at the printed side either: since staff handle daily correspondence in Word or Google Docs, the digital template's margins, logo placement and typeface need to match the printed letterhead exactly — otherwise text that lines up neatly on screen ends up sitting on top of the logo once it reaches the printed sheet. Information required by regulation — trade registry number, MERSİS number, the tax office the company is registered with — is usually kept as a thin strip at the foot of the page, and unless that strip is allowed for from the start, it gets squeezed and unreadable as the body copy grows.

Common sizes

A4 letterhead, DL (110 × 220 mm) and pocket envelopes, A4 presentation folder

Stock

90–120gsm offset (letterhead), 250–300gsm board (folder)

Printer match

Surface coating suited to both laser and inkjet printers

Printing

Single or two colour letterhead, limited single-face print area on envelopes

Which printer types work reliably with a letterhead?

The paper's surface is matched to the printer in use. Stock made for laser printers is coated to carry the heat of the toner; the same sheet may not offer enough absorbency for an inkjet. Offices running both technologies are best served by stock tested against both machines.

How much space should be left for a wet signature on a letterhead?

There is no fixed measurement, but a clear, flat band of at least a few centimetres should sit below the signature line — enough for the pen to move freely and for the signature not to touch the text above it. Pages destined for ring-binder filing also need a margin on the left edge, or the punched holes end up landing on the text.

How is window alignment worked out on a windowed envelope?

The position of the address block on the letterhead is calculated against the window size of the envelope to be used and how the sheet is folded. Designed separately, the two can leave the address spilling past the window or missing it altogether, which is why the envelope choice needs settling before the letterhead itself is designed.

Does watermarked or textured paper make sense for every organisation?

A watermark adds to both cost and production time, so it is typically chosen by sectors such as law or finance where an emphasis on trust matters most. Textured paper is more of a perceptual choice — it feels heavier and more distinctive than smooth stock, though fine type loses a little sharpness on it.

Is the business-card pocket in a presentation folder cut to a standard size?

No — pocket depth is set against the folder's own dimensions and the thickness of the card itself. Cut too shallow, the card will not go in; cut too deep, it slips out when the folder is handled. The measurement is therefore worked out with the actual card in hand rather than from a fixed figure.