Business stationary is the writing paper, envelopes, mailing labels and printed stamps one uses to distinguish correspondence from competitors. It allows you to imprint your business logo, company color scheme and even main players on every piece of correspondence that leaves your office.

Whether its personalized business stationary or business stationery for promotions, paper products carrying your company's logo helps established your brand by subtle constant reinforcement between you, your suppliers and your customers. When getting to grips with business stationary printing basics take into consideration the following:

1. Consider your actual needs rather than what the business stationery printing services wants you to purchase.

2. Ask business printers for quotes and compare and contrast them before making decisions.

3. Be happy with your color choices and designs before ordering printing supplies in bulk.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose a business stationery printing service that listens to your needs

If it's the first time you are ordering printing supplies, it's best to start with a basic business letterhead design that can be repeated on matching custom printed envelopes. Look for printers that offer reasonable prices for short run printing and logo design to get started.

I recommend: PrintUSA.com has a great free quote service that helps you narrow down your business printing needs and reminds you of the basic information you will need when dealing with business printers. VistaPrint is an online site that offers discount short run business printing and a variety of methods for designing logos and business letterheads.

Select bulk suppliers for low prices and establishing printing contacts

Custom stationary, often spelled custom stationery, doesn't have to be expensive and once you have your basic logo and layout formatted consider business printers that specialize in business to business orders with price breaks for repeat business and bulk orders. And remember that the weight of the printed paper is important to the final price so be aware of the number of paper weight options out there.

I recommend: Sir Speedy offers business printing at reasonable prices in every format and paper preference. They offer fast turnaround at convenient ordering. P.O.V. Print Communications is an established printing company that offers high quality printing and bindery services for small businesses. Request a printing quote from their homepage.

Review industry sites for learning more about business stationery printing basics

When establishing a new bran and promoting that bran through custom printing, it is a good idea to link to a business printing news site to help you understand the latest options and trends in business printing. By choosing green inks or new paper construction styles, you have the opportunity to impress peer business with your business printing savvy and also find new companies for your future purchases.

I recommend: Subscribe to PrintingNews.com for the latest printing industry articles, forums, service directories and blogs. Pro-Talk is a great website for both printers and those looking for information on printing services and will help you become acquainted with current printing rates and trends.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  The look and design of custom business stationery is a long lasting decision. Consult with others in your company before making any final decisions.

Your business stationery is often the first impression you make on prospects, clients and vendors. The more professional your stationery looks, the better you look. To create a professional library of business stationery, you have to:

1. Know what pieces of stationery you need.
2. Know how to design your stationery for easy, cost-effective printing.
3. Determine how many pieces you should buy.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Start with the basics and keep the look consistent

Standard business stationery includes letterhead, envelopes and business cards. You may want additional pieces, like second sheet letterhead, invoice and receipt sheets, labels and note cards. Each piece of your business stationery should have a consistent look to reinforce your company name and brand.

I recommend: My Print Shop Online offers a complete Business Stationery Guide to help determine what pieces you need to start your business.

Choose appropriate paper weight for a professional look

Standard weight for letterhead is 20-pound or 24-pound, while business cards are commonly printed on 65-pound or 80-pound 'card stock” type paper. Your printer will be able to recommend what paper weight you need and the best print process to support your stationery design and layout.

I recommend: MacMillan Graphics, Ltd. has an online cheat sheet to help determine the paper weight for a variety of stationery pieces.

Determine how much to buy

You'll receive more bang for your buck when you order in large quantities. But, if you foresee your business address, phone number or any other contact information changing in the near future, order only what you need.

I recommend: Hillside Printing provides a Top Ten List for Saving Money on print orders (see Tip #9 for ordering appropriate quantities).

Where to buy your business stationery

There are thousands of online printers delivering professional business stationery for affordable prices. Keep in mind that the vendor relationship you have with your printer is one of the most important.

I recommend: You can easily upload your print files and have your business stationery delivered to your front door when you purchase from VistaPrint, KoolPrint or PrintingforLess.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  While most businesses design their stationery before going to the printer, it is actually more cost-effective to talk to your printer first, then design your stationery around what fits your budget.
• •  Make sure the paper you choose for your letterhead is compatible with your office laser printer and copier.

Whether you print custom stationary, business stationery or both, choosing the right supplies for your business is essential. Not only must you assure quality but also a reliable supply at a reasonable price.

Its a good idea to specialize in a certain area of the printing process such as business printing, but a good idea to be prepared for custom and unique orders. The more you know about the printing business and buy supplies that give you range and choice, the better off your business and the larger your customer base. Consider the following when ordering supplies for business stationery printing:

1. Research paper supply companies to ensure you are getting the best deal for your custom business stationery.

2. Choose printing equipment within your price range that offers both quality and longevity.

3. Consider organic inks or bulk ink buying for promotions and savings.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Purchase paper and envelopes for custom business stationery

Business stationary paper comes in many weights and qualities. Printing custom stationary at your company will require you to chose a stationary paper that is right for your company. Take the time to know both your needs as well as your customer before placing the final order.

I recommend: Quill offers paper, envelopes and business cards that are used in business stationery printing. Visit Neenah Paper to find paper for business stationery for promotions.

Purchase the right stationery printing equipment for your business

Every business stationery printing service should have equipment that both suits their needs and fits within the budget. Being able to offer both digital and traditional printing is a plus although if a budget is limited, digital services are essential to staying competitive.

I recommend: G E Richards Graphic Supplies offers equipment for both pre and post press as well as new and used traditional presses. If you are on a tight budget, Printing Industry Exchange is a great website where used and new printing equipment is bought and sold. Just click on the piece of equipment you need to get started.

Buy organic inks for use on business stationery printing services

When selling business letterhead or custom printed envelopes, being able to tell your client that you offer a range of organic inks in your printing process is definitely a selling point in the emerging green market. Buying inks, organic or otherwise in bulk will save both per order cost as well as shipping.

I recommend: Xerox Corporation offers digital ink cartridges at affordable rates for small businesses. Pressman's Pride offers an affordable line of soy inks and cleaners for commercial printers.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Custom stationery can include such items as handmade paper in which case, choose a local reliable supplier for your supplies and make the combination a selling point.

Business stationery, such as letterhead, business cards, brochures, or envelopes, helps to provide a cohesive, professional image for your correspondences. Your business stationery makes a statement about your organization and is sometimes the first impression your company makes. Therefore, choosing the right printing style, method and printer for your business stationery is important. Learning some key terms for business stationery printing will help you to understand the printing process and choose the right kind of printer and printing method for your business stationery needs.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Paper weight, paper density

In the U.S., paper weight refers to the weight of 500 sheets (which is also called a ream). It is measured in pounds (#). Internationally, paper weight is measured in grams per square meter or grammage. Paper weight is important when selecting paper for your business stationery as it helps with the overall impression your stationery makes.

I recommend: Stationers Guild discusses paper weight in more detail.

Thermography

Thermography is the use of heat and powder on a plate to impress a logo or design onto paper. Thermography is an inexpensive way to get raised lettering on your stationery instead of engraving. It is sometimes known as imitation engraving.

I recommend: Business Stationery provides a description of thermography.

Engraving

Engraving is a printing process in which your business logo is etched onto a copper plate and then the plate is covered with ink and pressed onto paper. This technique gives the logo a raised appearance on the stationery.

I recommend: MyDesignPrimer.com describes the engraving printing process as well as the difference between engraving and thermography.

Offset printing

Offset printing is a broad term for a printing technique where the image to be printed is inked onto a separate surface before it is transferred to paper. This is the most common method of printing used and it encompasses many other techniques.

I recommend: Printing Machines discusses offset printing, the benefits and uses of this method of printing.

Lithography, offset lithographic printing

Lithography is an offset printing technique where the image to be printed is put on a flat plate and coated with chemicals whereby the image area absorbs the ink while the non-image area repels it.

I recommend: PCMag.com has a definition of this printing method on their website. For further reading, Castle Ink also discusses lithography as an offset printing technique.

Foil stamping

Foil stamping is the process of adding a thin film of metal to stationery. It is added through heat and pressure onto a die that presses the foil onto the paper for a decorative and elegant element to your stationery.

I recommend: Action Graphics discusses the foil stamping technique in detail.