Three New Ways to Layout Your Letterhead Design

Letterhead design might seem simple at face value, but if you're a graphic designer who takes pride in his or her work then you're always on the lookout for new, unique and inventive ways to represent your clients through design. Letterhead design projects are no different: If every design is just like the last, or plucked from a stable of three or four layouts, how can your customers ever stand out? And, in turn, how can you possibly stand out from other designers? Thus, coming up the fresh, new and bold has benefits for both client and designer. If you're stuck for inspiration, try these three new ways to layout your letterhead design.

1. Middle of the road

Who says you have to place your logo and information bar at the top or bottom of your letterhead design? Since the majority of business correspondence only takes a couple of paragraphs, start your letterhead design about halfway down the sheet and leave enough room underneath for a couple of paragraphs and a signature line. A minimalist letterhead design works best with this technique - a thin line, small logo and sans serif type contact information are all you need. If you're worried about communications that flow over two or three paragraphs you can simply design subsequent sheets (extra pages) more wide open with your header at the top or bottom.

2. Vertical split

Some letterhead designers have made use of a right or left sidebar for contact information, etc.; but you could instead make a 50/50 split between your sidebar and body copy. Fill the top or bottom of the left or right side of the page with a solid corporate color or pattern. Next, place corporate information at the top, bottom or vertical center. Simply leave it as it is or fill the remaining area with compelling imagery that speaks to your clients' customers.

3. Spread it out with thick borders

Center your body copy inside thick, richly colored borders with interior rounded corners, and place pertinent corporate information in each corner or centered along the exterior borders. If you go with a solid color and white font, your information will stand out. You have to be careful that your arrangement appears clever and not confusing. If your clients' customers can't find the contact information they need you probably won't get hired for the next project! Play with these letterhead design layouts to see what gives you the most unique and original look that speaks for itself. Also take into consideration the style of company you're designing for and match your design to it as well as the type of paper your letterhead design will be printed on - an elegant 70-pound letterhead paper with white wove finish or premium 24-pound synergy bond paper - to make sure your letterhead design is a home run.