The Stationers Guild

Wells & Drew offers some clear and useful advice on the importance of business stationery.   In this fast-moving world of digital communications, companies invest hundreds of thousands of dollars to promote their brand in cyberspace.  In many cases, it is wasted expense dollars chasing wasted expense dollars as companies engage Twitter and Facebook, promotional news releases, email marketing campaigns, link-building and SEO (search engine optimization) strategies to outspend their competitors to drive people to their website.    Commonly referred to as ”keeping up with the Joneses,” many companies are now finding that a relic from times past often has more of an impact on brand awareness than keyword campaigns:  business stationery.

Often neglected in this process to gain digital supremacy is the company’s own business stationery.   As we have written on numerous occasions, a company’s business card and letterhead stationery often says more about a company than its Google page placement.   Well-crafted designs, printed on high-quality paper convey an impression of substance and respectability that no amount of digital spin can ever aspire to replicate.

As a company that will soon be celebrating their 155th anniversary, we applaud Wells & Drew for continuing to make fine stationery the “right” way.  For those interested in learning the marketing secrets of top legal firms, please request Wells & Drew informative brochure.    For those interested in learning more about business stationery, please consult the Stationers Guild FAQ on business stationery, or drop into a qualified stationery store in your neighborhood.

I recently came across an online news release promoting “Cheap Office Stationery” by a UK company called Discount Office Needs.    Now, I have no way of knowing – and even less interest in finding out – if this is a UK company or is simply a UK-resident company owned by foreign interests.   What I do know, is that Discount Office Needs can’t even seem to spell their primary business line – stationery - properly. 

In the short news release, stationery is spelled stationary no less than 11 times (spelled properly 3 times).  Furthermore, I discovered a new word “stationeries.”  Now, it is quite possible that “stationeries” is an accepted version for the plural of stationery in Her Majesty’s version of the English language, but it does seem somewhat out of context in an article where stationery is misspelled so many times.

The point of this article is not to promote literacy, but simply to ask the  question:  Would you purchase your business stationery from a company that can’t even spell their main product correctly?  I wouldn’t, but presumably people on both sides of the Atlantic do.

Richard W. May
Founding Member Stationers Guild

As a stationer, I’ve seen hundreds if not thousands of business cards.  Most people have a pretty clear idea of what information they want displayed on a business card, but seek advice from their stationer on card stock, ink colors and how to layout the information on a business card.

There are no fixed rules when designing a business card; however, I believe that a well-crafted business card is probably one of your most important public relations investments.  The business card should create a positive first impression when you hand your card to the recipient.  The paper stock, printing process, ink colors and well-designed layout says as much about you as a person as it does your business.

While there are many online print shops that offer “free” and inexpensive business cards using pre-designed templates, I have found their offerings to be quite unappealing.  Their paper stock is of poor quality and many online companies can’t even seem to print in a straight line.  It is painfully obvious when someone presents you a business card that has been produced by one of these discount printers. 

From my perspective, three things are important for a well-designed business card.  First, and most importantly, is the card stock.  The standard paper weight for most business cards is 64# (sixty-four pounds weight).   While I believe that 96# makes for a far more substantial business card, many people prefer the standard weight.  Crane & Co. offers many different card stock weights and paper colors to choose from and is often a very good choice for business cards.   I strongly recommend that you contact a Stationers Guild store in your neighborhood to see and feel the various options in person. 

Secondly, use a consistent layout for your business card incorporating no more than two font styles.  For instance, if your business letterhead is “right-adjusted” try to maintain that symmetry in your business card.  A consistent image promotes brand recognition.  

Finally, print your card using engraving or thermography.  While engraving is considerably more expensive, colors are opaque and crisp.  Thermography is a resin-based ink which is baked on the business card to simulate engraving.  It is a less expensive alternative to engraving, but still creates raised-print.  Letterpress is also emerging as a very appealing alternative to the traditional engraved business card.  

The Stationers Guild website has a Frequently Asked Questions on Business Stationery section that contains much useful information to help you design your business stationery.

Richard W. May
Therese Saint Clair

Sheila May, the owner of Therese Saint Clair, writes that “business stationery is the simplest, most obvious and  cost-efficient advertising, marketing and public relations vehicle your business will ever use.”  Sheila goes on to say “Hand someone your business card and you are handing someone your brand, your identity and your professional credibility.  What you are on paper is what you are instantly perceived to be in business.”

In his book, The Etiquette Advantage in Business, Peter Post writes “business stationery is a form of public relations.”  We often say that you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and many business relationships begin with the simple exchange of business cards.  Says Sheila, “it’s surprising to see how little time business people spend on designing a proper suite of stationery.  They are often shocked to see the difference that fine stationery can make:  it’s like giving your business a fresh coat of paint.”

While Crane & Co. remains a popular choice for business stationery, many fine paper companies have greatly expanded their business offerings.  In particular, we have noted that a number of fashionable invitation designers now have now expanded their calling card and business card lines.  We recently received samples of letterpress business cards from Oblation that are simply stunning and quite well-priced.

If your business stationery could use a facelift, we strongly recommend contacting a Stationers Guild store in your neighborhood.  Also, we would encourge you to consult the Stationers Guild website which has some excellent advice on designing your business stationery.

“You never have a second chance to make a first impression.”  I can’t remember who had this sage but practical piece of advice, but nothing could be more true in today’s electronic workplace.  With website page views clocking in at 1.8 seconds and a “twit” on Twitter limited to 140 characters, you’ve got to make a strong positive impression from the get-go.

With your social and business network persona on display 24/7, one might ask if the business card is still relevant?  Thank you, it is!  In fact, we are seeing a resurgence in consumer demand for tastefully designed calling cards and business cards.   Despite the down economy, customers at Therese Saint Clair are trading in their fast-print cards for more distinctive business cards.  Business professionals recognize that their non-descript business cards just may not make it to their recipient’s Rolodex.  Maybe it makes sense to invest in a little image-building.  One way of doing so is to have an elegant business card printed on fine paper stock.

While Crane & Co. has long been the company of choice for fine business stationery, many other companies are now introducing their own distinct lines of business stationery.  William Arthur has a good selection of business cards printed on 96# paper stock to go along with a growing selection of fine stationery.  Smock Paper has a stylish but somewhat pricey line of letterpress business cards printed on bamboo paper.  Lallie and Encore have some great designs for truly distinctive business cards.

If you feel your stationery is not making that right “first impression” then perhaps a visit to a Stationers Guild member store is in order.  There you can work with experienced stationers to custom design a business card of your choice.

Arzberger is sponsoring a Spring Special for engraved stationery.  Receive free engraving plates with any engraved stationery order from Arzberger’s stunning Stationery Album.  This offer includes a standard monogram or one-line name plate, plus a return address plate (up to a $110 value).  This promotion runs from March 1 through May 31st.  Contact a Guild Member store in your neighborhood that carries Arzberger’s exceptional line of engraved social stationery and business stationery.

Arzberger, formerly Arzberger Buening, is one of the oldest printing firms in the United States.  They are known for their outstanding craftmanship and beautiful engraving dies.

As a stationer, I am frequently asked whether engraved stationery is worth the extra money.  Certainly, there are less expensive alternatives and Guild stationers are sensitive to the budget constraints of their clients.   The politically correct answer is that one should evaluate the cost/benefit relationship to reach the proper decision for each person’s circumstances.  With the elections thankfully over, I think we can dispense with “political correctness” and, perhaps, ruffle a few feathers.

There is no question engraved stationery is significantly more distinguished than comparable stationery printed in thermographic inks or flat-printed (lithography).  One needs only to glance at a color palette at your local stationer to see the significant differences in the end result of using the same color ink on the same paper but employing a different printing process.  Engraved ink colors are opaque and the color  “true” when compared to alternative printing processes.

I realize that you can get 250 or more business cards printed at your local print shop or online for around $25.  While the paper stock may be a bit flimsy, the colors not as sharp, the font styles limited and the alignment questionable, the price seems right to many business people.  Most will argue that the objective is “to get my contact information out there:  It is what I do and who I represent that is important.  If the business card is cheap so much the better.”

While one can hardly argue with the need to keep business costs down, is this a false sense of economy?  I certainly think so.  Business cards, like good manners and proper dress say a lot about people.  If you a 30 second window to make an impression, you would like to so in style.   A well-designed business card on heavy stock paper will certainly give you a leg-up over 90% of your potential competition to make that positive first impression.  I find it surprising that small and medium size businesses spend thousands of dollars on attractive websites, logos and advertising yet skimp on business correspondence.

To stand out in today’s marketplace, we recommend selecting business stationery that is at least one step above that of your peers.  The objective is to call attention to yourself and your business.  For instance, real estate brokers seem to all have highly-colored business cards with a photograph.  If you want to stand out from the pack, I would suggest dropping the photograph and getting a business card with a distinctive motif, perhaps engraved in a metallic ink such as gold or copper. Sure, that engraved business card may set you back a $1.00 a card, but it could your ticket to an important business relationship.  With first class postage at $0.42, it seems like a steal.

Whether you need engraved letterhead is a question that is best analyzed with the help of your neighborhood stationer.  If you use more than one color in your logo or business correspondence, engraved stationery becomes prohibitively expensive.  Before commissioning a logo, meet with your stationer to consider how colors and designs will impact on your stationery costs.  By seeking wise counsel early and taking advantage of promotional offers, engraved stationery need not be a cost barrier to creating distinctive business stationery.

Richard May
Founding Member

As stationers, we are often asked what type of business stationery should be used for informal communication.  Clearly, letterhead stationery is the appropriate vehicle for communicating with clients, suppliers and third-parties.  When communicating internally or for communication of a less formal nature, business executives generally use one or more of the following forms of informal correspondence:

1. The fold-over note
2. The half-sheet
3. The correspondence card
4. The monarch sheet
5. Memo pads (“From the Desk Of”)

In the case of monarch paper (7 1/4″ x 10.5″) and the half-sheet (slightly smaller), the company name and/or logo may appear on the stationery together with the printed name of the sender and, perhaps, their title (i.e. President, Director).  All other information generally found on company letterhead - the address, telephone number and website - is generally absent.  In effect, the sender is conveying a message which is both personal but also underscores his or her role within the organization.  This form of correspondence is generally hand-written but may also be typed.  It should always be signed.

Crane & Co. Correspondence Card

The correspondence card and fold-over note are very popular forms of informal correspondence.  While the fold-over note is considered to be the preferred form of correspondence for women, many men select the fold-over note over the more popular correspondence card.  With this form of correspondence, only the name of the sender is printed on the note or card.  Initials or a monogram are not considered appropriate for business informals.  The desk memo is generally perceived to be a tasking note or business reminder rather than informal correspondence.  Nevertheless, it adds a personal touch that emails, memos and directives simply lack.

Crane & Co. Fold-over Note

The appropriate use of informal correspondence within an organization creates a level of personal intimacy that is sadly lacking in most organizations.  Contact a Guild member store in your neighborhood to learn more about the use of informal business correspondence.

Richard May
Founding Member

Few things are more frustrating to an experienced stationer than to see “stationery” consistently misspelled.  While I am willing to concede that it is a rather mischievous word that may have originally been spelled with an “a”, I believe that most anyone applying for a professional position should be able to spell business stationery correctly.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that there is actually a petition to change the spelling of stationery (as in paper) to stationary.  The central argument is that the majority of people conducting an online search for “wedding stationery” or “business stationery” actually spell stationery with an “ary.”   I haven’t decided whether this is democracy at work or simply a case of the inmates running the asylum.  I am sure that Mr. Webster would not be pleased.

After more research, I suspect that there is a more sinister plot afoot.  The culprit or facilitator of this assault on the English language is Google.  Rather than suggesting “Did you mean business stationery” when the user typed “business stationary” in the search bar, Google simply accepts the improper spelling. 

Business Stationary

Certainly, it is monetarily convenient for Google to capture their Pay-Per-Click (PPC) fees regardless of how stationery is spelled.  Unfortunately, for those of us responsible for mounting the PPC campaigns we must enter all forms of alternative spellings to insure that our ad will be found in a Google search.  Furthermore, even fine paper companies find themselves obliged to enter “stationary” in their meta tags and company description to insure that their pages will be indexed for misspellings. 

The final straw was listing a stationery store in Google maps.  Wendy Joblon, the owner of Folia in Dartmouth, MA was asked to list her store in one of the Google search categories:

I guess we shouldn’t be surprised, but I had hoped that Google would allow us to categorize our business with the proper spelling of stationery.    Google maps are most important for small businesses and we believe this function could be significantly enhanced if search categories were spelled properly.

Richard May
Organizer and Founding Member

Over the last several months I have had several interesting conversations with Harriet Malmon, the vivacious owner of Francis-Orr in Corona del Mar, California. Ms. Malmon has some very definite ideas on the importance of business stationery and, in particular, the business card. Three weeks ago in New York, I had the opportunity to sit down with Harriet (“please, skip the ‘Ms. Malmon’”) to discuss business cards.

RM: Harriet, I know you have some definite ideas on business stationery. Would you care to share them with the StationersGuild?
HM: As an established stationer, we work with a number of local firms to design their business stationery. Many of these businesses have sought our advice because they were not entirely satisfied with their commercial printers. For the most part, the various components of their stationery didn’t work together – different fonts, design layouts, mismatched ink colors – and, in some case, their business cards were not even printed on a straight line. Our job, as a stationer, is to help the client develop a coherent design and select the paper and printing process that will lend credibility to the enterprise, regardless of its size.

RM: Do you consider the business card to be the focal point of business stationery?
HM: Most definitely! I know it wasn’t Shakespeare, but a phrase that has stuck in my mind is “that you never have a second chance to make a first impression.” That “first impression” of your business card tells your prospective client that your firm has substance, style and deserves a closer look. In fact, I consider business cards to be one of the firm’s most important public relations investments. I often ask my prospective client whether their current business card “belongs in the hands of their most valued prospect or in the restaurant fish bowl for the weekly free lunch drawing?”

A smiling RM: I guess your clients never get a free lunch?
HM: Quite the contrary. Our business cards even stand out in a fish bowl.

RM: What do you mean?
HM: With paper, you have so many design options that even a business card can have personality. For businesses that need to project a conservative image such as legal firms, accountants and wealth management companies we suggest increasing the paper weight from the standard 64# to 96# and even 220# or, perhaps, vellum. For firms that have an artistic bent such as interior design or body-sculpting, we suggest colored paper and, possibly a vertical orientation rather than horizontal.

RM: What about logos?
HM: Gosh, that is such a complicated topic that we need far more time. All I can say is that you should first see an experienced stationer, preferably a Guild member, before you engage a graphic design artist.

Thanks Harriet for sharing your insights with us. You certainly make a convincing case that there is more to paper than meets the eye.