Jumpstart Your Stationery Package Design with Templates and Predesigned Paper

Can it really be your own design and can it really convey a unique or 'stand out in the crowd' image if it comes pre-packaged? Yes, it can — if used properly.

Preprinted or Predesigned Paper
For non-designers who cannot afford to hire a professional graphic designer, preprinted or predesigned papers allow a business to "easily create a cohesive identity with matching preprinted designs for business cards, letterhead" and more. Through careful attention to font choices and placement of information you can put your own stamp on each piece.

Templates
Designers and non-designers alike can use templates 'as is' or as starting points for creating the pieces of a stationery package. "Remember, in many cases templates are designed by well-known designers. We often look at the work of others for inspiration, using templates is simply another way of borrowing from the talents of those around us. Starting with a template is a smart idea." Even when using templates with few changes, you'll still need to make choices regarding color, paper, and in some cases font selection. All these choices will help create a unique and powerful first and lasting impression about a business.

Test Yourself: Self-Guided Project
You can read all the tips and tutorials but it's going through the actual process that makes you a better graphic designer or desktop publisher. If you've never designed a stationery package before or feel that you need more experience, take this opportunity to put the steps outlined here into practice.

Using your software of choice, create a coordinated business card, letterhead, and envelope design for yourself, a friend, or a fictional business. Answer the questions about the business and the stationery found in part 1 of this article. Do some preliminary thumbnail sketches, rough drafts, and final designs as described in part 2 and part 3. You can start from scratch or browse the templates in your software or the ones found online and consider using some of them for your project.

Your design should meet all these requirements:

• The company or individual is clearly identified.
• Contact information is easy to find.
• Design reflects the client's personality.
• The pieces in the package work well together and have a unified or coordinated design.
• The letterhead design leaves ample room for the letter itself.
• The envelope meets postal regulations (placement of return address and other design elements).

If you're doing this for a fictional company you won't be going to the expense of special paper or commercial printing but you can print a sample from your desktop printer and make notes about the type of paper and printing you'd have done if it were a real project. After you're done, you have not only the experience and the satisfaction of completing the project, you'll also have three new pieces for your graphic design portfolio.

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