The Typographical Make-up of Business Letters

All business houses recognize the necessity for having printed letterheads and envelopes, but the variety of designs and styles are infinite. Nothing, not even the paper, affords such an index to the character of the individual or firm as the typography of the envelope and letterhead. An impression, favorable or otherwise, is created BEFORE THE LETTER IS READ. This chapter describes the methods of printing, engraving and lithographing; the advantages of each process, and the difference in prices; the proper placing of date, name and address, the width of margins, spacing between lines--little points that contribute to the appearance of the letter and give it tone

The feature of a business letter that invariably commands the first conscious attention of the recipient is the name--printed or written--of the firm or individual from whom the letter comes.

Except when the correspondent intentionally omits this information for the purpose of inducing the recipient to notice a circular letter that he might otherwise ignore, the name and address of the sender is printed on the envelope.

This is done for two reasons: it brings the name of the correspondent before the recipient immediately upon receipt of the letter; it tends to secure favorable attention, and it enables the post office authorities to return letters to the senders in case of non-delivery because of removals, death, wrong address or other causes.

In either case, the interests of the correspondent are best served by printing this information in the upper left corner of the face of the envelope. It is this side of the envelope that bears the address and the stamp, and consequently the only side, under ordinary circumstances, that receives attention from either the postal officials or the recipient. When the sender's name is printed in this position, it is brought prominently to the attention of the recipient as the letter is placed before him. But even a more practical reason for putting this data in the upper left corner is that such a location on the envelope permits the post office rubber stamp, "Return to Sender," to be affixed, in case of need, without the confusion and annoyance that is caused when this address is printed on the back of the envelope, as is sometimes done.

As a rule, the printed matter that appears on the envelope should consist merely of the name and address of the sender in plain, legible letters.

In no case should the address be ambiguous. However many branch offices the firm may have, the use of more than one address on the envelope is apt to be confusing and may result in a communication's being returned to an office other than that from which it comes. To avoid this, only one address should be printed on the envelope, and that should be the address to which the correspondence is to be returned by the postal authorities in case of non-delivery to the addressee. The trade mark or other similar distinctive imprint of a firm may properly be used on the envelope, but only in cases where it will not tend to confuse or crowd the essential wording. The name of the person to whom the letter is to be returned is of considerable more practical value to the postman than a unique design with which the envelope may be adorned.

The letterhead offers wider opportunities for an array of data. Pictures of offices, buildings and factories, trade marks, lists of branch offices, cable codes and the names of officers and executive heads may be used, but too much reading matter leads to confusion. The tendency today is toward simplicity. The name and address of the firm, and the particular department or branch office from which the communication comes, is regarded as sufficient by many houses. The day of the letterhead gay with birds-eye views of the plant and much extraneous information seems to be passing, and money that was once spent in elaborate designs and plates is now put into the "quality" of the letter paper--and quality is usually marked by dignified simplicity and directness.

Letterheads may be mechanically produced by several different processes that range widely in costs. The principal methods of printing letterheads are:

First: From type.

Second: From zinc or half-tone plates made from drawings--generally designated as "photo-engraving".

Third: From plates engraved on copper or steel.

Fourth: From lithograph plates, engraved on stone.

Fifth: From photogravure or similar engraved plates.