Design and print
Stationery design and printing
Business stationery covers the everyday printed and digital items a business sends out: letterheads, compliments slips, envelopes, notecards, invoice and quote templates, and sometimes folders or labels. It needs to look consistent with the brand, but it also has practical and legal jobs. Letters and order forms from a limited company must carry certain company details, sole traders using a business name must show their own name on official paperwork, and invoices have required contents set out by GOV.UK. Much stationery is now used digitally, as templates in word processing or accounting software, so design has to work on screen and on a desktop printer as well as on professionally printed paper.
This page covers the items, legal details, layout, printed versus digital templates, stock and proofs. Printing can be included in a LetGetGrow quotation, with specifications, quantities, production arrangements and delivery agreed for each project, or files can be prepared for your own printer. Delivery and distribution of printed items can also be arranged through our team or suitable partners.
Illustrative diagram
Stationery set
- Letterhead
- Printed
- Digital template
- Slips and cards
- Compliments slips
- Notecards
- Templates
- Invoices
- Quotes
- Legal details
- Company details
- Sole trader name
Common stationery items
| Item | Used for | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Letterhead | Letters, proposals | Printed and digital template |
| Compliments slip | Short notes with items sent | Printed |
| Envelopes | Post | Printed or labelled |
| Invoice and quote templates | Billing | Digital, in your software |
| Notecards | Thank-you and personal notes | Printed |
Details GOV.UK says must appear
Limited companies: all documents and publicity
- Company name
Limited companies: letters, order forms, websites
- Registered number
- Registered office address
- Where registered (England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland)
- That it is a limited company
Sole traders
- Your name and any business name on official paperwork such as invoices and letters
Directors and share capital
GOV.UK guidance says a company does not have to list directors' names, but if it lists any, it must list all of them. Share capital is optional, but if shown, the amount paid up must be stated. Check your details with your adviser before printing.
Invoice templates
GOV.UK lists what every invoice must include, such as a unique identification number, your name, address and contact details, the customer's name and address, a description, the supply date, the invoice date, the amount and the total owed, plus VAT where applicable. VAT-registered businesses need further details set out in HMRC's VAT record-keeping guidance. Design the template so each of these has a clear place.
Layout that works with text
A letterhead is mostly empty space for someone else's words. Keep the brand elements to the header and footer, leave generous margins and make sure the area for addresses lines up with window envelopes if you use them. Test the template by writing a real letter in it.
Printed or digital
Professionally printed
Suits you when
- Formal letters, slips, notecards
Watch out for
- Details changing after printing
Digital template
Suits you when
- Most daily letters and invoices
Watch out for
- Fonts and colours on office printers
Both
Suits you when
- Mixed use
Watch out for
- Keeping them matched
Creating a stationery set
List
Items and how each is used.
Output: Stationery list
Details
Legal and contact details confirmed.
Output: Approved text
Design
Consistent set.
Output: Designs
Templates
Built in your software.
Output: Working templates
Print
Printed items proofed and ordered.
Output: Stationery
Example: a new limited company
Illustrative example — not a client case study
Situation: A newly incorporated company needs letterheads and invoice templates.
- The director confirms the company number, registered office and place of registration from their incorporation documents.
- A letterhead template is built in the company's word processor, with legal details in the footer.
- The invoice template includes every item listed on GOV.UK and is tested in the accounting software.
What this shows: The company's paperwork carried the required details from the start. This example is illustrative.
Fonts on other computers
Brand fonts may not be installed on every computer that opens a template. Choose a fallback font, or embed or licence fonts appropriately, so documents look right for everyone.
Paper for printed items
Letterheads that go through office printers need paper that suits them. Ask the printer about paper compatible with laser or inkjet printers.
VAT invoices
HMRC's VAT record-keeping guidance lists the details a full VAT invoice must show, including a sequential number, the time of supply, the supplier's VAT registration number, the customer's name and address, a description, quantities and VAT rates, totals excluding VAT and the total VAT in sterling. If you are VAT registered, check your invoice template against that list with your accountant.
Email signatures
Email signatures can be the most-seen piece of stationery. Keep them short, use text rather than one large image so they display reliably, and include the same details as your letters where required.
Questions about stationery design and printing
What must a limited company letterhead show?
GOV.UK lists name, registered number, registered office, place of registration and limited status.
Do sole traders have requirements?
Their name and any business name on official paperwork.
Must we list directors?
Not required, but if any are listed, all must be.
What must an invoice include?
GOV.UK lists the items; VAT invoices need more.
Should stationery be printed or digital?
Often both, kept matched.
Who prints stationery?
Printed letterheads, slips and envelopes can be included in our quotation; digital templates are delivered as files.
Sources referenced
Platform features, guidance and rules change. We check the current versions before committing to an approach. This page is general information, not legal advice.
- GOV.UK: Running a limited company: signs, stationery and promotional material (opens in a new tab) — reviewed 2026-11-04
- GOV.UK: Set up as a sole trader: choose your business name (opens in a new tab) — reviewed 2026-11-04
- GOV.UK: Invoices: what they must include (opens in a new tab) — reviewed 2026-11-04
- HMRC: Record keeping for VAT (VAT Notice 700/21) (opens in a new tab) — reviewed 2026-11-04
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