Stationery can set the mood of the message, and make a personal statement beyond the words on the paper. Scanning technology allows you to create stationery and note paper ranging from high-impact to subtly elegant. This section offers a few ideas and sample layout illustrations to help you get started.

When you first rev up your scanner, it’s tempting to design elaborate stationery for business or personal use, importing all sorts of images and interesting props—but showing off your new scanner’s capabilities is not the goal of effective communication.More is not always better when it comes to making just the right statement,particularly for business communication.

When you design your own stationery, you don’t have the feedback from a professional printer who can offer you a trained eye from developing hundreds of layouts—but you can borrow the following tips from the printing pros for a good layout design for a business:

• Select the color and quality of your paper carefully. Pay particular attention to the texture and thickness. Avoid paper that is thick and grainy or thin and glossy. Opt instead for a texture that falls between these extremes, to convey a confident, understated image.
• Pay the extra money for stationery bearing a watermark. It can make a good subliminal impression.
• Avoid trying to make too strong a statement with colored paper, which might distract from your graphics and undermine a professional image. Stick with off-whites, beiges, and grays. If you choose a stronger color, stay with pastel colors, although even these tones are not generally recommended. Follow this advice even if you’re in a creative profession such as media relations.
• Remember to choose the color of your stationery to complement your logo and overall layout.