How to Brief a Printer for Business Stationery

Why does the brief matter?

The more specific your brief, the more accurate the quotation. Paper, size, printing, finishing and quantity are all variables, and a quotation is made against your specification and quantity. If something is missing, we will clarify it before quoting.

What stationery items can be ordered together?

Letterheads, envelopes, notepads, folders and bill books can be quoted together. Handling several items through one supplier helps keep branding and paper consistent. See corporate stationery for the full range.

What should I include in my brief for letterheads?

1. Size: A4 or A5.
2. Paper weight: letterheads are available in 90–120gsm.
3. Quantity.
4. Printing: single or double sided, and the colours.
5. Artwork: your logo, brand colours and layout as print-ready files. PDF, AI, CDR or high-resolution JPG/PNG. A print-ready PDF with bleed and crop marks is ideal. If your artwork is not print-ready, we will tell you what needs fixing.
6. Delivery date and location.

See letterheads and compliment slips.

What should I include in my brief for business cards?

1. Size: sizes to your requirement, including 90 × 54 mm and 88 × 54 mm.
2. Paper weight: business cards are printed on 350–400gsm stock.
3. Quantity, and whether every card is the same or each needs different names and titles.
4. Finish: matte, gloss, soft-touch or spot UV.
5. Artwork: the card design as a print-ready file. For different names or numbers on each card, send a spreadsheet with clear column headings.
6. Delivery date and location.

Paper, thickness, printing process, size and finishing are all confirmed per order. See business cards.

What should I include in my brief for envelopes?

1. Size: DL (220 × 110 mm), C5 (229 × 162 mm) or C4 (324 × 229 mm).
2. Quantity.
3. Printing: logo, return address or branding, and where it should sit.
4. Artwork and delivery date and location.

If envelopes need to match your letterheads, order them together and give the same colour references. See envelopes.

What should I include in my brief for folders?

1. Size and quantity.
2. Board: folders are printed on 350gsm board.
3. Printing: outside only or inside and outside.
4. Finishing requirements.
5. Artwork and delivery date and location.

See folders.

What should I include in my brief for bill books?

1. Size and number of sheets per book.
2. Carbonless copies per set.
3. Numbering: whether the bills are sequentially numbered, and the starting number.
4. The details to be pre-printed, such as company name, logo and bill format.
5. Quantity, artwork, and delivery date and location.

See numbered carbonless bill books.

What should I include in my brief for notepads?

1. Size: A4, A5 or A6.
2. Sheets per pad: 50 or 100.
3. Printing: plain or branded, with any headers, footers or logos.
4. Quantity, artwork, and delivery date and location.

See notepads.

What file formats should I send?

PDF, AI, CDR or high-resolution JPG/PNG. A print-ready PDF with bleed and crop marks is ideal. If your artwork is not print-ready, we will tell you what needs fixing.

Can the printer match my existing brand colours?

Yes. We can work to match existing brand colours and previous printed material as closely as the printing process and substrate allow. Send your brand guidelines, colour references and, where possible, a physical sample of the existing printed piece. We can work toward specified Pantone or brand colour references where the process and material support it. Final appearance can vary by substrate, ink and finish, so identify critical colour requirements before production.

What if I need design help?

We can work with customer-supplied artwork and can also help prepare or adjust artwork for production where required. The extent of design work depends on the project. If you have brand guidelines or editable source files, send them with the requirement.

Can I reorder the same stationery later?

Where the previous specification, approved artwork and production information are available, repeat orders can be produced against the existing job details. Mention the previous order or job reference when you reorder, and we will flag any change in material or production condition before production.

What is the minimum order for business stationery?

Minimum quantities depend on the product, specification and production process. Some products can be produced in relatively small quantities. Send the specification and quantity and we will tell you whether the job is commercially workable.

Can stationery be delivered to multiple offices?

Yes, multi-location dispatch can be arranged for suitable orders. Send the number of destinations, quantities per location and delivery details so logistics and charges can be included in the quotation. We serve Delhi NCR directly and can dispatch suitable orders across India.

Frequently asked questions

What is spot UV?

Spot UV is a finish that applies a glossy UV coating to selected areas of the printed piece, such as a logo, to add contrast.

Can I order just business cards, or do I have to order the full stationery set?

You can order individual items or several together. Ordering items together helps keep branding and colour consistent.

What if I don't know what paper weight to choose?

Describe how the stationery will be used, the quantity and any budget considerations, and we can suggest practical material and specification options.

Can I see a sample before ordering the full quantity?

Samples can be provided for many products. For some jobs we can show existing production samples; where a custom sample or prototype is required, the process, cost and timeline depend on the product and specification, and any charge and expected timeline are confirmed before the sample is produced.

Do you keep my specifications for repeat orders?

We retain relevant job specifications and approved production information where appropriate, so repeat requirements can be handled more consistently. Always mention the previous order or job reference when you reorder.