Personalized Stationery

[Sowulo]

I'm wondering is anyone still using personalized stationery these days? What kind of stationery are you using? Is it just writing paper or correspondence cards, business cards, invitations etc as well? I'm thinking of ordering some personalized writing paper but i found it quite expensive.

[Pen Nut]

Unless you are intending to use huge quantities why not design and print your own ? Very easy to do and gives you the coice of paper colour and quality etc

[takkun]

Sadly, most of my business correspondence is either through Facebook message or text message, though my personal correspondence is usually with letterpress cards. I've considered getting letterpressed stationery for anything more formal, but haven't really seen a need...yet.

 

Seconded on trying your hand at your own, especially if you have access to a laser printer. There's nothing worse than the slight bleed through ink jets make on paper of all kinds.

[BillZ]

I use personalized monarch pages from American Stationery.

[sharonspens]

I have had personalized stationery in the past, but currently i don't. i love Crane & CO., so if i were to buy stuff it wold probably come from them.

 

i do have some uniquely personalized fold over notes, however. A few years ago I commissioned an artist friend to do a pen-and-ink drawing of our 1860s house for my husband's Christmas gift. i also had her do a couple of hundred boxes of notes with the image printed on the front. They are completely one of a kind! The artist has since passed away, making them (and the original artwork) even more special.

 

Sharon in Indiana

[CSG]

I got a couple boxes of monogrammed fold over notes from American Stationary. Mostly because I still send out thank you notes and the like from time to time but I wanted something more generic. I'm sure the 100 I ordered will last me the rest of my life as 90% of my communications these days are by email and phone.

Edited November 6, 2014 by CSG

[TreyinAZ]

I recently got some stationary and pad paper from Vista Print. A bonus was they screwed up part of the order so it was all refunded. FREE stuff rocks.

[highlander1307]

Yes, use personalized stationery, cards, envelopes, notecards, etc. You got me thinking on the costs and pulled invoices. Sets of embossed premium stationery cost me $237.50 and I have ordered four times in ten years.

[sargetalon]

I use the blank Clairfontaine Triomphe paper and run it through my inkjet printer. I used a custom design based off of my wax seal. My name and seal are at the top of the page and my address is on the bottom. It looks nice and prints very cleanly. Easy and cheap.

 

[WayTooManyHobbies]

At the recent Michigan Pen Show, I picked up some correspondence cards from the Andersons. They feature an Esterbrook J on the front, and I'll use one tomorrow for the first time (Happy International Fountain Pen Day!). It got me thinking that some custom embossed cards would be a good thing to have around.

 

It seems like 25 would be plenty for starters.

[Blade Runner]

I had a copperplate engraved plate made by Crane and Co. to have my name printed on the top of Crane's 100% cotton 32lb kid finish , pearl white, Monarch sheets (sadly no longer available in this size). I also had a copperplate engraved plate made by Crane and Co. to have my name and title printed on a calling card, using their 96lb, 100% cotton, pearl white card stock. When you run out of sheets, you mail your plate to have more sheets made. When a copperplaate engraved plate is used, it creates a tell tale "bruise" on the back of the sheet which differentiates it from something like thermography or ink jet. I also love letter press, but whenever you need more sheets, you have to pay for a new letter press set up in contrast to copperplate engraved plates which can be reused.

[drv1913]

I have engraved personal stationery from Dempsey & Carroll: correspondence cards with envelopes, monarch sheets with envelopes, and calling cards. All ecru with grape ink and purple tissue lining in the envelopes. I would like to have monogrammed informals, but I can't really justify them. Instead, I splurged on blank 8.5 x 11 sheets that I keep all to myself for use in my notebooks.

[cactusneedle]

I use monogramed foldover cards for writing condolence, get well, thank you, etc, rather than purchasing greeting cards. Some have just my monogram. For notes that come from both my husband and me, I have flat cards with our names on them. I order from Stationery Studio. They run specials where you can "bogo", which works out to a pretty good price. The paper works well with my fountain pens.

[Gloucesterman]

A few years back, Staples offered some "gold" embossed (?) monogram note cards around the holidays. At first, the cost was about $12.00 for 20 cards, I think. After the holiday season was over they started discounting them to around $5.00 and finally down to a dollar. I picked up a couple of packages with my initials and have almost run out of them. They were definitely FP friendly.

 

In the end, all they had were note cards with "U", "X", "Z" & "Q". They were charging a $1.00. I ended up buying some of those. I use them by writing a word that including the initial - for example - eXtremely happy to meet you, "YOU" have been very nice to help me. People I have sent them to usually view them a being creative and all have remarked that they appreciated the handwritten note.

 

If I totally had my d"druthers" I too would go with the copperplate Crane's stationery and engraved business card. Maybe when I win the lottery!

[mirosc]

I had a copperplate engraved plate

 

same here

 

I've got my personal stationery, embossed (relief-stamping, steel/copperplate engraving made by Hannovera) with name and titles (over here you are expected to put them on the card), but nothing else, so it has a nice, understated, but elegant appearance. And I have the same appearance on all my letters, envelopes, business cards, notification cards,... and can get the same quality now in all years to come.

[CraigR]

In years past, I kept a supply of personal stationary with my name and address embossed on it. Crane for many years and then a local printer made it for me, as well as business cards and notes. I am in a more frugal period and on a semi-fixed income. Now, I create my own letterhead using HP 28# paper and our ink jet printer. To further personalize, I like to use a wax seal with my initials either at the bottom of the letterhead or at the flap seal of the envelope. Yard and garages often yield a variety of papers, envelopes and cards that I put to good use. I always carry a fountain pen and test the paper for suitability prior to buying. Aside from postage, the cost of frequent correspondence can be quite reasonable. More money for pens and inks.

 

Craig

[Paddler]

I make my own. I take a sheet of bright white paper and make a border on it with vines, leaves, flowers, mice, insects, arachnids, etc. Use colored inks with watercolor washes, and whatever comes to hand. Then I scan the finished original artwork into the computer. When I want to write a letter, I print the border onto paper of my choice.

[drv1913]

same here

 

... And I have the same appearance on all my letters, envelopes, business cards, notification cards,... and can get the same quality now in all years to come.

This is what I like about having personal stationery. As soon as the recipient sees the envelope, they know it's from me. For letters to family and close friends, I may embellish the envelope with a drawing or other artwork, but even in its plain form, the stationery has "me" all over it.

[GatzBcn]

I have a penpal and for her I use scraps of paper from my work (since I am a bookbinder, scraps of the same paper I use for the journals are abundant, and they are not that small, usually).

 

However, everytime I make a sale I add to the package a thank you note. For this thank you note I use two different notepads I bought in Venice and Florence two or three years ago, just because I love the paper decoration. It may not be as personal as using your own name, however I really like it.

 

Anyway, I am thinking that when I ran out of those pads I may order something more personalized with my logo and name. I was actually looking at VistaPrint, so that is an option .

[sharonspens]

A few years back, Staples offered some "gold" embossed (?) monogram note cards around the holidays. At first, the cost was about $12.00 for 20 cards, I think. After the holiday season was over they started discounting them to around $5.00 and finally down to a dollar. I picked up a couple of packages with my initials and have almost run out of them. They were definitely FP friendly.

 

In the end, all they had were note cards with "U", "X", "Z" & "Q". They were charging a $1.00. I ended up buying some of those. I use them by writing a word that including the initial - for example - eXtremely happy to meet you, "YOU" have been very nice to help me. People I have sent them to usually view them a being creative and all have remarked that they appreciated the handwritten note.

 

If I totally had my d"druthers" I too would go with the copperplate Crane's stationery and engraved business card. Maybe when I win the lottery!

I loved those Staples cards, too. My preference was for Crane's embossed cards, but the Staples ones worked very nicely.