Letterheady
–adjective
1. overcome by a strong emotion due to a letterhead design.

Before social media banners, profile pictures, and email signatures, the letterhead was how you announced yourself. It was a statement of identity, the first impression on a page, the visual handshake before the words even began. A good letterhead told you everything—who the sender was, what they stood for, how seriously they took themselves. Some were grand, intricate, begging to be admired. Others were stark, modern, built for business. A good number were just awful. But all of them mattered. Now, in a world of instant messaging and fleeting digital footprints, letterheads remain a relic of permanence, a small but mighty reminder that design has always been part of the message.

For decades, I’ve been obsessed with letters and their ability to connect us across time and space. In 2009 that obsession led to Letters of Note, a celebration of remarkable letters from history which has since become a series of books. It also inspired Letters Live, where some of those letters are brought to life on stage by extraordinary performers. Both projects are still alive and kicking.

Letterheady is the quieter sibling of the family, born in 2009 and then neglected a few years into its life due to my having just two hands. This is its rebirth. In short, Letterheady is a celebration not of a letter’s message, but of the design that frames it—the artistry, branding, and personality embedded in the paper itself.

Some of these letterheads I own. Others I’ve found online or have been sent by fellow stationerds1. Many once carried letters, in which cases I’ve digitally erased the text, leaving only the underlying design. In some instances, I’ve had no option but to digitally extract the letterhead and place it onto a blank sheet, ensuring its position remains faithful to the original.

You can follow this project either by visiting the website every now and then, like in the good old days, or by signing up and allowing me to send the letterheads to your inbox—what we now call a newsletter. The choice is yours.

Suggestions are welcome: shaun@letterheady.com