What Kind of Paper Should I Use? This is actually a three-part question, as you need to choose the material from which the paper is made, the color and the types of stationery.
Paper Material Paper is made from either cotton or wood. The first true papers were made from cotton almost 2,000 years ago. Wood-pulp papers came into being in the 1800s during the Industrial Revolution. They supplanted cotton-fiber papers for many uses because of their lower cost and the seemingly endless supply of trees.
Paper Color Stationery comes in many different colors. Ecru (also known as buff, cream, ivory or eggshell) and white are the most popular, but grey, blue, pink, yellow and other colors are also available.
Type of Stationery You can order several different types of stationery. The two most basic are one for writing notes and one for writing long letters. While these two items are essential, you may wish to add variations of these two as you build your stationery wardrobe.
Engraving Engraving is one of the oldest and most beautiful processes for reproducing images on paper. The appeal of engraving lies in the exquisite detail created by its three-dimensional impression. Engraving is produced when the copy is etched in reverse into a copper plate. Ink is deposited in the resulting cavity. The engraving press then forces the paper into the cavity, creating a raised impression. The paper is literally raised, with the ink adhering to the raised surface. The fact that the paper is raised is what distinguishes engraving from thermography and flat-printing.
Blind Embossing Blind embossing is the same process as engraving minus the ink. The image is simply the raised paper. You might recognize blind embossing as the raised address on the flap of a wedding envelope.
Flat Printing
Flat printing, as its name implies, is simply ink applied to a flat surface with no raise. Back to top
SOCIAL STATIONERY WARDROBE ELEMENTS
Half Sheets Half sheets are single sheets of stationery that fold in half to fit their envelopes. They may be embellished with your monogram, name, address, or name and address. Write only on the front of a half sheet, never the back. If you need additional space, use blank second sheets.
Monarch Sheets Monarch sheets are used for longer personal letters and for personal business letters. They measure 7 1/4 x 10 1/2 inches and fold into thirds to fit their envelopes. A name, address or name and address appear at the top of the sheet. Write only on the front of the sheet, never the back. If you need additional space, use blank second sheets.
House Stationery House stationery may be properly used by any resident of your house or by any guest staying at your house. Many people keep house stationery at their country and beach homes so that stationery is always available for their guests and for themselves. Only the name of your house or your address appears on the stationery.