By Dan Antonelli
Posted on Saturday, August 16th, 2025
One of the challenges inherent to the sign business is that the products you produce last a very long time. So while your client was probably very happy with your services, they might not need you again for a long time.
If you design and install truck lettering for them, those graphics may last over five years. But by using your design expertise in new ways, you can sell them on other deliverables they might also need, with a much shorter shelf life. Stationery design and printing is one of those ancillary services you can easily add to your sign business.
Many sign designers are already engaged in marketing their clients’ businesses. They start with the logo design, then go on to integrate that new logo for their signage. Now that they have the logo, stationery is another part of their clients’ marketing mix that they can easily add to help generate more income.
Wraps and stationery
For nearly every client we design a logo for, we also design their truck wrap and then their stationery. We charge separate fees for each of those items. About 90% of our clients also have us print all their stationery, as well. This helps provide a steady source of residual income from these same clients when they reorder these items.
We like to carry design elements from the truck wrap design and integrate it into the stationery elements. This helps tie it all together to create a cohesive identity. This way if their prospects and customers see the truck and then a business card, the brand messaging is consistent.
The process
Once the logo design is complete, we budget approximately three hours of design time to lay out letterheads, envelopes and business cards, using Adobe Illustrator. We use several sources for the printing, depending on the particular job. There are many online sources available that can provide templates for you to use to help set up your files.
We also provide all the source files to our clients for their use as well, should they ever decide to go elsewhere. From our perspective, if you pay for the design, you own the files used to build it. If they need reorders or new cards, we charge a nominal fee to set them again.
We usually use full bleeds on all elements, including the envelopes. I think it makes the stationery more unique, and it stands out since most stationery designs don’t bleed. It’s another graphic tool we use to help give our clients the edge in the marketplace.
It helps to have samples of stationery sets to present to potential clients. Not only does it help them see the value of stationery, but how their logo can be integrated into all their marketing materials—and why it’s very important for them to invest in their brand.
Reviewing the samples with them also helps identify some styles and layouts they find appealing. This makes the sales and design process go smoother. That makes for better, faster outcomes and satisfied clients.
This appeared in the July/August 2014 issue of SignCraft.
Dan Antonelli owns KickCharge Creative (formerly Graphic D-Signs, Inc.) in Washington, New Jersey. His latest book, Building a Big Small Business Brand, joins his Logo Design for Small Business I and II. He can be reached at dan@kickcharge. com. Dan also offers consulting and business coaching services to sign companies. For more information, visit danantonelli.com. On Instagram: @danantonelli_kickcharge.
