With the stationery market contracting 50% in five years, what’s the future for the humble letterhead?

Stationery was once the mainstay of the design industry. That well-crafted business card, compliment slip or letterhead seemed to represent the heart of any self-respecting corporate identity.

And it wasn’t that long ago that it would have been impossible to imagine that this could ever change. But a glance round the judging tables at any creative awards such as the Scottish Design Awards or the D&AD confirms that indeed it has.

The quality still might be there, but the quantity certainly is not. The emphasis has moved elsewhere, leaving the traditional letterhead almost a historic curiosity.