A small piece that completes the set
A compliment slip travels with an invoice, a sample, a returned document or an order, carrying your brand and a short handwritten note. It is small, but it is often the most frequently used piece of stationery a business owns. It should match the letterhead and business card in colour, typography and stock, and it needs space to write on. If you are reprinting, send us a sample of your existing stationery so the new slips match what is already in circulation.
Standard compliment slips
A compliment slip is commonly a third of an A4 sheet, which fits a DL envelope alongside folded documents. Agree the size before artwork so it sits neatly with your letterheads and envelopes.
Layout for writing
Leave a clear area for the handwritten note and keep contact details and the logo to the top or bottom. A slip that is too busy to write on defeats its purpose.
Part of a stationery suite
Slips are usually printed alongside letterheads, business cards, envelopes and folders. Ordering them together helps keep colour and stock consistent across every item.
Paper & finishes
Compliment slips are usually printed on the same stock as the letterhead, often a quality uncoated or laid paper. Letterheads are typically 100gsm or 120gsm, and using the same paper for the slips keeps the suite consistent. An uncoated surface takes ink and pen well, which matters for a piece designed to be written on.
Foil or embossing on the logo can lift a compliment slip in the same way as a premium business card. FSC-certified paper is available and can carry the FSC logo.
Printing and cutting
Compliment slips need no binding: they are printed several to a sheet and guillotined to size in-house. Accurate trimming matters on a small piece, especially if the design has a border or a coloured edge.
If you want slips supplied bundled in set quantities to suit how they are used across your offices, tell us when ordering.
Litho or digital printing?
We print stationery with FOGRA-certified colour management, so colour stays consistent from one reprint to the next. For an exact Pantone brand colour, slips can be printed on our litho presses with spot inks.
Digital printing suits smaller quantities and slips that change by person, branch or department. For larger runs of the same design, litho is usually more economical. We will recommend a process for your quantity and specification.
Mailing & trade print
Compliment slips are often enclosed in outgoing mail. If you send sample packs, order fulfilment or direct mail through us, a slip can be included and enclosed on our Buhrs lines with the other components.
For agencies and resellers, compliment slips and full stationery suites are available as unbranded trade print under NDA.
Helpful guides
All guides
GSM Calculator: Paper Weight, Thickness and Feel
Enter a gsm to see how the paper feels, what a sheet weighs, its rough thickness and whether your pack stays a Letter.
Read the guidePaper Weight Guide: What GSM Means and Which to Choose
What GSM means, the right paper weight for each job, why weight and thickness differ, and how paper weight affects folding and postage.
Read the guideFrequently Asked Questions
Have a print specification in mind?
Tell us about the format, quantity, artwork and how you plan to use the finished piece, and we will come back with a recommendation and a clear quote.
- Print, data and mailing under one roof in Keighley
- ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001 and FSC certified
- Royal Mail Mailmark and PostAim (Ireland) mailings
- Family-owned and producing since 1980