Yale maintains a universal standard for the design of letterhead, envelopes, and business cards in support of its institutional identity; this standard may not be superseded by the visual identities of individual schools, departments, or organizations. To ensure consistency of output, these materials are exclusively designed and printed by Yale Printing & Publishing Services (YPPS) under the oversight of the Office of the University Printer. All orders should be placed through the YPPS Online Store.
Print stationery
Official Yale letterhead is printed on high-quality, 100% post-consumer recycled paper watermarked with the Yale logo. Second sheets, envelopes, business cards, notepads, and other related materials are available in matching—but non-watermarked—stock. Blank sheets of watermarked Yale stock are not available for purchase.
2026 change to letterhead stock
As of 2026, suppliers have discontinued the stock previously used for letterhead, and a replacement has been selected by the Office of the University Printer. To maintain consistency in appearance, units are asked not to mix old and new stationery components (e.g., new letterhead with old envelopes). The new paper is whiter than the previous stock, which had a more cream-colored appearance.
Units may continue using their existing stationery until one of the following components is depleted: letterhead, envelopes, or second sheets. At that juncture, units must switch to the new stock so that all components match. Please shred and recycle remaining components; if substantial quantities remain, units may contact YPPS for guidance.
Please note: due to a supply chain issue, initial orders of new stock may not include the Yale watermark.
Digital stationery
Digital stationery, formatted by YPPS in Microsoft Word, corresponds to the typography and layout of print letterhead. Digital stationery is intended for electronic communication only; all print communication requires official printed Yale letterhead.
Stationery design
The following guidelines apply to both print and digital letterhead as well as to business cards.
The Yale stationery system combines a unit’s wordmark and a single column of contact information set in a format approved by Campus Mail and the US Postal Service. Additional lists of names (e.g., board members or advisers) may appear on stationery. A brief slogan, service line, or description of a collaborative venture may also be used on letterhead when set according to the template. Only one instance of the Yale logo or a Yale wordmark may appear on a letterhead or business card; additional logos may not be included.
Use of the Yale typeface is encouraged for all correspondence on Yale letterhead.
Examples of letterhead
Template for schools, departments, and organizations
Template for schools, departments, and organizations that report directly to the president through the Yale Cabinet (“small-cap entities”)
Standard template for Yale departments, programs, offices, and organizations
The standard template for Yale departments, programs, offices, and organizations reflects the reporting relationship to a “small-cap” organization
Alternative Template
Alternative template for departments, programs, or offices whose dean or director determines that a subentity is appropriately a “stand-alone” organization for the purposes of stationery. This example also shows how a line of explanation may be placed at the bottom of the page to describe the services of an organization or explain, for example, a joint venture or a program that has multiple departmental affiliations. This explanatory line or two of type may be used in conjunction with any of the stationery templates.
Business cards
Yale Printing & Publishing Services is solely authorized to typeset and print official Yale stationery. Business card templates may be viewed on the YPPS business card online-ordering page.