Stationery Policy

For interpretation of this policy, please contact the responsible department: Office of Strategic Communication , 909/537-5007

Stationery Policy

California State University, San Bernardino stationery (letterhead, envelopes and business cards) is typically printed with state funds and shall only be used for official university business. Cal State San Bernardino stationery is not for personal, non-CSUSB-business-related use.

The official university stationery has been carefully designed and proportioned. The typeface, size and formatting have been standardized for consistency and are designed to accommodate most needs. 

No graphic images or logos other than the university logo should be displayed on the stationery. Under no circumstances should the university logo or any of its parts be incorporated into the symbol of an affiliated organization (please see the university’s official visual identity guidelines for more information).

Official Cal State San Bernardino letterhead, envelopes and business cards (or materials that resemble official stationery) must be printed by the university’s Printing Services Department and should not be printed by an outside vendor unless approved by the Office of Strategic Communication and only under special circumstances.

Under no circumstances shall anyone create their own university stationery. Logos that have been copied from electronic files and then inserted tend to have some distortion. Colors are often misprinted, producing a variation of colors, depending on printer equipment. The result is a product that misrepresents the university brand.

Printing orders for university stationery should be coordinated through the Printing Services Department to allow sufficient time for typesetting, proofing, rand printing. Orders can be placed through the CSUSB Printing Services Department 

Letterhead

The university letterhead is designed to be flexible, allowing campus units to list information that is unique to them. However, while allowing for flexibility, there are requirements for use of Cal State San Bernardino letterhead.

• Only use officially printed letterhead and do not create letterhead from personal or departmental printers.
• Do not use copied letterhead for official correspondence
• Only administrative offices, academic departments and established centers and institutes that have been approved through appropriate administrative channels can use official university letterhead.
• Names of individuals may not be included in the text of official letterhead printed, except when the university seal is used for stationery by the Office of the President. However, the names of individual faculty and administrative officials, and, as appropriate, position title, office telephone number, fax number and other e-mail address information may be printed on informal note stationery.
• Student organizations wishing to use the university letterhead must request and receive written permission from the Office of Strategic Communication.
• Units who qualify for sub-identity identity logos (see the University's official visual identity guidelines) can choose to have sub-identity stationery, which must be approved by the Office of Strategic Communication.

Envelopes

Logo and information on envelopes are standardized for the university and maintained by the Printing Services Department.

• Room numbers and individual names may not be printed on university envelopes.
• Please follow the policies outlined under the general stationery heading.

For more information about envelopes and mailing requirements, please see the university’s official visual identity guidelines.

Business Cards

University business cards may be provided to employees who are determined by administrative or academic units to need them in the execution of their official duties. CSUSB business cards are designed to accommodate information such as name, title, multiple phone numbers, website and e-mail address. The typeface, size and formatting has been standardized for consistency and designed to accommodate the needs of the entire University. Individual changes to the formatting are not allowed. It is important to remember that business cards are intended to provide basic contact information and are not designed to accommodate an overabundance of titles, credentials and other information. Titles in questions will be verified.

• Official university business cards are meant to serve as identification for business purposes and should contain basic CSUSB contact information.
• Official business cards are reserved for Cal State San Bernardino current faculty, staff and administrators, as well as those with official emeritus positions.
• Official business cards should not be issued to or used by students, student assistants, interns, alumni or retirees who no longer work for the university. An alternate student contact card has been established for groups of students attending conferences. Orders should be placed by an administrative office on student's behalf.
• Alternate business cards containing the Cal State San Bernardino name and/or logo are strictly prohibited. Only official university business cards are allowed.
• The back of business cards may utilize a pre-approved template on file with the Printing Services Department. Typical back of business card content includes university branding, official social media handles, foreign language translations, campus emergency numbers, and appointment reminders.
• Brailing is available upon request; however, it must be requested when the order is placed and not after the cards have been printed.
• Verified university social media handles may be used on the back of business cards. Faculty, who use personal social media in a professional matter related to their area of focus, may use personal social media handles. Staff and administrators should use verified CSUSB handles
• Cards may not include home phone numbers or personal e-mail addresses. They may not include room numbers
• For space purposes, the number of degrees or certifications after a person’s name must fit on the same line as the name. A limit of no more than three degrees or certification designations is recommended.
• Titles are limited to two lines, even in instances where a person carries multiple titles. It is strongly recommended that titles be limited to a single line.

For more details on standards and template details of CSUSB business cards, please see the University's visual identity manual maintained by the Office of Strategic Communication.

Please order all Cal State San Bernardino letterhead, envelopes and business cards through the CSUSB Printing Services Department 

Electronic Letterhead - For Electronic Purposes Only - Not for Print

Electronic letterhead design has been established for the convenience of attaching to e-mail or posting online. The electronic letterhead is provided by Printing Services in a Microsoft Word file with the same customized information as the official printed letterhead for individual departments.

It is highly recommended that electronic letterhead files be converted to secure/locked .pdf files to ensure the legitimacy of the letter prior to attaching to e-mail or posting online.

Electronic letterhead can be ordered through the CSUSB Printing Services Department for a minimal one-time charge assessed to setup the file. All electronic letterhead must be generated through the Printing Services Department to ensure consistency in formatting. Please do not attempt to create your own version of electronic stationery or scan your official printed letterhead.

Order customized electronic letterhead files directly through the CSUSB Printing Services Department. Generic letterhead, with only the main campus information, is available online from the Office of Strategic Communication. 

Electronic Letterhead Usage Policy

For the campus to maintain a unified visual identity, this electronic letterhead has been designed to complement the printed letterhead and is intended strictly for use as an electronic communication tool only, and not for use as a printable format.

DO NOT PRINT electronic letterhead on desktop printers, laser printers or campus copiers. Only official campus letterhead should be used for hard-copy applications.

For hard-copy applications, please order official printed stationery from the CSUSB Printing Services Department. Official printed stationery is printed with very specific color specifications that match the exact standards necessary to properly print on finely textured paper, which is 30 percent post-consumer recycled. Anything printed from desktop devices or from outside vendors will not match the official printed stationery and will deviate from the unified visual identity of the campus.

Generic Letterhead in MS Word - Black and White - Acceptable for Internal Print Use

Cal State San Bernardino units should use the full-color official printed stationery whenever possible. However, for budgetary reasons, a black and white generic letterhead has been created. It is acceptable to print this version on personal and departmental printers.

The generic letterhead is provided in a Microsoft Word file with only the main campus information and no customized individual department information. It is provided in black and white to minimize inconsistency in color from one printer to the next.

This version of the stationery was specifically developed to allow the campus to communicate internally and save money on printing costs during the current budgetary situation. This allows departments to print on unofficial stationery paper, reducing the cost of letterhead for internal audiences.

The black and white generic letterhead is not intended for communication with potential and current CSUSB students and other external audiences. When communicating with external audiences (including students), the official printed letterhead should be used. There should be as little variation as possible to the look of printed communications so that students feel CSUSB is one unified place.

If a department finds a need for customized black and white electronic stationery, contact the CSUSB Printing Services Department for consideration.

Electronic letterhead files should be converted to secure/locked .pdf files to ensure the legitimacy of the letter prior to attaching to e-mail or posting online.

Download the generic letterhead from the CSUSB Printing Services Department