Speckled or lightly patterned papers are extremely popular, and
they do look good. They stand out in a sea of white- and cream-coloured
sheets and business cards. However, they are not designed to be
faxed. If you choose a really nice corporate paper for your communications
needs, make sure you have chosen a different paper that can be
used for circulating internal or informal information, and faxes.
Conveniently, many 'designer' papers also have a plain version
available.
Be sure to clearly differentiate between occasions calling for
the best look possible and those where a less formal presentation
is appropriate. You wouldn't circulate an important corporate
memo on 3-ring binder paper, nor would you put the memo about
cleaning the coffee pot on your $2 per sheet textured heavyweight
4-colour printed letterhead.
Most papers come in a variety of weights, so you can go with a
thinner paper for most correspondence, and use a thicker version
for the really important stuff, like contracts and proposals.
You must set down, in writing, exactly which paper will be used
when. Never assume that someone knows what to do when -- it just
doesn't happen.
Corporate
Identity Design 
