There is OM other item that will sometimes have to be included in the first list, while in others it will only appear in the secondary list. This is a short phrase descriptive of the business. Judging by general practice opinion seems pretty well divided, but some firms seem to hold an inflated idea of the knowledge possessed by the public of' their busines%, It must not be forgotten that new residents are continually coming into every town, and that every year a new generation arrives at maturity and achieves the power of spending bioney. For tbat reason, if for no other, it is usually desirable to include a description of the firm. This need only be quite a small phrase, and the shorter and sharper it is the better, provided always that it gives an adequate description of the clas''s of business undertaken. Such phrases as "Tailor and Outfitter," "Fancy Drapers and Milliners," "Specialists in Alen's Clothing," ".Dyers and Cleaners," are actual examples of short headings ; while somewhat longer ones are "The Noted House for Cocoa, Coffee, and Chocolate," "The West End IIouse in the City," " The Famous Shop in Bayswater, devoted to, Leadless Glaze China," " Manufacturers of Bedding, Bedsteads, Upholstery, and Bedroom Furniture " These all convey some idea • of the class of business undertaken, and help the note-heading hi its own way to do a little " general publicity " advertising for the firm.
The secondary list will be devoted almost entirely to items having this object, and in many cases the most important of all will be an illustration. The next will often be the question of making the address explanatory. For instance, " 2, Ludgate Hill " does not convey as much to the ordinary public unconversant with the numbering of' the street as that phrase accompanied by the lescription " Opposite St. Paul's " ; " 25, High Street," if High Street happens to be a long thoroughfare, is not as easy to find as if the description "Next to the Town Hall " is added. The inclusion of a description is a matter to be decided according to the size of the town, the length of the street, and the importance and size of the premises ; but it is most iniportant to make sure, even with the largest business, that the address is not stated too vaguely. One must never forget that customers are under no obligation to call, and they are likely to remember this if for any reason the address is made difficult to locate.
The next point to be considered is the desirability of including a few words to indicate the ch‘ss of goods supplied by the house. These may consist of a list of a few lines. For example, a draper may wish to include the words : Millinery, Furs, Gloves, Underclothing, Blouses, Laces, etc.
Messrs. Austin Reed, Ltd., the well-known London Hosiers, have: two panels, one at each side of their heading : Shirts . . . . Sole Makers of Hosiery . . . Summit Shirts and Collars Collars, . . .
. . .
Neck Wear . . " A.R." Coats . . " Ambassador" Clothing . . . Coloured Shirts .
Leather Goods, and and Hats for Men . . "Gerrard " Hats .
Yet another item in the secondary list will be the question of including any appointments or awards that may have been presented to the firm, and the trade-marks of any special goods for which the firm holds ageheies.' This must be left entirely to individual discretion, as it depends upon the exact importance of each individual case.
,We now come to the questiun of the inclusion of illustrations, such as representatioq of the business premises, or an illustration referring to some article sold. Messrs. Treloar & Sons Ltd., for instance, whose note-heading has already been referred to, inclt;de an iinpressionist sketch showing a lady and gentleman looking at a rug in their warerooms. Messrs. Boulton & Paul of Norwich use a hand-drawn note-heading containing a representation of the goods they supply ; and Messrs. Selfridge & Co., for their Tailoring Department, use a special note-heading containing a well-executed fa,shion drawing of a man. On their general note-heading, hower7er, they include an illustration of their premises, and this is an undoubted advantage in helping the customers to find their premises. For all premises must be easier to re cognise if the would-be customer already knows their appearance. Where it is possible to include such a picture without overcrowding the heading, it would seem advisable to do so, but only if the premises are sufficiently imposing to look well in what must necessarily be a small illustration. The note-heading of Messrs. Heal & Son, the furniture manufacturers, is a good example of the use of a trade-mark ; but this is an exceptional case, as the trade-niark in their instance—a " four poster " bedstead—gives such a good idea of the:class of trade catered for. At the same time this note-heading is not a very wise example to follow with the limited facilities that often attend business men in the provinces. Note-heading lettered by hand is apt at times to be lettered in such a way as to be hard to read, and it is much wiser as a general rule to stick to the simple artistic types that most printers can supply.
This leads us to the question of the actual designing of the heading, and in considering this the first point to remember is that simplicity is the best quality that any note-heading can possess. Nothing can look so dignified or in such good taste. Of course simplicity is comparatively easy to attain when only a few words are necessary, and becomes correspondingly difficult as the necessary items grow in number. When a large number of items have to be included it is often wise to run a thin line all round the heading, unless of course it is possible to get the heading specially drawn by a competent commercial artist who really understands his business. The work of the bad artist must be avoided at any cost. It ought to be quite possible to get a note-heading designed by a good artist for about a couple of guineas. After all, if many letters are to be sent out such an expenditure does not amount to a very serious item.