Is letter writing a lost art? In these days of point and click communications, the idea of personalized stationery may seem a bit outdated, a throwback to a more elegant age when visitors left engraved calling cards and even luncheon invitations were sent on monogrammed, embossed paper. Today, even resumes and event invitations are exchanged electronically, so what place could personalized stationery have in our world?

The answer might surprise you, though it should not come as any surprise. It was only a few decades ago that Emily Post was warning people that a telephone call did not replace the need for a formal thank you note, nor did it carry the same personal touch that makes it a treasured tradition. Today, Miss Manners says the same thing about emailed thank you notes, and all over the country, relationship coaches and personnel recruiters say the same thing – nothing makes an impression quite as well as a hand-written letter on personalized stationery.

So when is personalized stationery appropriate? It all depends on precisely what you define as personalized stationery. It can be anything from casual memo pads printed with your name and a whimsical message to formal stationery engraved or printed with your name, address and title. You can often order personalized stationery in lots as small as 100 sheets. When would you use personalized stationery? Here are just a few of the times when a hand-written note on personalized stationery is a welcome gesture that makes an excellent impression:

Write cover letters for your resumes on personalized stationery.

A cover letter typed on personalized stationery should accompany any resumes that you send out when you're job hunting. Quality stationery printed with your full name and contact details presents you as a true professional when you are job hunting. Follow up after interviews with a hand-written thank you note on less formal personalized stationery to cement the impression. Nearly every human resources professional will agree that a personal hand-written thank you note is the very best way to make yourself stand out in the minds of hiring managers.

Encourage letter writing in a child by giving them personalized stationery as a gift.

Tuck a box of personalized stationery into your children's luggage when you send them off to camp for the summer. It will encourage them to write to you while they're gone and start a lifelong habit of personal communication.

Keep personalized thank you notes on hand for all gift-giving occasions.

Personalized thank you notes are another great way to encourage good habits in your children. Stock up on a couple of boxes of thank you notes personalized with their names at birthday and Christmas time to make it easier for them to sit down after the fact. Saying thank you with a personalized thank you note is easy, and your children will learn quickly just how much it is appreciated.

Casual personalized stationery can make your notes stand out.

Personalized stationery does not have to be formal to make an impression. Memo pads personalized with your name and something as simple as "From the desk of…" makes your notes stand out. They are great for tucking into books or slipping into reports for your boss to mark passages. Your notes will be more memorable and stand out from all the rest of the jotted notes on the desk.

Keep personalized stationery on hand to send personal notes for special occasions.

Email is so impersonal. People remember and save handwritten notes that they receive for birthdays, the birth of a child or any other occasion. In fact, there's no need to wait for a special occasion to send a handwritten note to a friend. It takes so little time to jot a quick note, drop it into an envelope and mail it - but the effect is enormous.

Send condolences on elegant, personalized stationery.

Condolence cards may be more common, but a hand-written note on elegant, polished stationery makes a very personal statement. It says that you cared enough to use your own words to express your sentiments and convey them in an understated, elegant way that does not detract from the meaning. Simple, smooth cards with a single color border are an excellent option for more formal communications like condolences.

Just for teachers! Send notes home to parents on personalized stationery.

Teachers certainly have plenty of reasons to send notes home. Why not reserve a special style of personalized stationery just for those 'Johnny did something awesome today!' notes? Kids and parents both will look forward to them.

Announce a new address with personalized "We moved!" stationery.

A short note jotted on stationery personalized with your new address is a great way to keep your friends and acquaintances up to date on your new location. Just order it a few weeks before moving day so you can send out notes to everyone once you're settled in.