How to Make a Letterhead in Word

Want a head start? Download a free Word template or use the maker to include your own logo before downloading. The Word version uses a simplified header that you can edit.

1. Set your paper and margins

Create a blank document in desktop Word. Choose Layout › Size and select Letter or A4 to match your paper. Start with 1-inch left and right margins. Leave enough top margin for the complete header plus some breathing room before the letter. A tall logo may need a larger top margin.

2. Open the header

Double-click the top margin, or use Insert › Header › Edit Header. Put the letterhead here so it stays separate from the message. By default, the same header repeats on each page.

3. Add a logo and align your details

With the cursor in the header, choose Insert › Pictures and select a PNG or JPG. Keep the picture in line with text for predictable positioning. Resize from a corner; around 0.5–0.75 inch high is a useful starting point.

For a logo on the left and details on the right, use a table inside the header. It keeps both sides aligned however long your address is, which repeated spaces and tabs can't do.

1. With the cursor in the header, choose Insert › Table and drag to select one row and two columns.
2. Put the logo and business name in the left cell. Put the address, phone, email and website in the right cell, one per line.
3. Select the right cell and choose Home › Align Right.
4. Select the whole table, open the Table Design tab, choose Borders › No Border. Turn on View Gridlines in the same menu if you want to see the cells while editing; gridlines don't print.

Use roughly 16–24 pt for the name and 9–11 pt for contact details. Print one test page to judge readability rather than relying only on the zoomed preview.

4. Choose a layout for your logo

The split layout above is the most versatile, but two others are just as easy in Word:

Modern Business LetterheadProfessional Law Firm LetterheadReal Estate Letterhead

• Split header (like the modern business example): the two-column table described above.
• Centered (like the professional law firm example): put the logo on its own line, the name below it, and center every paragraph with Home › Center. No table needed.
• Logo left (like the real estate example): use the same table, with the logo alone in a narrow left cell and the name and tagline in the right cell, aligned left. Put the contact details on one line in the footer or under a divider.

5. Set your brand colors and fonts

Select the name and choose Home › Font Color › More Colors. On the Custom tab, newer versions of Word accept a hex code such as #1F3A5F; otherwise enter the RGB values from your brand guide. Use the same color for the divider so the header looks like one design.

Pick fonts that every computer opening the file will have, such as Georgia for a traditional look or Arial for a modern one. Our guide to the best fonts for letterhead lists safe choices and sizes.

6. Add a divider and footer

Place the cursor in the last paragraph of the header and choose a bottom paragraph border from Home › Borders. Use your brand color for a thin divider. If the contact details crowd the header, move them to the footer by double-clicking the bottom margin.

7. Check the letter area and second page

Close the header and type a sample letter. Add a second page with Insert › Page Break. Make sure the first line of body text clears the header and that the footer does not overlap the message.

To repeat the same letterhead on every page

Leave Different First Page off. The default header repeats automatically.

To show the full letterhead only on page one

1. Copy the current header content before changing the setting.
2. Enable Different First Page. Word creates a separate first-page header, which can initially appear blank.
3. Paste your letterhead into the area labeled First Page Header.
4. Go to page two and remove the full letterhead from the regular header, or replace it with a smaller name or logo.
5. Repeat the process for the footer if it should also differ, then inspect both pages again.

Microsoft explains the separate first-page setting in its guide to changing a header on a single page. Turning the setting on alone does not move the existing letterhead into the first-page header.

8. Save a reusable Word template

Delete the sample message and save a master copy. In desktop Word, choose File › Save As and select Word Template (.dotx). Create new documents from that template so the master stays intact. If your edition does not offer template creation, duplicate the master .docx before writing each letter.

Or start from a finished design

Every design in our collection has a free Word download with a simplified header already built. Replace the sample name and details, add your logo with Insert › Pictures (or use the table method above for a two-column layout) and save it as your template.

Common problems

• The first-page logo disappeared: inspect Different First Page and paste the logo into the first-page header.
• Text overlaps the header: increase the page’s top margin; changing only “Header from Top” moves the header without reserving enough body space.
• The logo moves: keep it in line with text inside a borderless table.
• The printed color band has a white edge: most home printers cannot print full bleed. Keep an inset border or use a print shop.

For another editor, see Google Docs letterhead templates. For output, read the printing guide.