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Letterhead Format
Sizes, margins and layout rules for a letterhead that looks right on screen, prints cleanly and leaves room for the letter.
Quick answer: use US Letter (8.5 × 11 in) in North America or A4 (210 × 297 mm) elsewhere. Keep the letterhead within the top 1–2 inches (25–50 mm), leave 1-inch (25 mm) side margins, and start the letter body at least 0.5 in (12 mm) below the letterhead.
Letterhead size
| Paper | Size | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| US Letter | 8.5 × 11 in (216 × 279 mm) | United States, Canada, Mexico, the Philippines and parts of Latin America |
| A4 | 210 × 297 mm (8.27 × 11.69 in) | Most of the rest of the world, including the UK, EU, Australia and India |
| US Legal | 8.5 × 14 in (216 × 356 mm) | Some legal documents in the US, rarely for letters |
If you correspond internationally, design for the size your recipients use, or check that your design survives on both sizes. A4 is slightly narrower and taller than Letter, so a design that just fits the width of Letter can be clipped on A4.
Margins and header height
- Side margins: 1 in (25 mm) is standard and matches Word and Google Docs defaults. Your letterhead and your letter text should line up on the same left edge.
- Header height: keep the letterhead within the top 1–2 in (25–50 mm). Taller headers push the letter down and make two-page letters more likely.
- Space below: leave at least 0.5 in (12 mm) between the bottom of the letterhead and the date line.
- Bottom margin: 1 in (25 mm), or more if you use a footer for contact details.
- Printer-safe zone: most home and office printers can't print within about 0.25 in (6 mm) of the edge. Edge-to-edge color bands ("full bleed") need professional printing on oversized paper that's trimmed down.
Where each element goes
There's no single correct layout, but these are the most common and readable arrangements:
| Layout | Name & logo | Contact details | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centered | Centered at top | Under the name, or centered in the footer | Law firms, accountants, formal and personal letters |
| Split header | Top left | Top right, stacked | Most businesses. Very easy to scan. |
| Logo left | Logo left, name beside it | A single line under a divider | Brands with a strong logo |
| Color band | Reversed out of a full-width band | Footer | Bold, modern brands (needs pro printing to the edge) |
| Sidebar | Top of a side column | Down the side column | Law firms listing attorneys, nonprofits listing board members |
| Footer band | Small, top left | Colored footer band | Keeping the top of the page clean |
See each of these layouts on the letterhead examples page.
Typography
- Name: 16–24 pt, the largest text on the page. Use your brand typeface.
- Contact details: 8–10 pt. They should be readable, not prominent.
- Letter body: 10–12 pt in a plain, readable font. Arial, Calibri, Georgia and Times New Roman are safe because they're installed almost everywhere.
- Two typefaces at most: one for the name, one for everything else. It's fine to use one family throughout.
Color
Use your brand color plus at most one accent. For professional printing, ask your printer for colors in CMYK or a Pantone (PMS) spot color. On-screen RGB colors, especially bright blues and greens, often print duller than expected. Make sure text has strong contrast: light gray contact details can disappear on a photocopy or scan.
Formatting the letter below the letterhead
The most common business letter format under a letterhead is block format: everything aligned to the left margin, with a blank line between paragraphs and no indents.
- Date
- Recipient's name, title, organization and address
- Subject or reference line (optional)
- Salutation, such as "Dear Ms. Patel:"
- Body paragraphs
- Closing, such as "Sincerely,"
- Three or four blank lines for a signature, then your typed name and title
- Enclosures or "cc:" lines (optional)
The sender's address is already in the letterhead, so don't repeat it above the date.
First page vs. continuation pages
Traditionally, only the first page of a letter uses the full letterhead. Pages two onward ("second sheets") are blank, or show just a small logo, the recipient's name, the date and a page number. Copy your existing header before enabling Different First Page in Word or Different first page in Google Docs. Put the full design in the separate first-page header, then clear or simplify the regular header on page two. See the Word tutorial for the full sequence.
File formats to keep
- .docx or .dotx (Word): for writing letters. Save as a Word Template (.dotx) so each new letter starts from a clean copy.
- Google Docs: open a .docx in Google Drive, then use File > Make a copy for each letter.
- PDF: for sending finished letters and for sending artwork to a print shop.
- SVG or high-resolution PNG logo: a blurry logo is the most common letterhead mistake. Use at least 300 dpi at the printed size.
Ready to build one? Follow how to make a letterhead or start from a free template.