A professional letterhead does more than carry your contact details; it is a piece of your brand’s identity. For any corporation, small business, or individual, a well-executed letterhead conveys credibility and reinforces a professional image. Its consistent use across all documents helps build trust with clients and partners, ensuring every piece of communication is instantly recognizable.
Essential Information for Your Letterhead
Your Name or Company Name
The most prominent element on your letterhead should be your company name or your personal name. This immediately identifies the sender to the recipient. Placing it clearly at the top of the page establishes a strong sense of brand from the first glance.
Logo
Your logo is the visual shorthand for your brand. It should be high-quality and placed prominently, often at the top-left or top-center of the page. A well-designed logo helps to quickly build brand recognition and adds a layer of professionalism that text alone cannot achieve.
Physical Address
Including a full physical address lends a sense of legitimacy and permanence to your business. In some regions, there are legal requirements to include a registered office address on official company documents.
Phone Number(s)
You should include a primary business phone number that is actively monitored. If different departments have separate lines, consider using a general number to keep the design clean and direct inquiries appropriately.
Email Address
An email address is an element in modern business communication. It offers a direct and widely used method for recipients to respond. Using a generic company email address, such as “info@company.com,” can ensure the letterhead remains relevant even if personnel change.
Website and/or Social Media Handles
Directing recipients to your online presence guides traffic to your digital hub where clients can learn more about your products or services. Including professional social media handles can also be appropriate, depending on your industry and how you engage with your audience.
Key Design Principles
A successful letterhead design is not just about the information it contains, but how that information is presented. Visual hierarchy is a guiding principle; it involves arranging elements to show their order of importance. The company name and logo should be the most dominant features, and less information, like contact details, can be smaller and placed in a less prominent position, such as the footer.
The use of white space is important in achieving a professional look. A cluttered design can appear unprofessional and make the information difficult to read. Ample white space around your logo and text blocks creates a clean, organized, and sophisticated appearance that enhances readability.
Font selection is important in conveying your brand’s personality and ensuring legibility. Serif fonts, like Times New Roman, often suggest a traditional and established feel, while sans-serif fonts, such as Arial or Helvetica, can project a more modern and clean image. It is best to limit the number of fonts to two—one for the company name and another for contact information—to maintain a cohesive and uncluttered look.
Color should be used thoughtfully and align with your established brand palette. A limited color scheme, often one or two accent colors, is generally more effective than using many colors, which can be distracting. The colors should provide enough contrast between the text and the background to ensure everything is easily readable.
Methods for Creating a Letterhead
For those who need a straightforward and accessible solution, word processing and online design tools are an excellent starting point. Platforms like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Canva offer a range of pre-designed templates that can be easily customized. These tools are often free or low-cost, making them ideal for those needing a simple letterhead without a significant investment.
Individuals seeking complete creative control and a highly polished, custom design may opt for professional design software. Programs such as Adobe Illustrator and InDesign are the industry standard for graphic design. These tools provide advanced features for manipulating text, graphics, and layout, allowing for a unique result that matches a brand’s specific aesthetic.
Hiring a professional graphic designer is another viable option, particularly for businesses that want a unique and expertly crafted letterhead without undertaking the design work themselves. A designer brings expertise in branding, typography, and layout to the project. This path ensures a high-quality, distinctive design that aligns with your company’s professional image.
Printing and Digital Use
Once your letterhead design is complete, prepare it for both physical and digital use. For printed copies, the quality of the paper makes a significant impact. Paper weight affects the feel of the letterhead; a heavier stock like 120gsm (80 lb.) feels more substantial and professional than standard office paper. You can choose to print them on a standard office printer or use a professional printing service for a more polished finish.
Having a digital version of your letterhead is just as important as a printed one. You can save your design as a template in your word processing program, such as a .dotx file in Microsoft Word or a custom template in Google Docs. This allows you to easily apply your branding to digital documents like invoices, memos, and emails, ensuring brand consistency. Saving the file as a PDF is also a common practice for sharing electronically.