A Letter of Recommendation (LOR) serves as a formal endorsement of a candidate, and its visual presentation significantly impacts its reception. Formatting choices communicate professionalism and attention to detail that reviewers notice immediately. An easily readable document reflects positively on the recommender and ensures the recipient can absorb the content without visual distraction. The physical form of the letter must mirror the seriousness of the content.
Choosing the Right Font: The Professional Standard
Selecting a typeface for a formal document like a Letter of Recommendation requires choosing one that is widely accepted in business and academic settings. Traditional serif fonts, such as Times New Roman or Georgia, are common choices because the small strokes at the end of the letters help guide the eye across the page, which is beneficial for longer blocks of text. Times New Roman has long been the default for many official documents, lending it a strong sense of tradition and formality.
Alternatively, sans-serif fonts offer a cleaner, more contemporary appearance while maintaining high legibility, especially when read on a screen. Fonts like Arial and Calibri are popular selections in professional communication due to their clean lines and standard appearance across different operating systems. Calibri has become a modern standard, often replacing Times New Roman in digital documents. Select a font that is universally available to prevent display issues when the letter is opened on different devices.
Consistency throughout the letter is just as important as the initial font selection. The same typeface should be used for the entire body of the letter, the heading, and the signature block. Switching between different fonts can make the document appear disorganized and detract from the intended message of support.
Optimizing Readability: Font Size and Spacing
Beyond the style of the typeface, the size and spacing of the text directly influence readability. A font size of 12-point is generally the standard for professional business letters, offering a comfortable reading experience for the recipient. For academic letters that may contain more dense content or need to adhere to a strict one-page limit, a 10-point size may be used, though 12-point remains preferable when space allows.
Line spacing should maintain a single-spaced format, which is the convention for nearly all formal letters. This tight spacing helps keep the document concise and focused, fitting more information onto the page without sacrificing legibility. Paragraph spacing is also important; a small amount of extra space, typically 6-10 points, should be added after each paragraph to clearly delineate sections.
Ensuring Professional Presentation: Key Formatting Rules
The overall structure of the Letter of Recommendation must adhere to standard business formatting. Margins should be set to the standard one-inch on all four sides, providing ample white space to frame the text and prevent crowding. This standard margin setting is universally recognized in professional document presentation, ensuring the letter feels balanced and easy to handle physically or digitally.
The text itself should be consistently left-justified, meaning the left edge of the text is aligned while the right edge remains uneven. Full justification, where both edges are aligned, can introduce awkward, uneven spacing between words, making the text harder to read quickly. If the recommender is writing on behalf of an institution, the letter should be printed on formal letterhead that includes the organization’s name, logo, and contact information.
There is a strong preference for the LOR to be contained to a single page, demonstrating conciseness and respect for the reader’s time. A second page is acceptable only when the content is highly detailed and genuinely warrants the extra space. The writer should always aim for brevity. The page should also include a professional header, such as the date and the recipient’s information, before the salutation.
Fonts and Styles to Avoid
Certain typefaces and stylistic choices can significantly undermine the professional tone of a Letter of Recommendation. Novelty, decorative, or script fonts, such as Comic Sans or Papyrus, should be strictly avoided as they are inappropriate for formal communication. Similarly, overly stylized fonts or those that are excessively narrow, like Courier, look outdated or unprofessional in a modern context.
The use of stylistic emphasis should also be minimal and highly controlled. Excessive bolding, underlining, or italics can make the letter appear cluttered and distract from the main points. These tools should only be used sparingly to draw attention to a single, powerful word or phrase, not for entire sentences or paragraphs.