A letterhead is the identifying information and design printed or placed at the top of a business or organization’s letter. It commonly includes a name, logo, address, and contact details, helping readers recognize who sent the document and how to respond.
What a Letterhead Includes
There is no single required layout for a letterhead. Its contents depend on who is sending the correspondence, what the document is for, and how much information recipients need. A straightforward business letterhead might show:
- The organization’s or individual sender’s name
- A logo or other identifying mark, if one is used
- A mailing address, email address, telephone number, or website
- Optional details such as a department name, tagline, or social media address
The letter itself usually begins below the letterhead. The date, recipient’s address, greeting, message, closing, and signature are parts of the letter, not necessarily the letterhead. Some organizations also place a small amount of information in a footer, such as a secondary address or registration detail, but that is a separate layout choice.
Why Letterheads Are Used
A letterhead identifies the sender and gives formal correspondence a consistent appearance. It can make it easier for a recipient to find contact information, distinguish an official letter from an informal note, and recognize communications from the same organization over time. It does not, by itself, prove that a letter is authentic or that its claims are accurate; a logo and polished design can be copied.
Letterheads are used for documents such as business correspondence, notices, proposals, and some internal communications. For example, a small repair shop might put its name, mailing address, phone number, and email at the top of a customer letter. A community group might use its name and general contact email without listing a private home address.
How Letterhead Works in Print and Digital Documents
Traditionally, an organization might have its identifying details preprinted on stationery. The writer then prints or writes the letter on that paper. In a digital document, the same design can be built into the page layout or inserted as a header, so it appears above the letter text when viewed or printed.
A digital letterhead may use text, a logo image, lines, or color accents. For reliable printing, the design should leave enough space for the letter body and avoid placing important details where a printer may crop them. A very large image can also make a document harder to read or unnecessarily increase its file size. Before sending or printing a document, check that the header appears correctly on every page and that the text remains legible in a plain or grayscale printout.
Choosing What to Put on a Letterhead
Include information that helps identify the sender or contact them, and leave out details that do not serve the document’s purpose. A useful check is whether a recipient can tell who sent the letter and find an appropriate way to reply. Consider these factors:
- Audience: A customer-facing letter may need a phone number or service address; internal correspondence may need a department name.
- Privacy: Use a public or business mailing address rather than disclosing a personal address unnecessarily.
- Readability: Keep type clear, contrast sufficient, and the design less prominent than the message.
- Consistency: Use the same sender name and contact details across related documents, and update old versions when details change.
- Purpose: Do not add claims, certifications, or official-looking marks that the sender is not entitled to use.
Letterhead is not the same thing as a full-page decorative background. A restrained top area generally leaves more room for the actual message and is easier to print and read.
Letterhead Template
Organization or sender name: ____________________
Logo or identifying mark: ____________________
Mailing address: ____________________
Phone: ____________________
Email or website: ____________________
Date: ____________________
Recipient name and address: ____________________
Subject, if needed: ____________________
Greeting: ____________________
Message: ____________________
Closing and sender name: ____________________
Sample (fictional): Cedar Lane Bicycle Repair | 18 Example Road, Northfield | 555-010-2040 | hello@example.invalid. This fictional header could sit above a dated letter to a customer; the recipient details and message would follow beneath it.
Letterhead, Letter, and Business Card: The Difference
A letterhead is the identifying heading or stationery design used on a letter. A letter is the complete written communication, including its message and other parts. A business card is a separate, compact item designed to share contact details; it is not a letterhead, even if both use the same logo and visual style.
Letterhead also differs from an email signature. An email signature appears at the end of an email and commonly gives the sender’s name and contact information. A letterhead appears at the top of a letter or document. An organization may coordinate the designs, but they serve different positions and purposes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a logo required on letterhead?
No. A sender’s name and relevant contact information can identify a letter without a logo. A logo is optional and should be used only when the sender has permission to use it.
Does the date belong in the letterhead?
Usually, the date appears below the letterhead as part of the letter’s layout. Templates can place it near the top, but it is not generally identifying information about the sender.
Can I create letterhead in a digital document?
Yes. You can arrange the sender’s details and any permitted logo in a page header or at the top of the document. Check the result on screen and in print so that nothing is clipped or difficult to read.
Is letterhead proof that a document is official?
No. Letterhead can help identify a claimed sender, but it can be imitated. If authenticity matters, confirm the document through a contact method you already trust rather than relying only on the details printed on the letter.
Should a personal letter use letterhead?
It can, but it does not have to. Letterhead is most useful when the sender wants a consistent identifying heading or needs to provide contact details; an ordinary personal letter can simply begin with the sender’s address or the date.