A Guide to Business Letterhead Formatting

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In this day and age, perhaps you believe that few businesses communicate by letter anymore. Why even bother to create a letterhead? Companies use letterhead for several marketing needs, including the cover letters of proposals or presentations, communication with prospective employees, and even communication with banks or federal agencies.

Now, as much as ever, a well-designed letterhead can present your brand, create a professional first impression, and provide a sense of credibility.

Why Is the Format Important?

The letterhead concept is to provide your logo and contact information in a way in which it is easily recognizable and easy for the reader to find, should he or she have a reason to contact you. Because of this, the company name and contact information must be kept clean, simple, and easy to find in a hurry. Beyond making your contact information prominent and easy to find, your letterhead also provides an important first impression of your company's commitment to quality and professionalism.

Part of keeping your letterhead clean and simple to read is keeping the fonts you use to a minimum. Most business letterheads contain no more than two fonts, with the larger font for the company name appearing in 15-point size and the next line containing contact information in 10-point size. Colors on the letterhead should be used sparingly to avoid competition for the reader's attention. However, if your company logo on the letterhead, it is acceptable - and even preferable - to incorporate your logo into the text of your stationery.

How to Format Business Letterhead

Designing a business letterhead in CorelDRAW is simple. Follow these steps to format your letterhead:

• Set the page size for your letterhead. In the U.S., the standard letterhead size is letter. In Europe, the appropriate size is A4.
• Use the file>import function to find your logo and pull it into your letterhead file.
• Once you have placed your logo on the page -- either centered at the top or in the top left or right corner -- it is time to place your text. You can do so by selecting the text tool from the toolbox.
• Set your first line, in which the company name will be contained, at 15-point.
• On the next line, set the font size to 10-point and type your contact information. You can also include a short company motto on this line if you wish, but this line's primary purpose is for your phone number and company address.
• Select one font for the first line and, if you wish to use a two-font design for your letterhead, select a second font that matches well with any print contained in your logo and does not contrast with the line above it.
• If you wish to change the text's color to match your logo, select the text and click on the color palette tool. You can also use the eyedropper tool to sample a color in the logo that can be used to match the letterhead text to the logo.
• Add embellishments, such as a frame around the edge of the letter or a horizontal line beneath the contact information.
• Save your letterhead and print copies of it to place your business correspondence on.

Use CorelDRAW

As important as your business letterhead is, it isn't necessary to pay high prices for a professional graphic designer. You can design your professional-quality letterhead for free during your 15-day trial of CorelDRAW and get a glimpse as to the many reasons why businesses around the world trust CorelDRAW for all of their business-related graphic designs.