How to create a Word letterhead template
How to create a Word letterhead template
To create a Word letterhead template, open a new .dotx file, set up the header and footer sections with your logo, contact details and any required legal text, configure paragraph styles for all content types, set the correct margins, and save the file as a .dotx template rather than a .docx document. The letterhead design lives in the header; the body of the document is where staff add their content.
Why should a letterhead be built as a .dotx template?
A letterhead built as a .dotx template creates a clean copy every time someone uses it. Staff open the template, a new untitled document appears with the letterhead already in place, and the original template file remains unaltered. If the letterhead is distributed as a .docx document instead, staff will open and edit the original file — gradually degrading the formatting, accidentally moving the logo, or overwriting the template with their letter content.
The .dotx file type is a small but critical distinction that determines whether the letterhead remains intact over time or becomes a casualty of everyday office use.
How should the header be set up?
The header in Word is accessed by double-clicking the top margin area of a page, which opens the header editing zone. The logo should be inserted as a Picture and its position set to an absolute position relative to the page — not in-line with text — so that it does not move when body content is added or removed. The image should be saved at 150–300 DPI at the intended print size, not at web resolution, to ensure it prints clearly.
Contact details, tag lines and any required regulatory text sit alongside or below the logo, typically formatted using a small character size (8–9pt) in the brand font. If the letterhead has a second-page header that differs from the first — a common requirement in legal and financial correspondence — use the Different First Page option in the Header and Footer toolbar to configure separate headers for page one and subsequent pages.
How should margins be set?
Letterhead margins should be set to accommodate the header and footer design without overlapping body content. As a starting point, a top margin of 25–35mm allows enough space for a logo and contact line before body text begins. The header distance from the top of the page — set in the Header and Footer toolbar — should align with the top margin so the header sits cleanly within the available space.
Left and right margins should be consistent with the organisation's document standards, typically 20–25mm for a professional business document. These settings should be defined in the template rather than left at Word's defaults, so every letter produced from the template starts with the correct page geometry.
What paragraph styles does a letterhead template need?
A letterhead template needs at minimum: a Body Text style for the main letter content, a style for the salutation line, a style for the closing and signature block, and a style for the reference or subject line that typically appears above the salutation. If the organisation uses a date line, addressee block or document reference number in a specific position, each of these should also have a defined style.
These styles should be built on the organisation's brand fonts and configured to produce correct line and paragraph spacing automatically. When styles are set up correctly, a staff member can type a full business letter without touching any formatting settings.
What are the most common letterhead template mistakes?
The most common mistake is placing the logo in the body of the document rather than the header, which causes it to move as content is added. The second most common mistake is using manual formatting throughout the body rather than styles, which makes the template fragile. The third is saving the file as .docx rather than .dotx, which means every user who opens it is editing the master file.
A professionally built letterhead template should require no formatting decisions from the person writing the letter. The structure and the design are already in place. The staff member fills in the content and prints.
Talk to Ideaseed about building a Word letterhead template for your organisation
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