How to set up a letterhead in Word that prints correctly
How to set up a letterhead in Word that prints correctly
Place your logo and contact details in the header area of a Word template, set your page margins to accommodate the design, and test-print on your target paper stock before distributing the template. The most common problem with Word letterheads is that elements designed on screen sit too close to the page edge and get clipped by the printer's unprintable margins. Design within a safe zone of at least 10mm from all edges, and always test on the actual printer your team will use.
Where should the logo and contact details go?
Most letterheads place the logo in the header area (top of the page) and contact details in the footer. Double-click the top margin to open the header, then insert your logo through Insert > Pictures. Position it using exact measurements (right-click > Size and Position) rather than dragging it by eye. Add the company name, address, phone and website as text in the header or footer area.
For a professional result, use a table within the header to control alignment. A single-row, two-column table with invisible borders lets you place the logo on the left and contact text on the right (or vice versa) with precise alignment. Remove the table borders by selecting the table, going to Table Design, and setting Borders to None.
How do you set margins for a letterhead?
Go to Layout > Margins > Custom Margins. Set the top margin large enough to accommodate your logo and any text below it. A standard letterhead header sits within a top margin of 2.5cm to 4cm, depending on the logo size. The "Header from edge" setting (in the Layout tab of the Page Setup dialogue) controls how far the header content sits from the top edge of the paper. Set this to at least 1cm to avoid printer clipping.
Set the bottom margin to accommodate the footer content. If your footer includes a disclaimer, ABN, or registration details, you may need 2cm to 3cm. Again, set "Footer from edge" to at least 1cm.
How do you handle pre-printed stationery?
If your organisation prints letterhead stationery with the logo and branding already on the paper, the Word template needs to leave those areas blank. Set the top and bottom margins to match the printed areas of the stationery so body text does not overlap with the pre-printed elements. Do not place a logo in the Word header. The logo is on the paper already.
Create a second version of the template for documents that will be emailed or printed on blank paper. This version includes the logo and branding elements in the header and footer. At Ideaseed, we build paired letterhead templates (one for pre-printed stock, one for plain paper) as standard for clients who use both.
Why does the letterhead look different when printed?
Printers have unprintable margins, typically 3mm to 6mm around all edges. Any content within this zone gets clipped. If your logo sits 5mm from the top edge on screen, a printer with a 6mm unprintable margin will cut off the top of the logo. Inkjet printers tend to have larger unprintable margins than laser printers.
To avoid this, keep all content at least 10mm from the edge of the page. If your design requires a full-bleed look (colour or graphics running to the very edge), the document will need to be printed on a commercial press with bleed and trim marks, not on a standard office printer.
How do you ensure colours print accurately?
On-screen colours and printed colours can differ depending on the printer's colour profile and the paper stock. A rich blue on a glossy screen may print as a muted blue on uncoated office paper. Test-print the letterhead on the paper your team will use and compare it against your brand's colour swatch.
If colour accuracy is critical (for example, a Pantone-matched brand colour), the letterhead stationery should be commercially printed rather than output from an office printer. Office printers use CMYK approximations that vary between models and cartridge batches.
Should the letterhead include a second-page design?
Yes. Tick "Different First Page" in the header/footer design ribbon. The first page carries the full letterhead (logo, company name, address). Subsequent pages carry a simplified header, typically just the logo or company name in a smaller format, plus a page number. Without a second-page design, multi-page letters either repeat the full letterhead (which looks odd) or have no branding at all.
A Word letterhead template that prints correctly needs precise margins, a safe zone of at least 10mm from all edges, and a test print on your target paper stock. Build paired templates if your team uses both pre-printed stationery and plain paper.
If you need a letterhead template designed for your brand, talk to Ideaseed about your document design requirements.
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