Document Formatting

Document Formatting Personal Business Letters and Common documents

Purpose of Document Formatting • Our focus will be to learn how to format personal business letters, business letters, and memos • This is important regardless of your future occupation • These are the rules you must follow in order to communicate effectively, • Pay careful attention to spacing between document parts (that includes any margin changes)

What is a Memo? • Used to communicate information quickly throughout a business or organization • Memo parts: • TO: tab tab To whom the memo is written • FROM: tab Who the memo is from • DATE: tab tab Current date of memo • SUBJECT: tab SHORT POINT OF MEMO

Memo Spacing • 2” top margin • Each of the four headings are DS (double spaced) and keyed in all caps followed by a colon (:) • After the colon, the Tab key is pressed to line up the text that follows • See Handout for formatting

What is a Personal Business Letter? • A letter written from aperson to a company • Can be used for any purpose that requires written communication from an individual to a company • Such as: • To accompany returned goods • Complaint letter • Thank you letter • Résumé cover letter

Personal Business Letter Styles and Punctuation • There are 3 acceptable letter styles in business: • Block style – all lines in the letter begin at the left margin (no tabbing or indenting) • Modified block style – date line, complimentary closing and writer’s identification begin at midpoint • Semi-modified block style - date line, complimentary closing and writer’s identification begin at midpoint and all body paragraphs are indented (or tabbed over) ½”

Letter Punctuation Mixed punctuation Open punctuation there will be NO punctuation after the salutation or complimentary closing • there will be a colon (:) after the salutation and a comma (,) after the complimentary closing

What is a Business Letter? • Represents a company not an individual • Usually prepared on company letterhead • Company letterhead is official company stationery that often contains a logo along with the name, address, phone and fax number

Differences between a Personal Business and Business Letter Business Letter Personal Business Letter To a Company Has a Return Address (sender’s mailing address) • From a Company • Written on Letterhead • Writer’s business title (identification) is usually keyed under the name • Has Reference Initials

What are the similarities? • Both are Formal Business Documents • Margins (All top margins are 2”, Side – 1” or default) • Parts of the Letter - Dateline, Salutation, Body, Complimentary Closing, Signature, Typed Name. • Internal spacing (after date & closing – press “Enter” 4 times, Paragraphs – SS with DS between.)

Report • There are many different acceptable ways to format a report • Formatting depends upon the type and reason for report • Examples are: • Academic report • Technical report

Academic Report Formatting • Use default margins (don’t change margins) • Change line spacing to double (entire document DS) • Four headings at the top left margin • Student’s name • Teacher’s name • Class or Subject • Date • After the Date heading, key the title of the report using initial caps (capitalizing the first letter of important words) then press Enter to begin keying report • Indent the first sentence in each paragraph by pressing the Tab key

Summary • In this Unit, you have learned how to format: • Personal Business Letters • Business Letters • Memos • Academic Report

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Document Formatting