Creating a Business Letter with a Letterhead and Table

Creating a Business Letter with a Letterhead and Table Chapter 3

Introduction • In a business environment, people use documents to communicate with others • Business documents can include: • … letters • …memos • …news letters • …proposal • …resumes • An effective business document clearly and concisely conveys its message and has a professional, organized appearance

General Project Guidelines • … determin how to create a letterhead • A …is the section of a letter that identifies an organization or individual • Letterhead appears at the top of a letter • You can design and print a letterhead yourself, many businesses pay an outside firm to design and print their letterhead • Print on higher-quality paper

General Project Guidelines • …if you don’t have preprinted letterhaed paper, design a creative letterhead • Use text, graphics, formats, and colors that reflects the organization or individual • Include the following: • Organization’s or individual’s name • Postal mailing address • Telephone number • E-mail and Web address (may include)

General Project Guidelines • …compose an effective business letter • A finished business letter should look like a symmetrically framed picture with: • Evenly spaced margins • All balanced below and attractive letterhead • The letter should be: • Well-written • Properly formatted • Logically organized • Use visuals where appropriate

General Project Guidelines • The content of a letter should contain: • … proper grammar • …correct spelling • …logically constructed sentence • …flowing para. • …sound ideas • Keep the length of a business letter to one page • Be sure to proofread the finished letter carefully

Design a creative letterhead • … a letterhead often is the first section a reader notices on a letter • It is important the letterhead appropriately reflect the essence of the business or individual • …formal • …technical • …creative • The letterhead should leave ample room for the contents of the letters

Design a creative letterhead • …contents of letterhead • Complete legal name of the individual, group, or company • Complete mailing address: street address including building, room, suite number, or post office box, along with city, state, and postal code • Telephone number(s) and fax number, if one exists • Also include a Web address, an e-mail address, and a logo or other image • Image • Select one that expresses your personality or goals

Design a creative letterhead • …placement of elements in the letterhead • Many letterheads center their elements across the top of the page • Others align some or all of the elements with the left or right margins • Sometimes, the elements are split between the top and bottom of the page • Name and logo may be at the top of the page • Address at the bottom of the page

Design a creative letterhead • …appearance of letterhead elements • Use fonts that are easy to read • Give the organization or individual name impact by making its font size larger the rests of the text in the letterhead • Additional emphasis • …bold • …italic • …diff. color • Colors • …that complement each other • …convey the goals of the organization or individual

Text Wrapping Options • … in line with text • Object positioned according to paragraph formatting • … square • Text wraps around object, with text forming a box around the object • … tight • Text wraps around object, with text forming to shape the object • … through • Object appears at beginning, middle, or end of text. Moving objects change location of text • … top and bottom • Object appears above or below text. Moving object changes location of text. • … behind • Object appears behind text • … in front • Object appears in front of text any may cover the text

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Creating a Business Letter • … compose an effective business letter • When composing a business letter, you need to be sure to include all essential elements and to decide which letter style to use • …include all essential letter elements properly spaced and sized • All business letters contain the same basic elements • …date line • …inside adress • …message • …signature block • Does not include a letterhead, then the top of the letter should include return address information in a heading

Creating a Business Letter • …proper spacing and formats • …use a font that is easy to read • Size between 8 and 12 point • … add emphasise • Bold • Italic • Bullets where appropriate • Use …to present numeric information • …single spaced paragraph • … double spacing between paragraphs

Creating a Business Letter • … determine what letter style to use • You can follow many different styles when creating business letters • A letter style specifies guidelines for the alignment and spacing of elements in the business letter

Include all essential letter elements • … date line • Which consists of the month, day, and year • Positioned two to six lines below the letterhead • … inside address • Place three to eight lines below the date line • Usually contains the addressee’s courtesy title plus full name, job title, business affiliation, and full geographical address

Include all essential letter elements • … salutation • Begins two lines below the last line of the inside address • If you do not know the recipient’s name, avoid using the salutation… • “To whom it may concern” ---impersonal • Use the recipient’s title in the salutation • Dear Personnel Director • In a business letter • Use a colon (:) • In a personal letter • Use a comma

Include all essential letter elements • … message • Body of the letter • Begins two lines below the salutation • Within the message • Paragraphs are single-spaced with one blank line between paragraphs • … complimentary close • Two lines below the last line of the message • Capitalize only the first word in a complimentary close • … signature block • At least four blank lines below the complimentary close • Allowing room for the author to sign his or her name

Letter Styles • … block letter • All components of the letter begin flush with the left margin • … modified block letter • The date, complimentary close, and signature block are positioned approximately one-half inch to the right of center or the right margin • All other components of the letter begin flush with the left margin • … modified semi-block letter • The date, complimentary close, and signature blocks are centered, positioned approximately one-half inch to the right of center or at the right margin • The first line of each paragraph in the body of the letter is indented one-half to one inch from the left margin • All other components of the letter begin flush with the left margin

Creating a Business Letter with a Letterhead and Table