Guidelines for Business Letters

1. Guidelines for Business Letters Digital Communication Systems Comp. 5.03

2. What are the margin settings for a Business Letter? • 1st page: • Top margin is typically 2-2 ½” depending on the size of the letterhead • The left and right margins are 1” • The bottom margin is 1” unless you reduce it to pull a single line which appears on the second page back to the first page

3. What are the margin settings for a Business Letter? • 2nd and following pages: • You will need to insert a continuous page break so you can change the top margin to 1” • The top margin was previously set at 2-2 ½” on page one; therefore, the reason for the continuous page break and the changing of the margin to 1” • A single-line or multiple-line heading must be keyed in the header of the 2nd and following pages (leave a blank line below this heading before keying the line at the top of the page) • Left and right margins stay at 1” • Bottom margin stays at 1”

4. Basic Parts Letterhead Date Letter Address Salutation Body Complimentary Close Name of Writer Formal Business Letter(Modified Block Style)

5. mailing notations (CERTIFIED, REGISTERED, SPECIAL DELIVERY) attention line subject line (keyed in all caps) Company name (keyed in all caps) Job title (keyed on same line as writer’s name or on next line underneath writer’s name) Reference initials (keyed in lowercase letters) Enclosure/Attachment notation (ENCLOSURE, ATTACHMENT) copy notation (C. Ms. Judy Smith) Postscript notation (a short paragraph keyed a DS below the last letter part of the letter) Business Letter Special Parts (may or may not use in a letter)

6. Special Letter Parts

7. What is the required spacing before and after letter parts? • Don’t crowd the letterhead at the top of the page • leave some blank lines in between the letterhead and the date • The letterhead is the return address and will include some or all of the following: • Company or business name • Company or business address • Company or business phone number • Company or business fax number • Company or business e-mail address • Company or business web site address

8. What is the required spacing before and after letter parts? • Letterhead is commonly pre-printed on the paper or saved as a separate file • The first letter part that you will type is the DATE • Spell out the month • Key at the left margin (block format) or key after tabbing six times from the left margin (modified block format)

9. What is the required spacing before and after letter parts? • If you are including a mailing notation • Key the mailing notation (CERTIFIED, REGISTERED, SPECIAL DELIVERY) a DS (double-space) below the DATE. • After keying the mailing notation, DS (double-space) again before keying the LETTER ADDRESS

10. What is the required spacing before and after letter parts? • If you are NOT including a mailing notation such as CERTIFIED, REGISTERED, SPECIAL DELIVERY • QS (quadruple-space) after the DATE and then key the LETTER ADDRESS.

11. What is the required spacing before and after letter parts? • The LETTER ADDRESS may include any of the following: • Attention Line (use this only when you do not know the name of the individual(s) who should receive the letter) • Attention: Personnel Department (use department) • Attention: Director of Personnel (use job title) • Addressee’s name(s) (each name on a separate line) • Company name (on separate line) • Street Address or P.O. Box (on separate line) • City, State and Zip Code (on separate line; place a comma after the city and one space before the zip code)

12. What is the required spacing before and after letter parts? • DS (double-space) after the LETTER ADDRESS • Next, key the SALUTATION or “hello of the letter”; examples include: • Dear Sir or Madame • Dear Gentlemen • Dear Ladies • Dear Mr. Smith (use individual’s personal title and last name) • To Whom It May Concern

13. What is the required spacing before and after letter parts? • DS (double-space) after the SALUTATION • If you are using a SUBJECT LINE, key the subject of your letter in all caps and then DS (double-space) • A DS (double-space) will appear before the BODY of your letter. The BODY includes the sentences and paragraphs or message of your letter • Use word wrap to single-space each line within the paragraphs. • DS (double-space) between paragraphs • DS (double-space) after the last paragraph in the BODY of your letter.

14. What is the required spacing before and after letter parts? • Next, key the COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE • If your letter is BLOCK FORMAT, key the COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE at the left margin. • If your letter is MODIFIED BLOCK FORMAT, key the COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE six tabs from the left margin. • Examples include: • Sincerely • Best regards • Cordially

15. What is the required spacing before and after letter parts? • If you will be keying the COMPANY NAME in the signature block, then DS after the COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE • If your letter is BLOCK FORMAT, key the COMPANY NAME at the left margin. • If your letter is MODIFIED BLOCK FORMAT, key the COMPANY NAME six tabs from the left margin. • Key the COMPANY NAME in all caps and then QS (quadruple-space) • This large space is where the author of the letter will sign his/her name after the letter is printed.

16. What is the required spacing before and after letter parts? • If you do NOT plan to use the COMPANY NAME in the signature block, then QS (quadruple-space) immediately after the COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE • For a block format letter, key the COMPANY NAME at the left margin • For a modified-block format letter, key the COMPANY NAME six tabs from the left margin • Again, the large space that you are leaving in this letter is where the author of the letter will sign his or her name after the letter is printed

17. What is the required spacing before and after letter parts? • Next, key the WRITER’S NAME • For a block format letter, key the writer’s name at the left margin • For a modified-block format letter, key the writer’s name six tabs from the left margin • Use a personal title in front of the writer’s name if it is not clear that the writer is a male or female; for example • The first name Kim could be a man or a woman’s name – therefore include the appropriate personal title (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss) • The first name Casey could be man or a woman’s name – therefore, include the appropriate personal title (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss)

18. What is the required spacing before and after letter parts? • If you plan to include a JOB TITLE for the writer • Key short job titles on the same line as the writer’s name separated by a comma • John H. Smith, President • Susan L. Duggins, Secretary • Key long job titles on the next line under the writer’s name (do not use a comma). • For a block format letter, key the job title at the left margin • For a modified block format letter, key the job title six tabs from the left margin • Examples include: • John H. Smith President • Susan L. Duggins Secretary

19. What is the required spacing before and after letter parts? • Key the REFERENCE INITIALS a DS (double-space) below the writer’s name or job title. • REFERENCE INITIALS will be keyed at the left margin whether you are using the block format style letter or the modified-block format style letter • Key the REFERENCE INITIALS in lowercase • The REFERENCE INITIALS are the initials of the person who typed the letter.

20. What is the required spacing before and after letter parts? • If the author of the letter mentions in the BODY of the letter that he/she is enclosing an additional item in the envelope, key • ENCLOSURE a DS (double-space) below the reference initials

21. What is the required spacing before and after letter parts? • If the author of the letter mentions in the BODY of the letter that he/she is attaching (stapling or paper clipping) an additional item to the letter, key • ATTACHMENT a DS (double-space) below the reference initials

22. What is the required spacing before and after letter parts? • If you need to send a copy of the letter to someone other than the addressee, key the COPY NOTATION a DS (double-space) below the previous letter part. • Key a capital C followed by a period and the individual’s first and last name • C. Kathy Bondurant

23. What is the required spacing before and after letter parts? • Historically, the POSTSCRIPT NOTATION was used when you accidentally forgot to mention something in the BODY of the letter • With the use of computers today, the POSTSCRIPT NOTATION is seldom used since you can just insert the forgotten information into the letter and reprint it before mailing • If you choose to use a POSTSCRIPT NOTATION • Key the information as a sentence or paragraph below the last letter part. • If you have indented other paragraphs in your letter, then indent the postscript notation; otherwise, key at the left margin. • Do NOT include P.S. in front of the paragraph

24. Include a heading at the top of the second and following pages: Single Line Heading or Multiple-Line Heading Key the information in the HEADER (View, Header/Footer) Include the addressee’s name, page number, and date How do you format letters that are two or more pages?

25. FINALLY . . . • When printing a letter with 2 or more pages, print • The first page on letterhead stationery • The second and following pages on plain paper of equal quality • DO NOT PRINT THE 2nd AND FOLLOWING PAGES ON LETTERHEAD STATIONERY!