How to Create a Letterhead Template in Microsoft Word

To create a letterhead template in Microsoft Word, place your logo and contact details in the header, check that the page body begins below them, then save the file as a Word Template (.dotx). Before you start, gather your approved logo, business contact information, and any brand colors or fonts you need. The steps below are for Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows; Mac menu names are noted where they differ.

What You’ll Need

Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365, or a recent desktop version of Word.
Your logo, preferably a high-resolution PNG with a transparent background or a vector file Word supports.
The exact business name, mailing address, phone number, email address, and website you want printed.
Brand colors and fonts, if your organization has standards for them.
A test printer or a way to export and review a PDF before using the template.

Step-by-Step

Start with a blank document and set the page. In Word, select File > New > Blank document. Open Layout > Size and choose the paper size you normally use, such as Letter or A4. Then select Layout > Margins > Custom Margins to confirm the left, right, top, and bottom margins. Use the values your organization or printer requires; if you are unsure, start with the default margins. Keep enough space around the edges for printers that cannot print to the paper edge. On Mac, use Layout > Margins and select Custom Margins.
Open the header. Double-click near the top edge of the page, or choose Insert > Header > Edit Header. Word opens the header area and displays the Header & Footer tab. Anything placed here repeats on following pages by default, which makes it a suitable place for the logo and core business details. Avoid typing the letter itself in the header; keep letter-specific content in the main document area.
Choose a layout for the logo and details. For reliable alignment, insert a small table in the header using Insert > Table. A two-column, one-row table works well: place the logo in the left cell and the company name and contact details in the right. You can reverse the arrangement if it suits your design. Click in a cell before adding its contents. A table keeps the two blocks aligned more consistently than repeated spaces or tabs, especially if someone later edits the text.
Insert and size the logo. Click in the logo cell, then select Insert > Pictures > This Device and choose the image file. Select the picture and use the Picture Format tab to adjust its size. Keep Lock aspect ratio enabled, or drag a corner handle, so the logo does not stretch. If text wraps awkwardly around the image, open Picture Format > Wrap Text and choose In Line with Text. This setting keeps the logo inside its table cell and is usually the easiest option for a simple letterhead.
Add contact information and style it. Type the approved details in the other cell, using separate lines or a compact arrangement with separators. Make the company name prominent, then use a smaller readable size for the address and contact information. Select text to change the font, size, or color from the Home tab. Use brand colors sparingly; the details should remain easy to read in black-and-white printing as well. Check spelling, email addresses, phone numbers, and website links carefully.
Remove the table borders and refine spacing. Click inside the table. Open Table Design > Borders > No Border to hide its gridlines in the printed document. (The nonprinting gridlines Word may show while editing are not the same as borders.) If the logo and text need more breathing room, adjust the cell margins from Table Layout > Cell Margins, or resize the columns by dragging their boundaries. Avoid enlarging the header until it pushes the letter body too far down the page.
Optionally add a divider or footer. To add a thin line below the header, place the cursor in the last header paragraph and use Home > Borders to apply a bottom border. This is generally easier to keep aligned than a freely positioned shape. For a footer, choose Insert > Footer > Edit Footer and add details such as a short website address or page number. Keep the footer useful and uncluttered. Use Insert > Page Number if you want page numbering, and choose a position and style from the available options.
Check first-page and later-page behavior. In the Header & Footer tab, decide whether the same header should appear on every page. If the design should appear only on page one, select Different First Page and create the first-page header; the later-page header is then separate and can be left blank or given a simpler design. If you want the full letterhead repeated, leave that option off. Mac also provides a Different First Page option while editing the header or footer.
Close the header and test the writing area. Select Close Header and Footer, or double-click in the main page. Type a few lines of sample text, including a long paragraph, to see where the body begins and how much room remains. If the text overlaps the letterhead, increase the top margin or adjust the header content and its position. Check that the design still looks balanced when the body contains several paragraphs.
Save it as a reusable template. Select File > Save As > Browse. Choose Word Template (*.dotx) from the file type list, give the template a clear name, and save it in a location you can find again. On Mac, use File > Save As and choose Word Template (.dotx) as the file format. To create a letter from it, open the .dotx file from Word or select File > New and choose the saved template if it appears in your personal templates. Word creates a new document based on the template, so the original design remains available for future letters.
Review a sample before sharing. Fill in a short sample letter, then select File > Print to preview the pages. You can also use File > Save As or Export to create a PDF for review. Look at alignment, margins, line breaks, logo quality, and any content near the page edges. If possible, print one copy on the paper and printer people will actually use. Make any corrections to the template, save it again, and test one more new document from the updated file.

Common Mistakes

Building the header with spaces. Multiple spaces and tab characters can shift when fonts or contact details change. A borderless table is a steadier way to align the logo and text.
Using a low-quality or stretched logo. A small image copied from a website may look blurry when printed. Use an approved, high-resolution file and preserve its proportions when resizing.
Forgetting printer margins. A design that touches the edge of the page may be clipped by an ordinary office printer. Keep important text and artwork within the printable area.
Editing the wrong header. When Different First Page is selected, the first-page header and later-page header are separate. Check both if the design should vary across pages.
Saving as a regular document instead of a template. A .docx file opens as a document to edit; a .dotx file is intended to start new documents from a reusable design. Confirm the file type before saving.

Tips

Use a restrained layout: one logo, a clear business name, and only the contact details people need. A simpler header is easier to read and takes less space away from the letter.
Use Word styles for the letter body instead of manually changing every paragraph. For example, keep the body text consistent with the Normal style, then adjust that style if your organization has a preferred font or spacing.
Give the template a practical name, such as Company Letterhead.dotx, and keep a clean master copy in a shared, access-controlled folder. Tell colleagues to create new documents from it rather than overwriting the master.
For different types of correspondence, make separate templates rather than trying to accommodate every layout in one file. For instance, a first-page-only logo and a compact continuation-page header may work better as a deliberate pair.
Review the template after changes to the company address, logo, or brand rules. A template can be reused for years, so old contact details may otherwise continue to appear in new letters.

Troubleshooting

The logo moves when I edit the text. Select it and set Picture Format > Wrap Text > In Line with Text, then keep it in a table cell. Check that it is not anchored to a paragraph outside the table. If alignment still shifts, adjust the table column widths rather than adding spaces.

The letter starts too low on the page. The header may be taller than necessary, or the top margin may be large. Open the header and remove blank paragraphs, reduce unnecessary spacing, or resize the logo. Then check Layout > Margins > Custom Margins and adjust the top margin only as far as your printer and document requirements allow.

The header appears on page one but not page two, or vice versa. Edit the header and inspect the Header & Footer tab for Different First Page. If it is selected, edit the separate first-page and later-page areas. Also check whether the document uses section breaks: headers in a new section can be independent unless Link to Previous is enabled.

The borderless table still shows lines on screen. Word may be displaying table gridlines to help with editing. These do not print. To confirm, open File > Print and check the preview. If lines do appear there, click in the table and use Table Design > Borders > No Border.

The template opens as something I can accidentally overwrite. Check the extension and confirm the file is saved as .dotx. Start a new letter from the template rather than editing the master file. If the template is stored somewhere Word does not list, open it from its saved location; Word should create a new document based on the template.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a Word template and a Word document?
A .dotx template stores the reusable layout. Opening it as a template creates a new document, usually saved as .docx, leaving the template unchanged.

Can I use a letterhead template for more than one page?
Yes. Word repeats the header by default. Use Different First Page if page one needs a full letterhead and later pages need a smaller or blank header.

Should I put the address in the header or footer?
Either can work. Put the main identity and contact details where they are easy to find, and keep secondary information such as a website or registration details in the footer if space is limited.

Can I make a letterhead without a logo?
Yes. Use a clear business name and contact details, aligned in a header table or as a simple text block. Consistent typography and spacing can make a text-only design look professional.

Will the letterhead look the same on every computer?
Not always. Fonts, printer settings, and Word versions can affect layout. Use commonly available fonts, test a PDF, and share the .dotx along with any required brand assets or approved fonts.

Can I protect the letterhead from accidental changes?
You can limit editing through Word’s Review > Restrict Editing options, but protection can complicate legitimate updates. Keep an unprotected master in a controlled location and distribute copies when appropriate.

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