Business Letterhead Requirements

While not requisite for the running of a business, a well-designed letterhead can make a company appear more professional to outsiders. Many businesses use letterhead for everything from recommendations to letters of congratulations and beyond. Creating a letterhead is a simple process and, once created, the resulting letterhead can be used for correspondence for years to come.

All letterhead should contain the business' name in a prominent location. Depending on the design, creators can either display the name in the center or off to one of the sides. If the business name is commonly seen in a certain font, creators should echo this font choice creating their letterhead.

If the business has a representative logo, creators may want to include this identifiable mark on the business letterhead. Commonly, letterhead creators place the logo centrally, but it can be put on the left or right side, particularly if identifying information is displayed in the center.

Many businesses opt to include an address on their letterhead for ease of correspondence. If the address is part of the letterhead, there is no need to place an address at the top of business correspondence. If creating a letterhead to be used by an entire multi-branch company, list the address of the home office. If preparing letterhead for a particular branch, it is permissible to place the address for that specific branch location.

Businesses generally include a contact telephone number below the address on letterhead. Many companies opt to include a central line--instead of a line to a certain individual--to ensure that anyone calling the number can effectively reach the business partner that they intend to contact. If the business operates internationally, it is advisable to include the country code on the telephone number.

Once a business has established a website, it often lists the basic web address on the letterhead. Commonly, businesses put their general URL address below the telephone number in the contact information section.