How to make a letterhead

Step 1: Plan your design

Before beginning a new design, some people find it helpful to sketch their ideas on paper. This can often speed up the process as it gives the designer a clear idea of what they’re aiming for.

Think about which contact details need to be included within the letterhead and which can be left out (or added in the footer instead).

If your company has a style guide, read it before you start, to better understand how to make letterhead templates that fully complement the brand’s style.

Step 2: Choose a template or start from scratch

If planning isn’t your thing, you may prefer to jump straight in. In this case, you might find it helpful to view examples of letterhead online or to use a free template.

When you’re learning how to make letterheads, remember that there’s no set way of doing it. It’s your business, your brand and your letterhead. Design it the way you want to.

There are plenty of professionally designed templates available in Lucidpress for free, and they each offer the flexibility you’ll need to make them unique to your business.

Step 3: Add your logo, graphics & text

Now for the fun part. It’s time to get to work designing a professional-looking letterhead template that reflects your company’s image. You can add graphics & text, change the font & colors, and add your logo. For best results, choose a simple, uncluttered layout and a style that reflects your company’s image.

When you’re adding your logo, be sure to choose a high-resolution file that will print well. Check your company’s style guide, if they have one, or ask your graphic designer for advice.

If you’re using Lucidpress, your design will save in the cloud, meaning you can open it from anywhere and give the rest of your team access, too. It’ll also update instantly when you make changes, so there’ll be no more searching through hundreds of emails to find the most up-to-date Microsoft Word template. With Lucidpress, all your templates and designs stay together in one central place.

Bonus tip: Don’t forget to lock down your template in Lucidpress before you share it. That way, your stunning new letterhead will stay exactly as you left it.

Step 4: It’s time to print

While you don’t need a specialist printer, how you intend to use your new letterhead should dictate how you print it. How often will you use your letterhead paper, and how many sheets will you need at one time?

If it’s going out to customers or being used in marketing materials, you’ll get the best results if it looks professional and high-quality. Most home/office printers don’t produce good images, so if your letterhead is image- or color-heavy, the quality probably won’t be up to par. Additionally, if you’re looking for a full bleed (no white margin around the edges), you’ll likely have to pay for printing. Most home/office printers don’t have this capability.

The great news is, when you design your free letterhead template in Lucidpress, you can order professional prints in just a few clicks. Our web-to-print software streamlines the entire process, making it easy for your whole team to customize and print marketing materials from one central location.

Step 5: You can use it digitally, too

Finally, don’t forget that you can use your new letterhead design online, too. Lucidpress makes it easy to create beautiful PDF documents from your letterhead template.

Other ideas: you can crop it from the document and add it to emails, either as a signature or as a header. Use it in the same way on social media to help your followers understand how they can connect with you.

Or, perhaps more simply, use it to send letters digitally without losing that professional, personal touch.