Letterhead examples.

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1. Simple letterhead design.

A clean, minimalist design can be just as impressive as any other. If you’re creating a letterhead for a brand or business, use company colors and logo to make up the design. Or, for personal stationery, pair your favorite color with your monogram or initials. The bottom line is that you should choose 2-3 design elements that reflect you or your brand and then leave plenty of white space to write. Make it an even more impressive presentation by printing your design with letterpress on cardstock.

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letterhead
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Simple, minimal

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sixcols

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2. Create a decorative header with geometric shapes.

Be bold by starting your letterhead with a firm header design Use shapes, like rectangles or obtuse triangles, or even circles, to create a header at the top of the page. Pick a contrasting color for any text or icons that sit in your header’s space, so it’s easy to read. Spice things up even more by adding a pattern, transparent image, or texture to your shape for something truly one-of-a-kind.

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letterhead
Topics
Cosmetics, agency, curved-frame AND shape, geometric AND elegant, small-business, law-firm AND make-up, communication, pattern
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(To pull in manually curated templates if needed)

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(Horizontal/Vertical)

Vertical

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sixcols

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(number of templates to load each pagination. Min. 5)

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3. Use geometric shapes to make a sidebar.

A sidebar on letterhead is an unexpected approach, so if that’s your style, then let’s get creative. Keep in mind that a wide sidebar will lessen the amount of writing space you have, so use this for letterheads that are more for short notes than long letters—drop-in a logo, your contact info at the bottom, and any imagery that fits your brand. Your sidebar can even serve as a purely decorative space, too, if you wish to place your contact info elsewhere on the page.

Tasks
letterhead
Topics
Geometric, beach, architect AND media, resort, dark-blue AND business, tourism AND studio, tourist, firm
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Collection ID

(To pull in manually curated templates if needed)

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(Horizontal/Vertical)

Vertical

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(Full, Std, sixcols)

sixcols

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(number of templates to load each pagination. Min. 5)

3
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Having a bold header or footer helps a reader understand where the more critical information is on the page. If you use an enticing footer, make sure that’s where all your contact or call-to-action information sits. Keep it simple with a rectangle, take it to the next level with an asymmetrical shape, or make it extra fancy with a patterned or textured fill. Try to keep a balance on the page as you design – if you choose to have a bold footer, keep your header light and airy with lots of writing space in between.

Tasks
letterhead
Topics
Footer, dog-walker AND address, green AND paw, typographic, handwritten AND photography, pet, modern, clean
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Collection ID

(To pull in manually curated templates if needed)

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(Horizontal/Vertical)

Vertical

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(Full, Std, sixcols)

sixcols

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(number of templates to load each pagination. Min. 5)

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(true, false, all) true or false will limit to premium only or free only.

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5. Use a background color in your design.

Adding a background to your letterhead is a beautiful custom choice if you’re looking to make something that stands out among the rest. Use a solid color fill that is preferably something lighter so any ink will still show up on the page. If your letterhead is digital, go for a dark color (or any color for that matter) and choose one for the font that contrasts the background. Make sure your printer is aware of your background design so your letterhead can be printed with full-bleed (meaning the color goes all the way to the edge of the page).

Tasks
letterhead
Topics
Business, wedding-event AND chef, launderette, floral AND food, navy, frame AND texture, small-business, cream
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Collection ID

(To pull in manually curated templates if needed)

Orientation


(Horizontal/Vertical)

Vertical

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(Full, Std, sixcols)

sixcols

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(number of templates to load each pagination. Min. 5)

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(true, false, all) true or false will limit to premium only or free only.

false

6. Add a pattern in the background.

Background patterns add a dynamic look to your letterhead. Explore different background patterns such as abstract shapes, letters, monograms, or even your logo. Blow up the design to fill the page, and play with placement options that work best so that way the background doesn’t take away from the text written on the page. You can also adjust the transparency (recommended) to make it a subtle design choice.

Tasks
letterhead
Topics
Clothing, councilor, catering, apple AND design, government, chef, memo AND fashion, letter, food, note AND clothes, official, orange, watermark
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Collection ID

(To pull in manually curated templates if needed)

Orientation


(Horizontal/Vertical)

Vertical

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(Full, Std, sixcols)

sixcols

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(number of templates to load each pagination. Min. 5)

4
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All

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Rare & Original

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(true, false, all) true or false will limit to premium only or free only.

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7. Use photos to represent your business.

Upload your photos to your letterhead, or find a stock photo that speaks to your brand or business. Use your image as a full header or sidebar, or crop it in exciting ways that intertwine with the rest of your design. Cropping is an excellent tool for design, so don’t be afraid to zoom in on one part of your image instead of showing the whole thing. Get creative and use photography to your advantage here.

Tasks
letterhead
Topics
Audio, lion, copywriter AND record-label, animal, duotone AND recording-studio, business, typerwriter AND music, zoo, stationery
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Collection ID

(To pull in manually curated templates if needed)

Orientation


(Horizontal/Vertical)

Vertical

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(Full, Std, sixcols)

sixcols

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(number of templates to load each pagination. Min. 5)

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(true, false, all) true or false will limit to premium only or free only.

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8. Feature black and white photos.

Black and white photos work great if you’re going for a greyscale letterhead. Play with placement, and use different types of black and white filters for a variety of looks. One idea to try is cropping your image either in the header and footer or as sidebars, as it invites the reader’s eye to travel across the page.

Tasks
letterhead
Topics
Lamp AND light AND shop AND lighting
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Collection ID

(To pull in manually curated templates if needed)

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(Horizontal/Vertical)

Vertical

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sixcols

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(number of templates to load each pagination. Min. 5)

1
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(true, false, all) true or false will limit to premium only or free only.

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9. Play with color gradients.

Ideally, you don’t want to use too many colors on your letterhead. Choosing 2-3 colors is a great place to start. However, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t explore all the different shades of those colors. Create a dynamic, colorful design by using gradients in your headers or footers.

Tasks
letterhead
Topics
Q
gradient

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(To pull in manually curated templates if needed)

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Vertical

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sixcols

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(number of templates to load each pagination. Min. 5)

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(true, false, all) true or false will limit to premium only or free only.

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10. Showcase address & contact information.

Not all letterheads need contact information, but if yours does, then be sure to make sure it’s legible and spelled correctly. Play around with the formatting of your contact details. You can arrange it all on one line, stack it, place some in the header and other information in the footer, among countless other options. Just make sure to include the address and contact details that would benefit your reader the most to save space on your page.

Tasks
letterhead
Topics
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Address, contact

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(To pull in manually curated templates if needed)

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Vertical

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sixcols

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(true, false, all) true or false will limit to premium only or free only.

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11. Use icons as imagery on your letterhead.

Icons are an excellent tool when it comes to branded collateral such as letterhead. Use icons to draw attention to details such as a phone number, email, or social handle on your page. Or, play with icons in your header and footer, or even use icons to make the header or footer. If you’re using multiple icons across your page, try to select ones that all have a similar style to them for a cohesive presentation.

Tasks
letterhead
Topics
Q
icon

Collection ID

(To pull in manually curated templates if needed)

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(Horizontal/Vertical)

Vertical

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sixcols

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(number of templates to load each pagination. Min. 5)

4
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Rare & Original

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(true, false, all) true or false will limit to premium only or free only.

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12. Play with logo placement.

Logos don’t always need to go front and center. Based on the personality of your brand, explore other logo placement options. If your logo is left-aligned, it might look nice in the left corner of the page. You can also turn symbols sideways and use them on the sidebar or drop it into the footer along with the rest of your contact details. Just make sure your logo is large enough on the page for all the details to be easily read.

Tasks
letterhead
Topics
Agency, corporate, note paper, clean AND polished, income, brand, hotel AND creative, financial, office, green AND gray, solution, contemporary, pink
Q

Collection ID

(To pull in manually curated templates if needed)

Orientation


(Horizontal/Vertical)

Vertical

Width


(Full, Std, sixcols)

sixcols

Limit


(number of templates to load each pagination. Min. 5)

4
Animated
All

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Most Viewed

Rare & Original

Newest to Oldest

Oldest to Newest

Newest to Oldest
Locales
EN

Premium


(true, false, all) true or false will limit to premium only or free only.

false

13. Explore colors within your typography.

As we’ve discussed, a good rule of thumb is to stick to 2-3 colors in your letterhead design. One of those colors can work as an accent color, meaning that it sticks out and highlights an important piece of information on the page. Use accent colors on important text such as your company name or central point of contact. Another option is sending your letterhead digitally; you can make the body text a different color than the standard black or blue to match your letterhead design.

Tasks
letterhead
Topics
Click, clean, just-t-say AND organic, initial, cool AND pink, sophisticated, feminine AND warm, turquoise, red
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Collection ID

(To pull in manually curated templates if needed)

Orientation


(Horizontal/Vertical)

Vertical

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(Full, Std, sixcols)

sixcols

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(number of templates to load each pagination. Min. 5)

3
Animated
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Rare & Original

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Premium


(true, false, all) true or false will limit to premium only or free only.

false

14. Use contrasting colors.

There are lots of ways you can go about picking your color palette with your letterhead design. You can use similar colors, such as pastels or earth tones, grayscale colors like black, white, and gray, or whatever your brand colors are, to name a few examples. If you get to choose a custom color palette, play with contrasting or complementary colors. Take a quick look at a color wheel to see how complementary colors make each other stand out. Adjust your header color, text, and contact details with these types of colors to make each item stand out next to the others.

Tasks
letterhead
Topics
Beauty, bar, smoke AND meditation, brewery, sports AND spa, green, team AND pattern, restaurant, texture
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Collection ID

(To pull in manually curated templates if needed)

Orientation


(Horizontal/Vertical)

Vertical

Width


(Full, Std, sixcols)

sixcols

Limit


(number of templates to load each pagination. Min. 5)

3
Animated
All

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Most Viewed

Rare & Original

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Locales
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Premium


(true, false, all) true or false will limit to premium only or free only.

false

How to make a custom letterhead.

Start with inspiration.
We hook you up with thousands of professionally designed templates, so you’re never starting from a blank canvas. Search by platform, task, aesthetic, mood, or color to have fresh inspiration at your fingertips; once you find a graphic to start from, tap or click to open the document in the editor.
Customize your template.
There are lots of ways to personalize your letterhead templates. Change up text and font. Sub out the imagery with your photos. Or browse from thousands of free images right in Adobe Express. Spend as little or as much time as you want to make the graphic your own. With a premium plan, you can even auto-apply your brand logo, colors, and fonts, so you’re always #onbrand.
Resize to make your content go further.
Gone are the days of having to memorize image dimensions for every single platform. Once you've landed on a letterhead design you like, you can easily modify it for any printed need or social network using the Resize tool. Duplicate the project, hit Resize, and select the social channel you plan to share your design to.
Present yourself.
Be clear and concise with your presentation. Use unique language that describes great detail in few words. Emphasize essential points such as your most vital skills or most significant accomplishments. When making a statement about an achievement or leadership role, provide dates and detail to give your experience insight.
Save and share your custom letterhead design.
Once your letterhead design is complete, instantly download your format to print at home, at work, or with a professional printer. Upload your design file to your digital platforms to share with your whole team or audience. You can even share your project with others to collaborate on bringing your design to life. And Adobe Express saves your creations, so you can always revisit them if you need to update them in the future.

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