How to Make Letterhead Stationery in Microsoft Word

Writing an old-fashioned letter on personalized stationery to send in the mail is a thoughtful, meaningful way to keep in touch. However, since most of us use email or phones to catch up with our faraway family and friends, you may not have any nice stationery. If you have Microsoft Word on your computer, a printer and some decent quality paper, you have all the tools you need to create some lovely letterhead.

Even if you do not want to pen a note to your cousin Susie or Grandma (although, why wouldn't you?) there are many ways you can use your personalized letterhead. Use letterhead to enhance your job search to write cover letters and thank you notes to prospective employers. If you are a writer, print query letters on your homemade but professional-looking letterhead. Using attractive, bold letterhead will get you noticed for all the right reasons.

Begin by opening a new blank Word document. To do this in Word 2003 or earlier, click New from the File menu, or click the New Blank Document button on the toolbar. In Word 2007, click the Office button and then click New. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+N in any version of Word.

Once you have that nice, clean page in front of you, it is time to get a little creative. You will need to get into the Header section of the page. In Word 2007, go to the Insert tab of the Ribbon and click on Header and Footer. In previous versions of Word, go to the View menu and click Header and Footer.

Make sure your cursor is placed inside the Header (not the Footer). Choose a font style and color that suits your style and personality. If you would like to try some new, fun fonts, click here to check out some free handwriting fonts. To format your font in Word 2007, go to the Home tab of the Ribbon. In earlier versions, choose Font from the Format menu, or use the options on the formatting toolbar. (If you don't see the Formatting Toolbar, go to View, point to Toolbars and click on Formatting.)

With your font properly formatted and your cursor at the beginning of the Header, set the alignment to Center. You can use the toolbar button (it looks like a centered column of horizontal lines) or use the keyboard shortcut of Ctrl+e. Type in your full name as you want it to appear on your letterhead. If you want to add a phone number, hit Tab again and type it in. Press the Enter key and type in your street address, and if you wish to add a fax number, use the spacebar to move your cursor directly below your phone number. Enter again and type in your city, state and zip code. If you want to include your email or website address, hit Enter once more and type away.

Close the Header and Footer toolbar or click into the main document to exit the Header. For extra embellishment, you can add a decorative border or background to your letterhead if you wish. To add a border in Word 2007, go to the Home tab of the Ribbon. In the Paragraph section, click on the border button (it looks like a box with a dotted outline). Choose Borders and Shading from the dropdown menu. In Word 2003 or earlier, click on Borders and Shading in the Format menu. On the Page Border tab, click on the Art dropdown menu and choose the border you like.

To add a background to your page in Word 2007, go to the Page Layout tab and click on Page Colors. In previous versions, point to Background from the Format menu and choose a color from the options available or click on More Colors or Fill Effects for further options.

Once your letterhead is finished, you can save it as a document or a template by choosing Template from the Save as Type box when you save it.