Appendix A: Format and Layout of Business Documents
Appendix OUTLINE
First Impressions
Paper
Customization
Appearance
Letters
Standard Letter Parts
Additional Letter Parts
Letter Formats
Envelopes
Addressing the Envelope
Folding to Fit
International Mail
Memos
Reports
Margins
Headings
Page Numbers
,LECTURE NOTES
First Impressions
Professionalism is indicated by choice of
Paper
Customization
Appearance
Paper
Key aspects of paper include
Weight (20-pound is most common, but 16- and 24-pound versions are also used)
Cotton content (25 percent cotton is preferred for formal letters)
Size:
Standard size: 8½ by 11 inches (for U.S.; most other countries use metric
sizes)
Legal size: 8½ by 14 inches
Personal size: 7 by 10 inches
Color; white is standard color for business purposes, but neutral colors such as
ivory and gray are also acceptable for many uses
Customization
Customized stationery has letterhead with information such as the firm’s
Name
Logo
Address
Phone number
Fax number
General email address
Website URL
Social media URLs
,Appearance
For the best appearance
Center letters on the page and set all margins at 1-inch minimum.
Do not use justification, varying line length makes the message easier to read.
, Include the proper spacing after punctuation:
One space after periods and colons
One space after commas, semicolons, and the periods in a person’s initials
No spaces in abbreviations for organizations, even with periods (U.S.A., not
U. S. A.)
Take advantage of the many special symbols available with your computer’s
selection of fonts.
Letters
Standard Letter Parts
Standard letter parts include the following:
Heading
Date
Inside address
Salutation
Body
Complimentary close
Signature block
Your heading depends on the type of paper you use:
Generally use letterhead.
If no letterhead is available, start 13 lines from the top of the page (a 2 inch
margin).
The date’s position depends on the type of heading you use:
Place the date one blank line beneath the letterhead.
If you aren’t using a letterhead, place the date immediately below (without any
extra line space).
The form is either the standard form (July 14, 2012) or the alternative form (14
July 2012).
Appendix OUTLINE
First Impressions
Paper
Customization
Appearance
Letters
Standard Letter Parts
Additional Letter Parts
Letter Formats
Envelopes
Addressing the Envelope
Folding to Fit
International Mail
Memos
Reports
Margins
Headings
Page Numbers
,LECTURE NOTES
First Impressions
Professionalism is indicated by choice of
Paper
Customization
Appearance
Paper
Key aspects of paper include
Weight (20-pound is most common, but 16- and 24-pound versions are also used)
Cotton content (25 percent cotton is preferred for formal letters)
Size:
Standard size: 8½ by 11 inches (for U.S.; most other countries use metric
sizes)
Legal size: 8½ by 14 inches
Personal size: 7 by 10 inches
Color; white is standard color for business purposes, but neutral colors such as
ivory and gray are also acceptable for many uses
Customization
Customized stationery has letterhead with information such as the firm’s
Name
Logo
Address
Phone number
Fax number
General email address
Website URL
Social media URLs
,Appearance
For the best appearance
Center letters on the page and set all margins at 1-inch minimum.
Do not use justification, varying line length makes the message easier to read.
, Include the proper spacing after punctuation:
One space after periods and colons
One space after commas, semicolons, and the periods in a person’s initials
No spaces in abbreviations for organizations, even with periods (U.S.A., not
U. S. A.)
Take advantage of the many special symbols available with your computer’s
selection of fonts.
Letters
Standard Letter Parts
Standard letter parts include the following:
Heading
Date
Inside address
Salutation
Body
Complimentary close
Signature block
Your heading depends on the type of paper you use:
Generally use letterhead.
If no letterhead is available, start 13 lines from the top of the page (a 2 inch
margin).
The date’s position depends on the type of heading you use:
Place the date one blank line beneath the letterhead.
If you aren’t using a letterhead, place the date immediately below (without any
extra line space).
The form is either the standard form (July 14, 2012) or the alternative form (14
July 2012).
