What Is a Letterhead?
A letterhead is the heading printed or designed at the top of a sheet of stationery — a company or personal name, logo, address and contact details — used to identify the sender of a letter before anyone reads a word of it. Many letterheads also include a matching footer with legal or registration detail. The word can refer either to that heading itself, or to the whole sheet of paper printed with it ("write it on our letterhead").
Anatomy of a letterhead
A complete letterhead is usually built from these core elements:
- Header — logo, company or personal name, and often a short tagline
- Contact line — address, phone, email and website, in the header or footer
- Divider — a rule or border separating the header from the letter body
- Body area — calibrated margins where the actual letter text goes
- Footer — legal detail (registration number, tax ID) for registered companies, or just a repeated contact line
- Signature block — space for a signature, name and title at the close of the letter
Letterhead vs. Header Comparison
Understanding the distinction between a letterhead, a document header, and a footer is essential for proper document design and legal compliance:
| Element | Scope | Contents | Primary Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letterhead | Complete full-page stationery system | Logo, trading name, address, phone, email, website, legal footer, calibrated margins | Client proposals, invoices, contracts, official notices |
| Document Header | Top 1–2 inches of a document | Document title, brief logo, chapter title, or running head | Multi-page continuation sheets, internal company memos |
| Document Footer | Bottom 0.5–1 inch of a document | Company registration number, tax/VAT ID, registered office address, page number | Statutory disclosures, pagination, confidentiality notices |
| Envelope / Billhead | Companion mailing stationery | Return address, postage permit, compact emblem | Postal delivery, dispatch documentation |
Legal & Statutory Requirements for Company Letterheads
In most jurisdictions, registered companies (such as Ltd, LLC, Inc., GmbH, or Pty Ltd) are legally mandated to display specific statutory details on all business correspondence, quotes, order forms, and invoices:
Letterhead meaning by context
The exact expectations for a letterhead shift with context. A business letterhead just needs to identify the sender clearly. A company letterhead for a registered legal entity typically also needs a registration number and tax ID. An official letterhead for a government or institutional body leans formal and restrained. And a personal letterhead drops the legal detail entirely in favour of a name and a warmer style.
Frequently asked questions
What is a letterhead?
A letterhead is the pre-printed or pre-designed heading at the top (and often bottom) of a sheet of paper, used for official correspondence. It typically includes a company or personal name, logo, address and contact details, and establishes who a letter is from before anyone reads its content.
What is the definition of a letterhead?
The definition of a letterhead is: a heading printed at the top of a sheet of stationery, consisting of a name, logo and address, used as an identifying mark on official documents and correspondence. It can also refer to the whole sheet of paper printed with that heading.
What's a letterhead, in plain terms?
In plain terms, a letterhead is a template for your official writing paper — it shows who you (or your business) are at the top of the page, so every letter you send looks consistent and identifiable.
What is the letterhead used for on a business letter?
On a business letter, the letterhead sits above the body text and identifies the sender. A standard business letter format with letterhead places the date and recipient address below the letterhead, then the salutation, body, closing and signature.
Is a letterhead the same as a header?
No. A header is just the top strip of a page (often used for page titles in multi-page documents). A letterhead is a complete stationery treatment — header, and usually a footer with legal or contact detail, calibrated margins, and a consistent look across every page.
What must legally be on a company letterhead?
Under company law (e.g., UK Companies Act, US State statutes, EU business directives), incorporated entities must display: full registered company name, legal form (e.g. Ltd, LLC, Inc.), registered office address, company registration number, and VAT/tax ID if registered.
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