Letterhead size: standard dimensions, margins and paper

The standard letterhead size in the United States is 8.5 x 11 inches, the same as letter-size paper. Most other countries use A4, which is 210 x 297 mm (8.27 x 11.69 inches). Letterhead needs to match the paper size of the printers it will run through, so the right size depends on where your letters are written and sent. This guide covers letterhead sizes, margins, file setup and paper.

Standard letterhead sizes

• Letter, 8.5 x 11 in: the standard business letterhead size in the US and Canada.
• A4, 210 x 297 mm: the standard size in Europe, Asia, Australia and most other countries.
• Monarch, 7.25 x 10.5 in: a smaller sheet for executive and personal correspondence. It mails in a matching Monarch envelope, 3.875 x 7.5 in.
• Second sheets: continuation pages for multi-page letters, printed at the same size with a smaller logo or no design at all.

If your company writes to clients in other countries, letterhead set up for Letter prints with a gap at the bottom of an A4 sheet. Keep the design away from the edges, or set up a separate A4 version. Our guide to standard paper sizes compares Letter and A4.

Margins and layout

• Header: the logo, company name and often the address usually take the top 1 to 1.5 inches.
• Footer: some designs put the address, phone, website and license numbers in a footer instead.
• Body margins: leave at least 1 inch on each side for the typed letter, and set the word processor template to match the printed header and footer.
• Printer margins: most office printers cannot print within about 0.25 inch of the edge. A pre-printed design can run to the edge, but typed content added later must stay inside the printer margins.

Letterhead and envelopes

A letter-size sheet folded in thirds fits a #10 business envelope, 4.125 x 9.5 inches. If you use window envelopes, place the recipient address block in your template so it lines up with the window when the letter is folded. A4 letters usually go in a DL envelope, 110 x 220 mm. Our envelope size chart lists the matching envelope for each sheet.

Setting up a letterhead file

• For a printed letterhead, set the document to 8.5 x 11 in. Add 0.125 in of bleed on each side if the design runs to the edge, which makes the file 8.75 x 11.25 in.
• At 300 ppi, a letter-size sheet is 2550 x 3300 pixels. An A4 sheet is 2480 x 3508 pixels.
• Save the artwork as a print-ready PDF with fonts embedded. Our guide to print-ready files explains the steps.
• Create a matching digital template in Word or Google Docs for letters sent by email, with the same header and margins.

Paper for letterhead

Letterhead is usually printed on 24 lb bond or 70 lb text, a weight that still runs through an office laser printer without jamming. Uncoated paper is the standard choice, because it takes toner and ink cleanly and is easy to sign. Felt, linen and cotton finishes give the sheet a more formal feel. If your team prints letters in house, choose a stock that is rated for laser printers. Our paper weight guide explains bond and text weights.

To print a set, see our letterhead and envelopes, which are specified together so the paper shade matches across the set. We can also quote matching business cards and envelopes.

Common questions

What size is letterhead?

Standard letterhead in the US is 8.5 x 11 inches. In most other countries it is A4, 210 x 297 mm.

What are the dimensions of letterhead in pixels?

At 300 ppi, letter-size letterhead is 2550 x 3300 pixels and A4 letterhead is 2480 x 3508 pixels.

What paper weight is best for letterhead?

24 lb bond or 70 lb text is the most common weight, because it looks professional and still runs through office printers.

What envelope fits letterhead?

A #10 envelope, 4.125 x 9.5 inches, fits a letter-size sheet folded in thirds. A4 letters fit a DL envelope.