When you run a small business (or honestly, even a big business), everything counts as branding. Even the little details — in fact, it’s the little details that distinguish a great brand from a regular one — which brings me to business letterheads.
As an entrepreneur, nailing your official letterhead is one of those tiny details that showcase your professionalism and credibility as a brand. I put together some of the best business letterhead examples to take inspiration from, plus some tips for how and where to design yours.
Are letterheads still relevant in 2025?
For sure. Letters are still part of the business world, whether to invite sponsorships or brand collaborations. And yes, even if most of these correspondences happen via email, attaching a letter with a nice professional letterhead presents you as smart, credible, and professional. It also shows off your contact information, making your business more accessible.
I can’t stress enough how all this counts as marketing and building your brand presence and identity. While often overlooked, letterheads can say so much about who you are as a business to the person on the receiving end.
It’s also relevant because we’re currently in an era of online content surplus. There’s a ton of content published on the internet every day, thanks to the creator economy. This means standing out with a unique personal identity is more important than ever in your marketing plan, even down to something as minimal as a letterhead.
1. Traditional letterhead for business
Traditional corporate letterhead examples include your logo, basic contact information, and brand colors (Source: Adobe Express)
A good business letterhead, no matter what your business is, should include your company name and basic contact information, as well as convey a sense of your brand identity through your logo and brand colors. Usually, all these will live on the header and footer of your document.
The letterhead above is a good example. It has the company logo on top with the business address, phone number, and email address on the bottom. It’s the most traditional format of a business letterhead, and it still works because it’s clean, cohesive, professional, and versatile. It’ll work for just about any business.
This business letterhead template — along with many more templates — is available at Adobe Express, which also has a handy online drag-and-drop editor to design your business letterhead. I also love that it has a wide template variety, covering everything from traditional corporate letterheads to full-color creative ones.
2. Creative full-border letterhead
A colored, full-border letterhead brings to mind classic stationery and helps you stand out. (Source: Adobe Express)
Now that we’ve done the traditional business letterhead, consider some more creative business letterhead examples. Business letterheads needn’t always stick to strict header and footer sections. This style proves that you can use a full-color border to stand out.
It’s a great fit for any type of creative brand with a strong visual branding; for instance, if you own a fashion or beauty startup or a dessert brand.
With a full-color border, you’ll want to keep the rest of your design elements simple. Use plain black and white text and use a wordmark instead of a logo. If you don’t have a wordmark, stick to a black-and-white version of your logo.
3. Asymmetrical single-border letterhead
A single-border letterhead gives your document a more asymmetrical look. (Source: Envato Elements)
If a full creative border feels a little too much, another option is to go with a single-sided creative border for an asymmetrical — but equally whimsical — take. A single multi-color border is already plenty eye-catching, so you’ll also want to keep the rest of your document simple.
Like full-border letterheads, these will also be a good option for brands with a strong visual brand identity or in the creative field.
4. Watermark letterhead design
A watermark-based letterhead is subtle but impactful and unique. (Source: Canva)
Letterheads don’t strictly have to be all in the header. You can also opt for a watermark-based design for a subtle yet impactful look. It’s also one of the more unique company letterhead examples that creates a good sense of harmony in your document.
My advice: Instead of your initials, use your logo as your watermark. Keep it a shade or two darker than your document’s background color. Then, keep the rest of your document simple to make it really stand out.
5. Minimalist (but striking) letterhead design
A minimalist take on your letterhead can be simple but striking. (Source: AIGA Eye on Design)
Minimalist letterheads just never go out of style. All you need is a strong color choice and a good layout of your elements.
In this case, a minimalist company letterhead example might incorporate all the important information into the letterhead design, not using more than a single corner. And extending simple branding elements to envelopes adds an extra surprise touch.
It’s the definition of simple but striking and bold, and it makes your contact information easy to find. Plus, it’s also more economical in terms of printing costs.
6. Vintage-inspired hand-drawn letterhead
Hand-drawn letterheads give you a “traditional” feel and help you stand out. (Source: Envato Elements)
Lest we forget, the earliest letterheads were drawn entirely by hand. And they’re still a fun way to stand out in a sea of computer-generated letterheads, especially if you work in an artisan business or a bakery and use print, not digital, letterheads.
A vintage-inspired letterhead gives off a homemade feel. With vintage letterheads, you’ll want to use a monochrome color scheme. Top it off with a handwritten signature to really drive home that traditional feel.
7. Subtle gradient letterhead
Gradients add a touch of color to your letterhead without being too overpowering. (Source: Envato Elements)
If you want to add some color to your letterhead but don’t want a full solid color block, a color gradient is a good compromise. Use one color gradient as an accent to your letterhead, then keep the rest of your design simple with a white background.
Gradients also give off a sense of free-flowing creativity and innovation, so they’re a good fit for modern, creative startups or independent creatives.
8. Influencer or content creator letterhead with signature
Stand out as a creator by highlighting your personal brand in your letterhead. (Source: Canva)
Being an influencer or content creator often means doing lots of correspondence with brands. The good news is you have a lot of creative leeway with your letterhead design to really show off your personal brand identity. Fully incorporate your brand colors, motifs, and signature.
The type of business letterhead example, for instance, uses a full-color background and a signature as the main header. It stands out among a sea of mostly white-background letterheads and puts your name front and center.
9. Splash of color letterhead
Add a splash of color as the focal point of your letterhead design. (Source: Graphic Delta)
Adding a bold splash of color is an excellent way to catch your reader’s attention. Up to three contrasting colors can create a sense of vibrancy that makes a letter stand out from the rest of the designs in the industry. Including at least one of the colors from the logo also ensures a cohesive look.
10. Two-column letterhead
Use columns to separate sections of your text. (Source: DesignCrowd)
An unconventional (but still professional) way to make a letterhead is by incorporating columns into your design to separate areas of text. Instead of putting contact information at the top or bottom of the page, the letterhead above uses a column on the left to clearly include all the relevant company information. An additional element that can elevate your design is a watermark of your logo in the body of the letter.
11. Construction business letterhead
Use solid colors and a clean, architectural layout for your construction business letterhead. (Source: Template.net)
This construction company stationery supports the brand using colors common to the industry and a clean but still architectural design. The logo stands apart, bringing extra attention to the brand, while the yellow and black post at the far right anchors the design.
12. Hotel and hospitality letterhead
Evoke a sense of luxury for hotel or hospitality letterheads. (Source: Poster My Wall)
This hotel letterhead sample uses a subtle yet intricate design that dramatically frames the body of the text. Using designs like this while keeping the body of the letter simple evokes a sense of luxury, ideal for the hospitality industry. The logo is undoubtedly the focal point, but it balances it out with the company website at the bottom.
13. Law firm letterhead
A two-tone color scheme conveys professionalism and credibility. (Source: Venngage)
This law firm’s letterhead is one of the more traditional-looking ones, but it still conveys professionalism and credibility, which is the most important factor for a law firm. Using a blue border also plays into that, as blue often conveys trust and security in brand color psychology.
14. Medical practice letterhead
Simple, professional, and straight to the point is always a good choice. (Source: 99designs)
This business letterhead from a medical provider combines professionalism and modernity. All the company info and branding elements live on the top left and right sides of the header, keeping the rest of the document free of any other elements.
15. School or university letterhead
Use a photo of your institution as a border. (Source: Canva)
Set your institution apart and further your branding by using your school’s primary color as the basis for your business stationery. This letterhead example shows how easy it is to add imagery without taking away from the overall simplicity. Use just a sliver of a photo with an overlay color consistent with the rest of your letterhead to keep it elegant and professional.
16. Restaurant letterhead
Vibrant colors leave a welcoming and friendly impression. (Source: IS Creative Studio)
Restaurants and cafes can have a little more fun and take creative freedom with their letterheads. Take inspiration from signature design elements in your business other than your logo: your subway-tile floor, the upholstery pattern on your vintage booths, or the mural on your back wall. Each of these can help you create a vivid, memorable letterhead. To keep it modern and fresh, isolate the signature design and use it as a border at the edge of your letterhead.
17. Bookshop letterhead
The quotation mark accent instantly tells people that it’s from a bookshop (Source: purpose.co.uk via Pinterest)
Here’s an idea: Instead of a company logo, use a visual or symbol that fits with the industry or type of work your business is in, like in the example of a bookstore cleverly using a quotation mark as an accent. It’s a small detail that says a lot and instantly lets people know you’re in the literary field.
18. Real estate agency letterhead
A classic black-and-white scheme conveys elegance and exclusivity. (Source: Fleek Templates)
A plain letterhead with a sizable logo and your business name up top looks elegant and professional, especially in classic colors like black and gold. Going with a classic font and minimalist color scheme gives the impression of exclusivity and elegance, making it perfect for a luxury or boutique real estate agency.
19. Architectural firm letterhead
This letterhead from an architectural firm uses text and good use of space to stand out. (Source: Bleed Design Studio)
Create a more modern letterhead design by not using graphics or colors. This letterhead example uses spacing and text blocks to separate the content areas of the correspondence to make everything easy to digest. This type of design is also very structural by nature, fitting for an architectural firm, art gallery, builder, or even an interior designer.
20. Digital marketing agency letterhead
Use minimal design, good color harmony, and text hierarchy to convey professionalism. (Source: Canva)
Digital marketing agencies often have to balance unique, creative branding and a strong sense of professionalism. This business letterhead may seem simple, but the harmony of colors and sprinkle of design elements throughout the page are good ways to showcase a digital marketing agency’s creative capabilities.
21. Letterhead for nonprofit organizations
This nonprofit organization’s letterhead lets its logo and brand color stand out above all else. (Source: Brave Factor)
A nonprofit’s letterhead has to do an excellent job of disseminating information while still being modern, appealing, and on-brand. The business stationery example is beautifully designed yet still very simple, primarily by letting the handwritten logo and blue brand color stand out above all else.
More importantly, it leads with its mission statement and community story, proving again that your letterhead can be so much more than your logo.
22. Graphic designer or artist letterhead
This letterhead stands out by expanding the artist’s logo to the whole document. (Source: Tim Jarvis)
Being in a creative field of work allows more leeway in terms of letterhead design. While modern-looking letterheads are often simpler in terms of graphics and colors, don’t let that stifle your creativity. If you have the budget for it, print your letterhead design on different paper colors. This change-up enables you to stay on-brand while keeping it more interesting for your clients and audience.
23. Health and wellness business letterhead
Earthy, relaxing colors make an excellent letterhead for a wellness brand (Source: Dribble)
A relaxing and elegant take on a business letterhead, a health and wellness letterhead example with colored envelopes, and an enamel logo can set your brand apart. Choose appealing yet eye-relaxing colors to add visual interest and keep the correspondence side simple. Adding the logo in the same color will tie everything together on your custom letterhead.
How to design a business letterhead that helps you stand out and stay professional
You don’t need to be a professional graphic designer to make a good letterhead that promotes your brand. But there are a few basic design principles that all the company letterhead examples above have in common, even if they have unique designs. For example, there’s always a generous amount of white space so that your letter, the focal point of your document, still takes center stage.
- Have a clear and consistent brand identity. When you have multiple marketing materials like letterheads and business cards, it’s important to have a consistent brand identity to present a united front and showcase your brand’s credibility and professionalism. Take the time to design a brand logo (or hire a designer to make one), and choose the right colors to represent your brand.
- Only include your logo and basic contact details at most. These are the only information that should be on your letterhead. You don’t want to overcrowd your document until it becomes indecipherable. Once you have this basic information down, use it as the basis of your business letterhead design.
- Test out different letterhead formats. Whether you use a standard header and footer format or a completely borderless one, test out different formats for your letterhead info. A logo and address on top and contact information on the bottom is the standard format, but experiment with different ones that best fit your brand identity.
- When in doubt, keep it minimal. It’s an easy mistake to keep adding design elements to make your letterhead unique. But when in doubt, keep it clean, minimal, and professional. Prioritize clarity and getting your message across over having an attention-grabbing design.
Where to design a letterhead: Best platforms
So, where do you get started designing a business letterhead? You may have heard of Canva, which still has a good enough selection of business letterhead templates, although its better ones are increasingly being locked behind paid plans.
Adobe Express is a good alternative that I’m increasingly finding helpful — it offers a similar online design platform. There’s also VistaPrint for print-ready designs, or get a completely custom one from a designer on Fiverr.
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Over 300 letterhead templates, with nearly 200 for free and ready to customize in the drag-and-drop editor | Online drag-and-drop editor with printing services and basic letterhead templates | A hiring platform with hundreds of freelance designers for a fully custom and unique letterhead |
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
A professional letterhead should include your business logo, name, and basic contact information, like your email address, contact number, website, and address if you have one. However, it shouldn’t include so many details that it becomes overcrowded.
You can also add more identity by using your brand colors as borders or as a background — just be sure to leave enough space for your letter to take center stage.
To write a letterhead, start with the most important information about your business that you want the public to know, like its name, email address, phone number, and website. You might also include your social media handles if your business is primarily on social media.
Then, arrange them on your document’s header and footer, leaving space in the middle for your content. Add elements of your brand identity, such as your logo and brand colors, to complete your letterhead.
A business letterhead is a marketing material that brands official documents from your business, like letters and contracts. It usually includes your brand logo, address, and basic contact information. Letterheads help build your professional reputation and brand and present you as a credible business to your correspondents.
Bottom line
The company letterhead examples above are proof that there is no single way to design a letterhead. It’s an excellent opportunity to show off your unique identity as a brand, as well as present yourself as a professional and credible business.
The best business letterheads instantly convey what your business is about and give people ways to get in touch with you, whether you use them for business proposals, cover letters, contracts, or everything in between.
