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Format of Business Letters
Computers nowadays make our life so easy Dixie finds it hard to believe.
With all this new technology formatting business letters has become a breeze. Especially if you know the major rules Dixie has gathered for you in this place. If you use proper format for business letters your letters produce a good impression on the reader... provided the content does not spoil it, of course.
What else could you wish for?
Business Letter Layouts
Dixie suggests we focus here on the following three business letter layouts which are used quite widely:
Full Block
The Full Block business letter layout is the easiest to format. Here everything starts at the left margin, and Dixie delights in the fact that no tabs are needed. This style is efficient and businesslike. No wonder it has become so popular and it is Dixie's first choice, too. Some critics though feel that this layout looks a little crowded. It's good then that there are two more of them... see below.
Modified Block
The Modified Block style's return address (Dixie reminds you that you use the return address only in case there is no letterhead), date, complimentary closing and the signature line are at the center of the paper, or rather to the right of center. Everything else is flush with the left margin. Most of us are comfortable with this business letter layout as it has traditionally been the most commonly used.Indented
In case of the Indented/semi-block layout the paragraphs in the body are indented one tab stop. So, you need to use two tabs: one for the indented paragraphs and one for the return address (again, in case no letterhead is used), date, complimentary closing and signature line. Dixie thinks this style is a little outdated. On the other hand, most of us are comfortable with it and a lot of companies still use it.
Some General Points About Business Letter Layout
Whichever layout you are using to format your business letter, try to leave 1-1.5" margins. Dixie suggests you imagine that the margins create a frame around your words, which makes your letter more appealing.
If your business letter is not too long (like has about two or three sentences), start it between 6-12 lines from the top of the page.
Another advice from Dixie, make your paragraphs rather short. We live in the world so crammed with information that a lot of people scan their mail and in the best case read something that catches their attention. And we all know that short paragraphs are easier to read than the long ones. Besides, the white space between the paragraphs provides a resting place for the reader's eyes.
Dixie: "A Few Words about Formatting Letterhead Stationery"
If your stationery has a letterhead, the letterhead stays on top, of course. In this case leave at least two, better three empty lines under it, and if the letter is short leave even more space and try to place the body of the letter in the middle of the page.
Some letterheads also use inscriptions on the left edge of the paper and sometimes (least common, and least convenient in Dixie's expert opinion) on the bottom, and Dixie wants to remind you to leave space for those.
See an example of a business letter with a letterhead on Dixie's Indented Business Letter page.
