Letterhead paper: A standardized page that includes such information as the company's name, the company logo, the address, phone numbers, email address, and web site address.

Letterhead paper looks more professional than plain paper. Many letterheads also include the names of important people in the company or department. These often are listed down the side of the page or across the bottom, not exactly the "head" of the letter. It's still it's called a letterhead, even when parts are at the bottom of the page!

In the days of typewriters, letterhead paper had to be pre-printed by a printing company and you typed your letter directly on it. Today you can create your own letterhead design and save it on your computer. Then each time you write a letter, you start with the letterhead document. It's all printed at the same time.

You can still use pre-printed paper for letters. You can also buy holiday paper with snowflakes or dancing reindeer, party invitation paper with cakes and candles and balloons on it, and even wedding invitation paper with roses and ribbons, and a wedding cake already printed on the paper. When you use paper with pre-printed borders or graphics, you must measure very carefully and change the margins of your document in your word processor so that your text will not print on top of the pre-printed parts.

Signature block: the items below your actual signature.

You always type your name here. Most of us don't sign our names too clearly, so this is important!

You could include your title (if you have one!) and the company name if you are not using letterhead paper. 

You can include lines like the following when they fit the situation:

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