Is there a letter template in Microsoft Word?

The internet is full of great ways to find free letter templates that can be used as the basis for your own documents — but how exactly does one go about creating their own document from scratch using nothing more than a blank piece of paper and some well-placed words? Is this even possible? If so, what are those steps? And why should we use them over other methods?

Let's take a look at how writing a letter works within Word documents.

How do you write an email or letter?

You have two options when sending emails through Word. The first method involves clicking on File " New E-mail message (or just selecting Insert). This will open up a new window with various fields already populated for you by default -- including Subject, From, To, Message body, Attachments, etc. You'll also see Options below this list where you can select whether or not to attach files. Finally, if you want to add any additional recipients, click Add/remove addresses here.

This is all pretty straightforward, but things get trickier when you're trying to create something like a resume or application form. In these cases, you might need to customize these defaults further. For example, if you're applying for a job, you may want to change your address field to include your contact information, rather than having it automatically generated based off your current location. Similarly, you could change your signature depending on which type of correspondence you're sending out.

However, most people would probably benefit from sticking to the basic settings provided by word itself. They allow you to easily copy & paste text into different places throughout your document without needing to edit each individual section individually. Plus, they save you time while working on longer projects, since you don't need to worry about changing anything every few minutes.

If you ever feel overwhelmed by the number of choices available, try experimenting with the Ribbon menu under Tools " Design Mode. Here, you can switch between different layouts such as Letter, A4 page size, Legal pad, Portrait Orientation, Landscape Orientation, Rounded Corners, Customize..., Page Setup..., and Document Background. Once you've found a layout that suits your needs best, press OK until the Layout box disappears. Now you can scroll down to the bottom of the screen and choose either Create my customized background or Set As Current Background.

Once you make this selection, a dropdown menu appears next to it. Selecting Customize... opens up several options, allowing you to set specific colors, images, fonts, borders, shadows, effects, charts, tables, styles, and much more. It's worth noting that many of these features require you to sign into Office 365 before being able to access them. However, we won't focus too heavily on that aspect today. Instead, let's consider another way to draft our letters in Word.

In case you haven’t heard, Google Docs has become quite popular lately because its interface is easy enough for anyone to understand. Unfortunately, this means that users often overlook one of the app’s greatest strengths: customizing existing templates.

It turns out that there are actually dozens upon dozens of pre-made templates right inside the main toolbar menu. These range from simple standard letters to sophisticated resumes, plus everything else in between. What makes this feature stand apart from similar apps like Canva, though, is that unlike them, you don't need to pay money to download any of these designs. Most of them come straight from the official Microsoft website.

To view these templates, simply hover over the button labeled Templates located directly underneath your cursor whenever you’re typing. Then, hit enter once the pop-up shows up. Afterward, you can select whichever design you wish to use. Unlike with e-mails, however, you cannot modify any of these templates after downloading. But luckily, Microsoft offers a couple alternatives that give you greater control over your documents.

One option lets you export your chosen template onto your desktop or laptop computer. So say you want to personalize a client letter that someone sent you online. Rather than spending hours tweaking it yourself, you can download the template, then transfer the parts you changed to a clean version of the same file stored locally.

Another handy feature allows you to duplicate the contents of your selected template and place them elsewhere in your project. This makes it incredibly convenient if you’d prefer to work offline instead of relying solely on cloud services. Simply double-click anywhere outside of the editor pane, and you’ll receive a prompt asking if you want to replace the current content or duplicate it. Choose Duplicate, and you’ll end up with a fresh copy ready to fill in whatever details you need.

How do you start a letter or email?

When drafting a letter, you must begin with a good subject line. Otherwise, you run the risk of scaring everyone involved! Luckily, this part is fairly easy. Just keep in mind that shorter titles tend to grab readers' attention better.

For instance, if you were composing a short note to tell someone you appreciate their assistance, you wouldn't want to craft a title like “I Need Your Help.” On the contrary, you could compose something like “Thanks for Your Time and Effort.” Keep in mind that you don’t always have to follow this formula, especially if you plan on using your document primarily as a template for future correspondences.

Next, you’ll typically insert sections called headers. These help break up large chunks of prose and ensure that paragraphs appear nicely organized. When choosing which header you'd like to use, think about which areas of your document are going to contain important information.

Finally, you’ll need to decide who you’re addressing in order to complete your letter properly. Do you want to specifically mention someone’s name somewhere in your document? Or perhaps you only intend to speak to certain parties. Either way, you can use tags to denote who these individuals are. By doing so, you’ll avoid cluttering your entire document up with unnecessary mentions.

After getting rid of extraneous pronouns, you’ll likely reach the stage where your letter looks something like this.

How do you write a letter and send it via email?

Nowadays, almost everyone uses electronic communication tools for their daily routines. Emails are no exception. While you certainly don’t need to stick to plaintext anymore, it still remains difficult to know when a particular sentence warrants a period. Thankfully, Word provides ample functionality to assist you in making sure that happens correctly.

First, head to Mailings " Table Formatting. This menu contains four tabs: Paragraph Styles, Column Formats, Row Formats, and Cell Styles. Each tab displays a collection of predefined formatting options, ranging from bullet points to columns to rows. Click on the style you want to apply to a given paragraph, then drag across your sentences to highlight the area you wish to format. Hit Enter when done, and Word will now treat that portion as a table. Make sure that none of your highlighted text falls within cells containing data.

Additionally, you can enable the Show Tabs toolbox icon beneath the ribbon. Doing so ensures that any lines you delete immediately disappear, leaving behind empty spaces. This prevents confusion regarding how long a particular block of text takes up. Lastly, you can alter the appearance of your table by adjusting font color, background, alignment, spacing, and cell shading.

With regards to overall structure, you can adjust column width and row height according to your preference. Additionally, you can tweak margins, indentations, justification, and tab stops.

While you’re at it, you may also want to organize your document by inserting sub-headers and footer bars. Subheads can help guide readers through lengthy texts, while footers provide extra support around the edges of pages.

And if you need to resize your table, select it with your mouse, hold SHIFT + ALT keys, and move the pointer inward or outward accordingly. Alternatively, you can also use the arrow keys present along the top left edge of your keyboard display.

How do you send a mail?

Mail clients like Outlook and Gmail offer built-in functions that automatically separate messages into distinct folders based on sender, recipient, date received, or other factors. With Word, you can assign labels to your outgoing mails and categorize them later. To do so, locate Labels alongside Actions in the Home tab. Then, click on the label assigned to your desired category, followed by Apply Label(s).... Next, pick your desired categories and labels, and click Save.

Lastly, you can opt to sort incoming emails by date or topic. Head back to Actions and navigate to Sort Email Messages... in the More Commands group. Pick the sorting criteria you wish to employ, and your mail client will handle the rest.

As previously mentioned, you can manually reorganize your inboxes by dragging items into appropriate locations. Or you can search for emails matching specific terms using the Find function.

Whether you're writing a personal note to someone, sending off your first job application, or are just looking for some new ideas about how to write the perfect cover letter, finding good quality word processing templates can be hard work. There's no need to search through endless pages when all you want is something that says "business," "cover letter" or even "letter."  You've come to the right place! We'll show you where to look, what to expect, and how easy it really is to create a professional document with one click.

Is there a free cover letter template?

If you know exactly what kind of project you want from your cover letter (e.g., a position at Google), then this site has the answer. It contains hundreds of professionally designed cover letter templates for various industries, as well as general use. You can filter templates by industry type, color scheme, font style, etc. The best part is they're available completely free of charge. Just fill out whatever information you like into each section, hit Create Template and choose which version works best for you.

The downside is that these templates aren't customizable — so if you have any specific formatting requirements, such as a certain width, height, number of columns, etc., you may not see them here. Also, while most of these templates are quite nice, we found several instances where sections were missing text boxes entirely. This could mean that those fields won't accept input until after you save your file. If you don't mind going without customizing your own documents and instead using pre-made ones, however, check out Cover Letter Guru.

How do I find templates in Word?

Once upon a time, searching for templates was difficult because every company had their own format for things like headers and footers, but today things have changed dramatically. Now, almost everyone uses the same basic layout. In fact, many people will tell you that Word makes creating a simple document much easier than other programs like Adobe Creative Suite. So why should finding templates be any different?

One reason is that Word provides more advanced features for designers who would rather customize their template themselves. For example, you might prefer to add images to the header of your report, change colors, modify fonts, and perform similar tasks. However, if you're working within constraints of a larger team, design changes must go through proper channels so you don't end up wasting everyone else's time. Fortunately, Word gives you plenty of options for doing just that.

Open File & Options and select Customize Ribbon. Expand Design tab and scroll down to Header/Footer dropdown menu. Select Text Boxes, followed by Add... Click OK and browse to the folder containing the.docx files you'd like to insert. Double-click the desired template and choose Edit Contents. Use the Text Editing pane to resize, move around, delete, or copy content from existing documents. When satisfied, close the window and exit back to Home. Your changes should now appear on subsequent edits!

For more details, read our full guide to editing Word templates.

How do I make a resume and cover letter in Word?

Resumes and cover letters made in Word generally follow a standard format, which means you shouldn't have too much trouble making yours unique enough to stand apart from others. As long as you stick with the basics, you probably won't run into problems. Here's a quick overview of what you'll typically encounter:

Header: A brief summary of your experience and qualifications, usually placed above your name.

Name: Your real last name, preferably capitalized throughout.

Contact Information: This includes phone numbers, email addresses and mailing address(s). Separate lines with commas unless otherwise specified.

Objectives: Summarize your career goals and objectives in terms of present day skills applicable to the role being applied for.

Summary: Describe yourself and highlight accomplishments during the course of your employment history.

Qualifications: List your educational background, relevant certifications, licenses, awards, and special training. Don't forget to include related experiences, especially if they relate to the position you're applying for.

Achievements: Highlight notable achievements since joining the organization, including projects completed, milestones reached, and results obtained. Be sure to avoid bragging or exaggerating; focus on demonstrating value added over time.

References: Include two references per page, separated by Page Numbers. References should always precede contact info.

Salary History: Specify salary range and compensation rate for current or previous positions held. Make sure to list salaries earned in descending order. Feel free to exclude this field altogether if you feel uncomfortable sharing your salary expectations publicly.

Experience: Briefly describe duties performed in past jobs. Keep descriptions short and sweet, focusing only on relevant aspects of said roles.

Education: Mention high school and undergraduate degrees, plus any graduate degree(s) received. Do not neglect to mention relevant courses taken, professorships acquired, and extracurricular activities.

Special Skills: Explain your strengths and talents in detail, emphasizing areas in which you believe you excel. Avoid vague wording and superfluous adjectives. Leave room for interpretation of your abilities depending on the nature of the position.

Skills: Focus specifically on technical expertise required by the employer.

Certificates / Licenses: Provide copies of official credentials issued by government agencies or academic institutions. Skip this field if your education or certification doesn't apply directly to the position sought.

Recommendations: Always provide positive recommendations from former managers and colleagues regarding your character, competence, reliability, attendance record, and productivity. Recommendation forms can easily be downloaded online.

Cover Letters: Word offers three types of cover letters: 1.) Standard Cover Letter 2.) Formatted Cover Letter 3.) Resume + Cover Letter Combination. Each option allows users to adjust elements of the default template to suit individual needs. Before opening your cover letter editor, take a moment to familiarize yourself with its functions. First, open the program itself. Then navigate to File & Open & Recent Documents. Browse through the tabs under Document Library to locate the latest saved versions of your chosen template. Once you find a suitable candidate, double-click the file and enter edit mode via View -& Modal Windows -& Entering Edits Mode.

Here, you can tweak fonts, colors, line spacing, image placement, and more. When you're ready to start drafting, head over to Insert -& Object -& Table. Choose Table Tools -& Formatting Pane -& Font Group. From here, you can access dozens of useful styles and effects that you can incorporate into your cover letter. Finally, before closing your document, ensure everything looks polished and complete by clicking Review -& Check Spelling and Grammar -& Finish.

When you're done, remember that there's nothing stopping you from copying and pasting your finished product straight into LinkedIn!

How do you make a cover letter on Microsoft Word 2010?

As mentioned earlier, Word isn't known for its extensive library of templates. But thanks to recent updates, it does offer a few decent choices for beginners. To get started, simply launch Word and open your preferred document. Head to Ribbon " Layout " Templates. Scroll down to Tabs, then expand Personal to view all subfolders. Locate and double-click the category that matches your profession. Underneath Filters, you'll notice a box labeled Show All Pages. Toggle this feature On to display all sections. Find the appropriate theme that suits your purpose and drag it onto the ribbon. With that step complete, you can begin adding text, changing colors, adjusting margins, inserting pictures, and pretty much anything else you want to do.

There are also numerous third party websites offering free downloadable cover letter templates. Some examples include Hloom [No Longer Available], Canva, and Coversity. While they lack customization capabilities, they often contain very attractive designs and layouts. Most importantly, they allow you to download a single file that saves you time in the future.

If you're looking to write something like a formal letter but want your words to match the style and format of an existing document, it might be easier to use one of Word's many pre-made templates instead of starting from scratch.  In this article we'll show how to easily create a letter template using Word's built-in tools.

Word has hundreds of different types of documents that are easy to customize with custom backgrounds, colors, fonts, and more. If you need help finding them all, check out our guide to making the most of Word Templates.

Let's say you have a business report to send over, and you'd prefer to keep things professional by sending off an official-looking correspondence. You could always start with a blank page, but if you were already working within Word itself, you could just pick up a ready-to-use template for what you need to say. Let's see exactly how to go about doing that below.

For those who aren't familiar with Word templates yet, don't worry! We've got some beginner tips right here for learning everything you need to know about creating basic word processing files in Word 2016.

How do I create a letter template in Word?

To get started, open any old file in Word (for example, a new.docx file) and look at the Ribbon along the top of the screen. Click File " Options " Mailings & Faxes. This will bring up a window where you can select which type of document you want to add a template to. For now, let's choose Letter.

Once selected, click Add Document Template... on the next menu down. Then follow these steps:

Select BlankLetterPaper under Type, then Next. Under Background, select Clear White Paper. Finally, enter a name into Name so that later you won't forget what each section is called. Once finished, hit OK.

Now when you switch back to your original document, you should see a small dropdown box appear on the left side of the ribbon. From here, you can select New Blank Document and then double-click on your newly created template to edit it as much as needed.

When you finish, save your changes and close the document. Now whenever you want to quickly draft a letter without having to mess around too much, simply open up your template and fill in the blanks.

Note: While you can technically change the background color, font size, text color, etc., those options only apply to the contents of your document. To actually modify the appearance of your letter, you would need to delete the default header/footer. However, since they are designed specifically for people unfamiliar with Microsoft Office, chances are good you probably wouldn't want to touch anything else anyway.

Is there a letter template on Word?

Yes! There are dozens of great templates available for every conceivable purpose, even ones made specifically for mobile devices. In addition, you may also notice a few other sections in various menus throughout Word. These are often labeled similarly, such as Header 1 or Cover Page.

Here are some places to begin hunting for additional templates:

Microsoft Word Online - The site offers several letter templates for download, including one titled Email Signature. But perhaps more relevant is the Business Letter Format tab, which includes plenty of choices as well. It seems that while Microsoft does not include its own email signature template, it does offer a lot more for business correspondences than personal signatures.

Office Depot – Not sure what kind of paper stock you’ll be sending your paperwork through? Or maybe you need a special number of pages per sheet. Either way, you’re going to want to head straight to Office Depot’s website for high quality templates.

Cards.net – Need to design a simple card for someone? Cards.net has tons of designs, both modern and vintage, for sale online. Just search “letter cards” and browse until you find something suitable.

Templates Galore – Did you know that Google Docs gives users access to thousands upon thousands of professionally designed templates? Head to this link to take advantage of their wide selection. A quick look reveals categories like Invoices, Resumes, Flyers, Calendar, Quotes, Reports, and a whole bunch more.

The best part is that none of these templates require payment to try out — you can preview them first before downloading them.

How can I make my own template?

As mentioned above, you can either start with a brand new document or open up an existing one. Whichever option works best for you depends largely on whether you plan to reuse it regularly or not.

But regardless of which route you decide to take, once you locate a template you think fits your needs, you can tweak it however you wish. Simply highlight the parts you like, right-click, and select Copy Text from Selection.... Then paste wherever you’d like in the same manner.

You can also copy entire elements, such as tables, as long as you remember to paste them elsewhere. That said, selecting individual cells and copying them individually is generally considered better practice because it leaves room for errors. And if you ever happen to accidentally cut something, you still have the ability to paste it again.

If you really wanted to get creative, you could also consider editing the margins to suit your preferences. Though changing margins isn't recommended unless absolutely necessary, sometimes adding extra space between paragraphs is helpful. Similarly, you can adjust spacing between lines to give certain portions more breathing room.

However, if you feel uncomfortable messing with styles, you can alternatively resize images to fit whatever layout you desire. And if you'd rather start fresh, you can always delete any unused elements and replace them with fresh content.

Lastly, you can use Word's handy Find function to identify specific areas of interest. So if you noticed a paragraph you liked somewhere in particular, you could use the Find function to pull up that exact chunk of text and insert it elsewhere.

How do I find a cover letter template in Word?

Finding a cover letter template in Word is pretty similar to finding a letter template. Again, you can use the Find feature to grab the desired information. Instead of typing the phrase yourself though, you can drag across highlighted text to find matching results.

This means that if you had a line drawing of a person sitting behind a desk, you could navigate to Desk Image and scroll down until you found a picture containing the image of a man seated behind a large table. After identifying that area, you could then copy and paste it anywhere you wished.

Alternatively, you can right-click on a photo in Word and then select Insert Picture from the context menu. This brings up a popup where you can select your preferred source. Alternatively, you can manually upload files from your computer, cloud storage services, or network drives.

And lastly, you can also use Bing Images Search to comb through millions of photos searching for potential matches. When searching, you can narrow results based on filters like Color, Date Taken, People, Places, Size, and more.

What makes this tool particularly useful is that once you find a result, you can hover over it to view larger versions of the pictures and immediately embed them inside your document. Of course, you can also opt to download the resulting media directly to your hard drive if you'd prefer.

With all these features combined, you shouldn't have trouble coming up with unique layouts for your documents no matter what you intend to accomplish with them.