Letter format
Before we begin to discuss letter content, we must examine letter
appearance. because the physical condition of a letter makes the first
impression on your reader Before reading even one word you have
written has formed an opinion based on the way your letter looks-the
arrangement, the print quality, etc
When you have composed the body of your letter and are ready to print ,
keep in mind three things
Printing Letters should be [ single- spaced ]with[ double-spacing]
between paragraphs.
Print should be \ clear and dark +. Errors should not be erased or
corrected after printing
Paragraphing Paragraph breaks should come at[ logical points in your
message ]
A one-line paragraph followed by an eight- line paragraph will look
bottom heavy. Paragraphs of approximately the same length will please
the eye
White space In addition to the space created by paragraphing,
 leave space by centering the body of your letter on the page.
 An ample margin of white space should surround the message,
 top and bottom as well as both sides.
 If a letter is brief , avoid beginning to print too high on the page;
 if a letter is long, do not hesitate to use an additional sheet of paper
Parts of a business letter
While the horizontal placement of letter parts may vary. the vertical
order of these parts is standard
.
Study the following list of letter parts :
1- Letterhead: This, of course, is printed and supplied by your employer.
It is used only for the first page a letter.
2-Dateline: The date on which the letter is being prepared appears a few
lines below the letterhead.
3-inside address: The address of your reader is printed as it will appear
on the envelope
4- Attention line: This is no always required, It should be used when the
letter is addressed to a company, organization, or department as a whole,
but you want it to be handled by a specific individual within that unit. It
should be underlined or printed in capitals
5 - Salutation: While "dear sir," Dear Madam," " Dear madam or sir,"
Gentlemen," "Gentleman and ladies " are acceptable in cases of extreme
formality, you should otherwise use an individual's in cases whenever it
is know. When the reader's name is not known, the person's title is the
next best term in a salutation.
6- Subject line: Like the attention line, this is often omitted, but its
inclusion is a courtesy to your readers, by alerting them to the content of
you message you enable them to decide whether the letter requires
immediate attention. It should be underlined or printed in capitals.
7- Body: This is the actual message of your letter.
8- Complimentary Closing: This is a polite , formal way to end a letter;
standard formal are " yours truly" or Truly yours," "Sincerely yours,"
"Respectfully yours," etc. Excessively familiar closings should be
avoided, except in special situations. "Best wishes," for example, could
be used when the reader is well known to you. Expressions such as
"fondly" or "love," should, obviously, be reserved for private
correspondence
9- Company signature: Another Item often omitted from less formal
correspondence, it should be used when the signer of the letter is writing
as a spokesperson for the company, not as an individual. Since this
information appears in the letterhead, some companies omit it altogether.
10-Signer's identification : printed four lines below the previous item to
allow space for the signature, this includes the signer's name and any
relevant titles
11- Reference initials: consisting of the signer's initials in capitals
followed by a slash or colon followed by the lowercase initials of the
person preparing the letter, this item serves as a reminder of who
prepared the letter.
13-"CC" Notation: Also a courtesy, this tells reader who has been sent a
copy of the letter
The Envelope
An envelope should be addressed to correspond with the inside address.
On an envelope, though, the state name should be abbreviated in
accordance with the United States Postal Service ZIP-code style. On a
standard business-size envelope, the adders should begin four inches from
the left edge , fourteen lines from the top
In accordance with Postal Service guidelines, the address should be
blocked and single- spaced , and should include the ZIP code one space
after the state. Because No information should appear below the ZIP
code, special instruction (such as ATT: MR. Smith or Please forward)
should be placed four lines below the return address Similarly, mailing
services, such as Priority Mail or Certified Mal, should be placed below
the stamp.
The return address, matching the letterhead, is usually printed on business
envelopes.
Facsimiles
Time constraints may require transmitting a letter by facsimile rather than
sending it through the e mail When information is needed quickly
, it can be requested and subsequently provided promptly by fax, enabling
business to continue without delay. Any letter prepared in a standard
format certainly may by faxed, but is customary to precede the letter with
a cover sheet.