How to Lock a Letterhead in Microsoft Word

How to Lock a Letterhead in Microsoft Word

How Difficult Could It Be?

Earlier today, I was putting together a document and was told to add a letterhead to a document before sending it out. Given I have only done this a few times, and had used Photoshop and/or InDesign to achieve this, I was curious how to go about it in Microsoft Word. Today we’ll be revi

Admittedly, I had my questions on if there was a “right way” to achieve this… there’s not. Turns out, there are a few ways and none of them exactly check all of the necessary boxes.

When trying to achieve this there are a few options you may want to consider; here’s a few options for locking a letterhead in Microsoft Word and the pros and cons of each method.

Option 1: Using a JPEG/PDF/PNG as the background.

1. The first is to create a PDF letterhead with the same colored background as your document, or to create a PNG of your letterhead. This can be done in Photoshop, InDesign, or whatever other design tool you may prefer. 
2. Once you do this, you will go into Microsoft Word, and start a new document.
3. Next you will find the “Insert” tab in the top-left-hand corner of the screen -> Select where your image is coming from -> Choose your image -> Insert.
4.  Once your image is on the screen, right click it. Find the “Wrap Text” option, and select “Behind Text”.
5. Right click again – Size and Position -> Size -> Absolute Height to 11, Absolute Width to 8.5. Do not click “Ok” just yet.
6. Click “Position” at the top of the Advanced Layout Window. Set the horizontal alignment to “Centered” and the vertical alignment to “Centered”.
7. Click “Ok” to save these settings.
8. Go back and you can start typing – depending on your letterhead, you may need to hit enter a few times to break lines a few times.

The Pros:

• Highly customizable.

• Easy to implement.
• Your letterhead looks exactly as you intend.

The Cons:

• Formatting is a bit touchy.
• This option is, in the truest sense, a work-around. Things look nice but can easily get messed up.

Option 2: How to Lock a Letterhead in the Page Header/Footer.

1. Open Microsoft Word and create a new document or open an existing one.
2. Click on the “Insert” tab in the top menu.
3. In the “Header & Footer” section, click on the “Header” button. From the dropdown menu, select either “Blank” or a pre-designed header template. If you want to create a custom letterhead, choose “Blank.”
4. Once you select the header option, a header section will appear at the top of the page. You can now design your letterhead in this section.
5. Customize the letterhead by adding your company logo, business name, address, contact information, and any other relevant details. You can use text boxes, shapes, images, and formatting tools to create the desired design.
6. Format the letterhead elements as needed. You can change the font styles, sizes, colors, and alignments to match your branding.
7. If you want the letterhead to appear on the first page only, check the “Different First Page” option in the “Header & Footer Tools” Design tab that appears when you’re working in the header section.
8. Once you are satisfied with the letterhead design, you can close the header section by either double-clicking outside the header area or clicking on the “Close Header and Footer” button in the “Header & Footer Tools” Design tab.
9. Save your document.