How to Select a Business Letter Font

Any time you write a letter to someone about a professional topic, you are writing a business letter. Many business letters may ask someone for help or advice. So it is important that your letter look professional as well as sound professional. Choosing the right font can get your business letter noticed in a positive way.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Learn about the person you are writing to. The more traditional the person, the more traditional font you should use. On the other hand, if you are writing a business letter to an artistic or creative company, you might choose a less traditional font.
2. Consider the seriousness of your business letter. The more serious your subject matter, the more likely you should choose a traditional font. If you are asking for a job, you might want to use a traditional font. If you are asking a casual favor of someone you know well, you do not need a traditional font.
3. Choose between traditional fonts. In general, traditional fonts have serifs, or little calligraphy-like edges. Traditional fonts include Times New Roman, Helvetica and Garamond.
4. Choose between casual fonts. Casual fonts are sans-serif, or without the calligraphy edges. These fonts have a wider range, from Arial and Trebuchet to Jokerman and Lucinda Handwriting. It's a good rule of thumb to choose calm fonts, such as Arial or Trebuchet, when writing a business letter.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep your font between 11 and 12 points tall. Traditional serif fonts usually need to be 12 points tall. Sans serif fonts can be easily read at 11 points. Choose a font size that is easily readable without unnecessarily taking up too much space.
• Make sure the font you choose compliments your subject matter and does not detract from it.