Hands-On: Build a Professional Business Letter

The block format business letter is the standard in medical and professional offices — all text is left-aligned, there are no indentations, and paragraphs are separated by a blank line rather than a first-line indent. Learning this format thoroughly means you can produce a professional letter without hesitation in any workplace:

• The letterhead is the first element — it appears at the very top of the page and contains the organization's name, address, phone number, fax number if applicable, and website. In a professionally designed letter, the letterhead may include a logo image. At Lakeside Medical Associates, the letterhead is centered at the top and uses the practice's brand font. For a Word document, create the letterhead by typing the organization information and formatting it consistently — larger, bold text for the name, smaller normal text for the contact details.
• The date line appears two to four lines below the letterhead and uses the full written date format: May 5, 2025 (not 5/5/25). The full written format is more formal and unambiguous — it cannot be misread across date format conventions. The date line is left-aligned in block format.
• The inside address appears two to four lines below the date — it contains the full name, title, organization, and mailing address of the recipient, formatted exactly as it will appear on the envelope. This is left-aligned and uses the same font and size as the body text. In a letter to a referring physician, the inside address would include: Dr. [Full Name], [Specialty], [Practice Name], [Street Address], [City, State ZIP].
• The subject line (optional but professional) appears two lines below the inside address as 'Re:' followed by the letter's topic — for example, 'Re: Patient Maria Rodriguez — Referral Records Request.' The subject line makes it immediately clear what the letter is about before the recipient reads the body.
• The body of the letter begins two lines after the salutation and consists of clearly written paragraphs explaining your purpose, your request or information, and any next steps. In block format, paragraphs are separated by a blank line and begin at the left margin with no first-line indent. Each paragraph should address one main idea — the first paragraph states your purpose, the middle paragraphs provide details, and the final paragraph states the next step or call to action.
• The closing and signature block end the letter — use a professional closing phrase ('Sincerely,' 'Respectfully,' 'Best regards,') followed by four blank lines for a handwritten signature, then your typed name, title, organization, and contact information. In a block letter, the closing is left-aligned like everything else.

Before a business letter leaves Lakeside Medical Associates, every item on this checklist should be confirmed. Skipping this review step is how errors reach recipients — and in a medical office, errors in patient correspondence can have serious consequences:

• Margins are 1 inch on all sides and have not been reduced to fit content — if your letter is running long, shorten the content rather than shrinking the margins.
• Font is consistent throughout — one typeface for the entire body (Calibri 11pt or Times New Roman 12pt), with the letterhead in a slightly larger size or bolder weight only.
• All text is left-aligned in block format — no centered body paragraphs, no indented first lines.
• The date is in full written format (Month DD, YYYY), not abbreviated.
• The recipient's name, title, and organization in the inside address are spelled correctly — verify against the original source before printing.
• The subject line 'Re:' accurately describes the letter's purpose.
• Body paragraphs are separated by a single blank line (paragraph After spacing set to 12pt, or a single Enter key with 1.0 line spacing).
• The closing is followed by four blank lines before the typed name.
• The document has been reviewed in Print Preview (Ctrl+P) to confirm it looks correct on the printed page.
• The final version has been saved as a PDF before sending — not just as a .docx.

The final steps in producing a professional letter are saving the PDF and knowing how to print correctly when a hard copy is needed. Both require specific knowledge to do without errors:

• To save as PDF in Word 2019: click File > Export > Create PDF/XPS, choose a file name and location, and click 'Publish.' The resulting PDF is a pixel-perfect replica of your printed document — fonts, spacing, and layout are locked and will appear identically on any device. Always save the PDF from the final approved version of the .docx, not from a draft.
• To print: press Ctrl+P to open the Print dialog. The preview on the right side of the Backstage view shows exactly how the document will print. In the settings, you can choose to print all pages, a specific page range (type '1-3' or '5, 7, 9'), or only the current page. Select your printer from the dropdown at the top. For final patient letters at Lakeside Medical Associates, always use the secure practice printer — never a personal printer or a shared printer in an unsecured location.
• Print Preview is your mandatory last check — if the preview shows a letter that spills onto a second page with just a closing line, you have a formatting problem to fix before printing. Common causes are excessive paragraph spacing, overly large fonts, or margins that are narrower than they appear on screen. Fix the document, return to Print Preview, and confirm before committing to paper.