A letterhead is often the first official impression a customer, supplier or government office gets of your business. Including the right details makes your documents look credible and saves the reader from hunting for information.
The essentials
- Legal name of the business — exactly as it appears on your registration
- Logo, if you have one
- Complete address, including PIN code
- Phone number and a professional email address
- Website, if you have one
Registration details (include the ones that apply)
- GSTIN — if you are registered under GST, it is widely shown on business stationery and required on tax invoices
- CIN (Corporate Identification Number) — for companies registered with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs
- LLPIN — for limited liability partnerships
- Udyam Registration Number — for MSMEs, if you wish to show it
- Professional or licence numbers — for doctors, labs, pharmacies, architects, advocates and similar professions
Only show numbers and accreditations you genuinely hold. Displaying a registration or certification you don’t have can mislead customers and may break the law.
Department and purpose letterheads
Larger organisations often use separate letterheads for departments such as HR, Accounts or Sales, and for specific purposes such as quotations or purchase orders. Keep the company name and branding identical across all of them, and change only the department name or document label.
What to leave out
- Long lists of services — keep the header focused
- Several phone numbers when one main number will do
- Decorative elements that make small text hard to read when printed
Always double-check registration numbers character by character before printing a large batch — a single wrong digit means reprinting everything.