How to Choose the Right Font and Size for Cover Letters

How to Choose the Right Font and Size for Cover Letters How to Choose the Right Font and Size for Cover Letters Which font should you use in your cover letter? What will make the best impression? When you are writing cover letters, its important to use a font that is clear and easy to read. When hiring managers have to review dozens, if not hundreds, of applicants for a position, they may immediately pass over a cover letter and resume that isn’t instantly legible. Be sure to make your font large enough so that the reader doesnt have to squint to read your letter, but not so large that your letter doesnt fit well on the page. Heres how to select a cover letter font and the appropriate font size for your letter. Keep It Simple When it comes to choosing a font to use in your cover letter, your best bet is to keep it simple and professional. You want your words and message to stand out, not your font choice. Avoid using unprofessional novelty-style fonts such as Comic Sans, handwriting, or script-style fonts. Ideally, the font used in the cover letter will be both the same size and style as the one used within your resume, to help you present a cohesive package. Review these tips for determining the right font for your cover letter, as well as what size it should be, and which styles are and are not appropriate to use in  a cover letter. Choose One Simple Font Using a simple font will ensure that your cover letter is easy to read. Basic fonts like Arial, Courier New, Calibri, Verdana, and Times New Roman work well. Most word processing and email programs will default to a professional and easily readable choice. Limit yourself to one font in your cover letter; its best not to mix several fonts in one document. There is no need to use different styles in a cover letter. Avoid underlining or italicizing, and use boldface text only when emphasizing quantifiable achievements that need to “pop” on the page. Pick an Appropriate Size Depending on how much content you have in your letter, select a 10- or 12-point font size. Its best if you can format your cover letter so it fits on one page, with margins that are no larger than 1” and no smaller than .7”. If your letter includes a heading with your name and contact information, you may choose to make this font slightly larger. How to Make Your Selection Select a font from the list at the top of your document before you start writing your letter,  or:Type your cover letter.Highlight the content of your letter.Either select the font from the pop-up window or select the font from the list at the top of the document.Select the font size you want to use the same way.Proofread your cover letter.Print your cover letter, even if you are going to upload it online, to make sure that it is formatted, properly spaced, and looks the way you want. Include Plenty of White Space Regardless of the font size you select, there needs to be space at the top of the letter and between each paragraph and each  section of your cover letter. Heres how to  space your cover letter. When you are using Microsoft Word, here is how to select a template for your letter and how to select the font style and font size. If youre using a different word processing program, the process is similar. Select the content of your cover letter, then choose a font and a font size. You may need to try a couple of different sizes to make sure that your cover letter fits on a single page. Review these formatting tips to be sure your letter will make the best impression. Email Cover Letters The information above applies primarily to instances where you are sending a traditional cover letter by snail mail or when you are sending a formal cover letter as a Word or PDF attachment to an email message. Be forewarned that copy-and-pasting a cover letter into the body of an email message may destroy the formatting, making it difficult to read for an employer who may have a different computer system. The safest thing to do when you are copy-and-pasting your cover letter to email is to remove all formatting and HTML and submit it as plain text.