Help On LaTeX Letters

# Hypertext Help with LaTeX
Letters

You can use LaTeX to typeset letters, both personal and business. The letter document style is designed to make a number of letters at once, although you can make just one if you so desire.

Your *.tex source file has the same minimum commands as the other document styles, i.e., you must have the following commands as a minimum:

      \documentstyle{letter}
      \signature{Your Name}
      \address{Return address}
      \begin{document}
      ... First letter ...
      ... Second letter ...
      ...
      \end{document}

Note that the `\address` and `\signature` commands are declarations and follow the usual scope rules. They are generally placed in the preamble, as indicated here, and apply to all letters in the file.

Each letter is a letter environment, whose argument is the name and address of the recipient. For example, a typical letter might have

       \begin{letter}{Mr. John Doe \\ 2345 Jones St.
             \\ Oakland, CA  91123}
       \opening{Dear John,}
         ...
         text of letter
         ...
       \closing{Best regards,}
       \end{letter}

The letter itself begins with the `\opening` command. The text of the letter follows. It is typed as ordinary LaTeX input. Commands that make no sense in a letter, like `\chapter,` don't work. The letter closes with a `\closing` command.

## Closing matter

Several commands may be used after the `\closing` command:

- `\ps{PS text}` command produces a "P.S."
- `\cc{text}` command produces the usual "cc: text".
- `\encl{list of enclosures}` command produces an "encl:" list

## Date

The `\today` command is used by the letter document style to generate the date. If you wish a fixed date, rather than the current date, you should use

       \renewcommand{\today}{Month day, year}

This may be put in the preamble if it is to apply to all letters in the file, or just before the `\opening` command if it is to apply to just that letter.

See also

- `\address`
- `\closing`
- `\location`
- `\opening`
- `\signature`
- `\telephone`

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