Use the organization’s format before choosing a favorite
Purdue OWL’s basic-business-letter guide identifies block format as left-justified text with single spacing and a blank line between paragraphs. It also discusses modified-block and semi-block alternatives and notes that organizational templates can require different choices. The guide gives 12-point Times New Roman as a generally accepted example while allowing alternatives such as Arial. Treat those as its contextual examples, not an unchangeable rule for every organization or reader.
Compare a real paragraph rather than an isolated name
Lora’s official project description identifies a moderate-contrast text serif with calligraphic roots; Adobe’s Source Sans project description identifies a sans design intended for interfaces. Those origins describe different designs, not an automatic winner for correspondence. Use the independent specimens to compare your actual message, including names, dates, monetary amounts and any accents. Preserve the same paragraph width and approximate reading size while assessing the rhythm, then choose the style that serves the recipient and available template.
Make the address, message and closing work together
Prepare a fictional one-page supplier letter with an address block, date, salutation, two short paragraphs and a closing. Keep the body calm and use space to separate the parts rather than several decorative fonts. If the message spills onto a second page, edit repetition before shrinking every line. Check that the sender name remains attached to the closing and that a short final sentence does not become an isolated fragment at the top of another page. Follow any actual letterhead measurements supplied by the organization.
Proof the delivered version and preserve an editable master
Review both the editable document and the version the recipient will receive. Check the address, punctuation, line breaks and the position of the closing after export. A font substitution can change the length of a paragraph, so inspect the page rather than assuming a familiar family name guarantees identical output. Keep the selected family and style information with the master. Continue with the Word default-font guide for a repeatable template and the cover-letter guide for application correspondence.
Your questions, answered.
Is 12-point Times New Roman compulsory for every business letter?
No. Purdue presents it as a generally accepted example and explicitly recognizes other fonts and organizational requirements. Follow the actual template and recipient needs.
Should every professional letter use the same font as a cover letter?
They can share a readable family, but the documents have different purposes. Match the organization’s correspondence requirements rather than treating a job-application example as a universal business format.
Sources & background
Sources supporting this page’s explanations. Practical examples are our editorial suggestions.