Electronic Letterhead

You can place the logo wherever you want to by changing the layout property. Right Click and go to Format Picture. In the Layout tab, select :In front of text". Now you can move the picture around.

I don't understand what you mean "Headers are grayed out"

You are unable to get into the header by View, Header and Footer (Word 2003) or Insert, Header or Footer (Word 2007).?

In Word 2007 once headers or footers are created, they display as a faded gray color on the screen.  They print correctly with what ever color has been chosen for the font or graphic.  But the color is washed out on screen.  Since I am looking for an alternative to printed documents and need the letterhead to display on screen exactly as it would if it were printed, the use of headers and footers make that impossible.

I'm just curious why though.... if everything prints correctly, I don't understand why it's a problem to have the logo and other information in the header (which appears slightly washed out)?  This has been the way Word has worked for many versions....not just 2007.

I think yu're also going to run into problems on documents with more than one page.  But that's up to you.  If you must create the information outside the header, I would put it in a table and remove all lines.  I've found that the easiest way to re-create letterhead (although I've always put it in a header).

Joanne Orzech
MS Word MVP

The issue with using the header is that these documents will NEVER be printed.  I want to be able to send electronic correspondence to specific agencies who will read and maintain the correspondence but never print it.  My CEO wants to make sure the electronic version of the memo or letter looks just like our paper letterhead.  

Have you tried making it a watermark?

If that's the case, then I would suggest sending a PDF... not a Word document.

Apparently, my CEO is asking for something that isn't possible!  The problem with a watermark is that it also appears faded (even though I did uncheck the washed out box) on the screen.  And PDF isn't an option because we need others to be able to edit the content of letters before passing them on to the next person in line.  But, keep the comments coming!  If I don't find a solution for this issue, at least it's giving me suggestions that are helping resolve some other projects I'm working on!  Thanks!

What your CEO is asking for is not really possible.  Say you send one of these documents to one of your agencies, and they view it in Normal view.  They're not going to be able to see the header at all.... I mean, it doesn't make sense.  Everyone in the world is used to how Word headers look slightly grayed.... how are you going to protect the document from being printed but you are allowing editing?  This all sounds quite odd to me.... I think you need to educate your CEO.... gulp!

Not trying to protect it from being printed .... it just won't be ... there will be no reason to print it.  We started down this path because my CEO said he has received memos from other people that are totally electronic, and it looks just like real letterhead on screen... and he says they are Word documents.  So, that was my basis for asking the question in the first place.   So, education it is!