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.
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
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.