%%latex
\documentclass[12pt]{letterhd}        \newcommand{\pix}{bmp}% For Yap.exe
%\documentclass[12pt,dvipdfm]{letterhd}\newcommand{\pix}{png}% For dvipdfm.exe

\usepackage{graphicx,picins} % handle graphics, and flow text around graphics

\pagestyle{headings}  %  see top line of page 2 of letter

%%% The signature entry gets used at the END of the letter.
\signature{Eric Schechter,\\Webmaster and Associate Professor\\Vanderbilt Mathematics}

\begin{document}

\vspace*{-100pt}

%%% The next line inserts the new Vanderbilt logo image.  
% The parpic command is part of the picins package; it wraps text around the picture.
\parpic(1.19in,0.1in)[r][tr]{\includegraphics[width=1.19in,height=1.18in]{vsb-1.\pix}}


% If you use a picture, I recommend the minipage environment, to help you
% get the spacing right for the rest of your letterhead design.

\begin{minipage}[t]{4in}

% The rest of the minipage is just my letterhead design.  Change it as
% much as you want.

\begin{center}

\font\twelvefont=cmr12 at 12 true pt
\font\elevenfont=cmr10 at 11 true pt
\font\tenfont=cmr10 at 10 true pt
\font\eightfont=cmr8 at 8 true pt
\font\tenitalic=cmti10 at 10 true pt
\font\tentt=cmtt10 at 10 true pt

{\elevenfont\spaceskip 2.1 true pt\relax
V A N D E R B I L T\hskip 6.6 true pt\relax U N I V E R S I T Y}

{\twelvefont\spaceskip 4.36 true pt\relax
M A T H E M A T I C S\hskip 10 true pt\relax D E P A R T M E N T}

\baselineskip11pt

{\tenfont 1326 Stevenson Center, Nashville, TN 37240, U.S.A.}

{\tenfont Phone (615) 322--6672  $\bullet$   Fax (615) 343--0215}

\vspace*{-5pt}

\dotfill

{\tenitalic Eric Schechter $\bullet$  \tentt eric.schechter@vanderbilt.edu}

{\tenitalic (615) 322--6651 $\bullet$ \tentt www.math.vanderbilt.edu/$\sim$schectex/}

\vspace*{6pt}

\end{center}\end{minipage}

\hrule % end of the letterhead

\begin{letter}{Mathematics Personnel\\
(faculty, staff, graduate students, visitors)}
\opening{Dear everyone,}
This page demonstrates a new letterhead system that
I have created.  Here are the ingredients:


\begin{enumerate}


\item The ``{\bf myletter.tex}'' file.  You can copy mine, rename
it, and edit
it to suit your own needs.  This includes the letterhead design --- 
the part that mentions Vanderbilt, mathematics, Eric Schechter, etc.
It is written in ordinary Latex, so {\bf YOU CAN CHANGE IT EASILY}, 
using commands which you are (presumably) already familiar with.  
This file also contains the body of the letter; it can contain
math.  It doesn't need to be named ``myletter.''


\item The file ``{\bf letterhd.cls},'' which I have created,
is called by {\it myletter.tex}.
You may not need to edit it at all (though perhaps someone
can suggest an improvement or two).  It 
{\it does not mention\/} Vanderbilt or mathematics or
Eric Schechter or the graphic image; those are mentioned
in the tex file (see next item).  It is a slightly
modified version of the file ``letter.cls,'' which is a standard part
of Latex.  Consequently, most of the commands associated with
``letter.cls'' (described in any Latex manual) will also work
with ``letter.cls.''  One exception is
the ``$\backslash$address'' entry, which
has been removed.


\item A letterhead looks best if it includes one {\bf graphic
image}.  I've used Vanderbilt's new logo, but you may use
Ed Saff's dotball, or a photo of yourself,
or any other image that you supply.  (Or
you can omit the graphics altogether if you wish; that
might be easiest for beginners.)
You can even use color, though black-and-white is cheaper
when you're printing many copies.  I use the
Miktex/dvipdfm method for inserting graphics --- it is
described in the ``pictures in Tex files'' section of
\[\mbox{http://www.math.vanderbilt.edu/$\sim$schectex/wincd/}\]
--- but probably letterhd.cls will work with most
graphics insertion methods, so
try whatever method you are familiar with.

\item A letterhead looks best if the text is horizontally
adjacent to the graphic image.  That doesn't seem to
be a capability of ordinary Latex, but it can be achieved
using Joachim Blesser's {\bf picins} package, which
can be downloaded from 
tex repositories such as CTAN or DANTE.  (If you're
using Miktex, download using the Package Manager.) ---
I had trouble with the spacing when I tried putting
the image on the left, so I had to put the image
on the right.

\end{enumerate}

\noindent The files letterhd.cls and myletter.tex
and the graphics files can be downloaded from
\[\mbox{http://www.math.vanderbilt.edu/$\sim$schectex/wincd/letterhd/}\]



By the way, if there is sufficient interest
and if I can find a convenient time, I may
offer a seminar about Latex this fall.
I could give beginner-level
lectures to the graduate
students to get them started on Latex;
later I could also give some lectures
on some of the intermediate-level
techniques that I've learned over the
years (graphics, color, hyperlinks, PDF
files, etc.).  I'm sure that some other
people in the department know some
things about Latex that I don't know;
perhaps some of them could also
give a few lectures.

\closing{Yours truly,}
\end{letter}
\end{document}

