.docx or .dotx: Which Letterhead File Should You Hand a Client?
By the WordLetterhead Team · Last updated:
A .dotx changes how the file opens — a fresh untitled copy every time. It does not change how the letterhead behaves. Decide the artwork question first; the extension is a thirty-second decision after that.
What’s actually different between .docx and .dotx?
One thing: opening behavior. Double-click a .docx and you’re editing that file; double-click a .dotx template and Word spawns a fresh, untitled document while the template stays clean. Everything about the letterhead itself — whether it locks, repeats, and prints — is decided by where the artwork lives, not by the extension.
| .docx document | .dotx template | |
|---|---|---|
| Double-click opens | The file itself | A fresh untitled copy |
| Master can be overwritten by accident | Yes — save replaces it | No — the template stays clean |
| Everyone knows what to do with it | Yes | Often not — templates confuse casual users |
| Letterhead lock, repeat, print | Identical | Identical |
Which one should you hand a client?
Default to the .docx. Everyone understands a document — open it, type, Save As with the letter’s name — while templates raise questions casual users won’t ask out loud. The .dotx earns its place with disciplined teams who want fresh-copy behavior and know where templates live on their machines.
Either way, the file is only as good as its artwork placement — a .dotx with a pasted body image fails exactly like a .docx with one, as every method compared shows. The lock comes from the header layer, not the extension.
How do I get a letterhead file that works as either?
Build the locked .docx first — WordLetterhead embeds your design as a locked, full-page header image with margins matched to the typing area. Converting that .docx into a .dotx afterward is a single Save As in Word:
- Upload the letterhead design — PDF, PNG, or JPG.
- Drag the typing area and download the locked .docx.
- Keep it as the master, or Save As a Word Template (.dotx) for fresh-copy behavior.
Handing files to a client? The full package — and where the Word file fits in it — is in the handoff checklist.
Common questions
- Does WordLetterhead output a .dotx directly?
- It outputs a locked .docx — the format every client can open without questions. If you want template behavior, open the file in Word and use Save As, choosing Word Template (.dotx); the letterhead inside is untouched by the conversion.
- Is the letterhead better protected in a template?
- No — the protection comes from the header layer, which behaves identically in both formats. A template protects the file from being overwritten; the header layer protects the design from being clicked, moved, or deleted while someone types.
- What stops a client overwriting the master .docx?
- Convention or the template. Simplest: tell the client to Save As with the letter’s name before typing, and keep your own clean copy. Cleanest: hand them the .dotx, where every double-click starts a fresh copy and the master physically can’t be saved over in normal use.
- We already sent a .docx and the client wants a template. Start over?
- No — the same file converts. Open the .docx in Word, Save As, pick Word Template (.dotx), and send that. The artwork, margins, and lock carry over exactly.