Can I put a different, lighter design on pages 2 and up instead?

Yes. The default header is really a continuation header — whatever you put there shows on page 2 and every page after. Double-click a page-2 header, swap the full artwork for your lighter version, and page 1 keeps the full design.

Why did my letterhead disappear from page 1 when I ticked the checkbox?

Because the artwork was in the default header. "Different First Page" gives page 1 a new, empty first-page header, so page 1 goes blank while later pages keep the design. Put the artwork in the first-page header instead.

My letterhead is pasted into the document body — will this work?

No. "Different First Page" only splits headers, and an image sitting in the body — or a letterhead rebuilt from a converted PDF — isn’t in one. Move the design into the header first, or start from a file built that way.

Is the checkbox in the same place on Mac?

Yes. On both Windows and Mac, double-click into the header and "Different First Page" is on the Header & Footer tab. The first-page split behaves the same way on both.

How to Put a Letterhead on Only the First Page in Word

Last updated: July 2, 2026

Skip the reading — your letterhead in Word in about two minutes.Upload your letterhead

Letterhead on page 1, plain paper after — the standard business-letter layout, and Word does it with one checkbox. But tick that box from the wrong header and the letterhead vanishes from page 1 instead. Here’s the setup that works.

How do you put a letterhead on only the first page?

Double-click into the header, then tick "Different First Page" on the Header & Footer tab — same place on Windows and Mac. Word splits the section’s header in two: a first-page header for page 1 and a default header for every page after it. Letterhead in the first-page header, default header empty, and pages 2 and up stay clean.

The trap: your letterhead vanishes from page 1

Headers repeat on every page by default, so most letterheads live in the default header. Tick "Different First Page" from there and Word gives page 1 a new, empty first-page header — your letterhead vanishes from page 1 and stays on pages 2 and up. The fix: move the artwork into the first-page header and leave the default one empty.

One more catch — this only works when the letterhead actually lives in the header. Artwork pasted into the document body, or the text boxes left over from a converted PDF, has no header machinery — there’s nothing for the checkbox to split.

The two-second version in a WordLetterhead file

Every .docx from WordLetterhead ships with "Different First Page" already on and the same artwork in both headers. So to keep letterhead on page 1 only: double-click the top of page 2, click the artwork, press Delete. Done — page 1 keeps its own copy untouched.

Upload your letterhead — PDF, PNG, or JPG — and download the .docx.
In Word, double-click the top of page 2 to open its header.
Click the artwork and press Delete. Page 1 keeps its own copy.

Because the file carries a separate copy in each header, deleting the page-2 copy can’t touch page 1. And while anyone types in the body, the artwork can’t even be selected — it stays put until someone deliberately opens the header again.

Common questions

Can I put a different, lighter design on pages 2 and up instead?: Yes. The default header is really a continuation header — whatever you put there shows on page 2 and every page after. Double-click a page-2 header, swap the full artwork for your lighter version, and page 1 keeps the full design.
Why did my letterhead disappear from page 1 when I ticked the checkbox?: Because the artwork was in the default header. "Different First Page" gives page 1 a new, empty first-page header, so page 1 goes blank while later pages keep the design. Put the artwork in the first-page header instead.
My letterhead is pasted into the document body — will this work?: No. "Different First Page" only splits headers, and an image sitting in the body — or a letterhead rebuilt from a converted PDF — isn’t in one. Move the design into the header first, or start from a file built that way.
Is the checkbox in the same place on Mac?: Yes. On both Windows and Mac, double-click into the header and "Different First Page" is on the Header & Footer tab. The first-page split behaves the same way on both.