Which class should I use for a cover letter in LaTeX?

For a standalone letter, the built-in letter class handles the address block, date, salutation, and closing with \opening and \closing commands. If you want the letter to match a moderncv résumé visually, moderncv has a letter mode that reuses your name and contact styling. For a journal submission cover letter, a simple article-class document with your address at the top is often cleanest, since formality matters more than ornament.

What goes in a journal submission cover letter?

A submission cover letter to a journal editor states the manuscript title, confirms the work is original and not under review elsewhere, summarizes the key contribution in two to three sentences, and names suggested or excluded reviewers if the journal asks. Keep it to one page. Address it to the handling editor by name when possible. The tone is concise and professional — it complements, not repeats, the abstract.

How do I add a signature image to a LaTeX letter?

Include a scanned signature with \includegraphics from the graphicx package above your typed name: place \includegraphics[height=1.5cm]{signature.png} in the closing block. Use a PNG with a transparent background for the cleanest result. If you don't have a scan, a typed name after the closing ('Sincerely,') is perfectly acceptable for digital submissions, which most journals and applications now are.

Write a Cover Letter & Academic Email in LaTeX

To write a cover letter in LaTeX, use the built-in letter document class — it provides an address block, date, salutation, and closing — or moderncv's letter mode to match a résumé. LaTeX gives a cover letter the same clean typography as your paper or CV, and the source is reusable across applications. Here are templates for a job letter and a journal submission letter.

1. The letter class template

\documentclass[11pt]{letter}
\usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry}

\signature{Ada Lovelace}
\address{Ada Lovelace \\ Institute of Analytical Engines \\ London}

\begin{document}
\begin{letter}{Hiring Committee \\ Example University \\ City}

\opening{Dear Hiring Committee,}

I am writing to apply for the Research Scientist position.
My work on analytical engines aligns closely with your group's focus.

\closing{Sincerely,}

\end{letter}
\end{document}

\opening and \closing handle the salutation and sign-off; \signature and \address fill the blocks.

2. Match it to your CV with moderncv

If your résumé uses moderncv, its letter mode reuses your name and contact styling so the two documents look like a set — useful for a polished application package.

3. A journal submission cover letter

For submitting a manuscript, a simple article-class letter is cleanest:

\documentclass[11pt]{article}
\usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry}
\begin{document}
\noindent Ada Lovelace \\ Institute of Analytical Engines \\ \today

\bigskip
\noindent Dear Dr.\ Editor,

\bigskip
Please find enclosed our manuscript, ``Title Here,'' which we submit
for consideration at \emph{Journal Name}. The work is original and is
not under review elsewhere. Our key contribution is \dots

\bigskip
\noindent Sincerely, \\ Ada Lovelace
\end{document}

4. What to include

| Letter type | Must include | |---|---| | Job application | Role, fit, key qualifications, call to action | | Journal submission | Title, originality statement, contribution, reviewers | | Academic email | Clear subject, concise ask, signature |

Keep both to one page.

5. Signatures and finishing

Add a scanned signature with \includegraphics[height=1.5cm]{signature.png} (see images), or a typed name for digital submissions. Set the font to match your other documents. Cover letters round out the application set with a resume and, for academics, an auto-generated publications list.

→ Write and compile a polished cover letter — from a ready template — in LetX.

Written by Shihab Shahriar Antor — AI Engineer & Founder of Shahriar Labs, maker of LetX.