DIN 5008 Letter Wizard

DIN 5008 is the standard that governs what a business letter looks like in Germany. It sounds dry but has a tangible purpose: a standard-compliant letter fits the window envelope, files neatly and reads as serious to authorities and business partners. Anyone nudging the spacing together by hand in a word processor usually ends up annoyed, because the address block does not sit in the window or the fold runs crooked. The wizard takes that off your hands.

The wizard works to DIN 5008:2020, the current edition. It positions the address field exactly where it appears in the window of a DIN lang envelope (C6/5), sets the fold marks so the folded letter fits precisely, and adds the hole-punch mark for the file binder. You need not worry about any of these millimetres, only supply your content.

The letter is built as the standard prescribes: sender line above the address field, the recipient address below it, the info block with date and reference on the right, then the subject on its own line without the word "subject", the salutation, the body and the closing formula. You fill in these building blocks, the wizard puts them into the right shape and spacing.

At the end there is a PDF download. You check the preview, click download and have a print-ready letter. Print, fold along the fold marks, slip it into the window envelope, done. Exactly the kind of small chore that otherwise costs you ten minutes and three failed attempts is dealt with in a minute.

This is handy for anyone who needs a formal letter now and then but has no desire to read up on the standard. An objection to an authority, a termination, an inquiry to a company, a cover letter - anywhere a clean impression counts and the recipient may file the document, DIN 5008 is the quiet way to look professional.

Everything runs in your browser. The PDF is generated locally with pdf-lib, your address data and letter text do not leave your device. No account, no cloud, no newsletter. For formal occasions, data frugality is the least you should expect, and here you get it for free.