In short: open TextEdit (it’s on every Mac), click New Document, and write your letter. If typing is slow or tiring, dictate it: start dictation, say the letter, and the words appear on the page. Make the text bigger with the size list in the toolbar, then choose File > Print (or press Command-P) and click Print.
At a glance
- App: TextEdit, included with macOS. Pages works too if your Mac has it.
- Write by voice: free Apple Dictation, or VybeScript for automatic clean-up.
- Print: File > Print, or Command-P.
- Saves itself: TextEdit saves your document as you work.
Step 1: open a blank page
- Open TextEdit. You’ll find it in the Applications folder.
- In the window that opens, click New Document in the bottom-left corner. If TextEdit is already open, choose File > New.
A blank page appears. If you see a row of buttons along the top of the page (the toolbar), you’re in rich text, which lets you change the size and style of the text. If there’s no toolbar, choose Format > Make Rich Text.
Step 2: write the letter, by typing or by talking
A simple letter has four parts:
- The date at the top.
- A greeting: “Dear Susan,”
- The body: what you want to say, in a few short paragraphs.
- A closing and your name: “With love, Grandma” or “Sincerely, Robert Hill”.
To dictate instead of typing: click on the page where you want the words, start dictation, say a paragraph, stop, and read it. Repeat for the next paragraph.
- Apple Dictation is free. Turn it on in System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation (step-by-step guide). Say “new paragraph” to start a new paragraph, or “comma” and “period” if you want to place punctuation yourself (full list).
- VybeScript (paid) starts with one tap of the Control key and stops with another. It adds punctuation, removes “um”s and repeated words, and splits long dictation into paragraphs. For a letter to a company, its Formal style rewrites what you said in a formal tone; for family, Polish tidies it while keeping your words. Polish and Formal need macOS 26 with Apple Intelligence turned on.
With VybeScript’s Clean style, you say:
“Dear Susan, um, it was so good to see you at Easter. The the garden is finally blooming.”
and it writes:
“Dear Susan, it was so good to see you at Easter. The garden is finally blooming.”
Step 3: make it easy to read
- Select the text you want to change by dragging across it, or choose the size before you start writing.
- In the toolbar at the top of the page, choose a bigger size from the size list, such as 16 or 18. Bigger text is easier for you to check, and easier for the person reading it.
- To change the font, choose Format > Font > Show Fonts (or press Command-T).
Step 4: save it
TextEdit saves your document automatically as you work. To give it a name you’ll recognise, choose File > Save, type a name like “Letter to Susan”, pick where to keep it from the Where menu (Documents is a good choice), and click Save.
Step 5: print it
- Choose File > Print, or press Command-P.
- Check the printer name at the top. Set Copies if you want more than one.
- Click Print.
No printer listed? Go to System Settings > Printers & Scanners, click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax, choose your printer and click Add.
Other apps you can use
- Pages: Apple’s word processor. Many Macs come with it; if yours doesn’t, it’s in the App Store. Click New Document and choose Blank from the Basic templates.
- Microsoft Word: if you have it, its Dictate button needs a Microsoft 365 subscription and an internet connection. See dictating in Word on a Mac. Apple Dictation and VybeScript also type into Word.
- Email: for many letters, an email reaches people faster. Our guide to writing an email by voice walks through it.
Steps checked against Apple’s guides on 2026-11-05: TextEdit, printing, adding a printer.
Keep going
- Thank-you notes after a funeral: examples, and writing them by voice.
- Write your memoir by voice
- Mac tips for seniors
- Voice to text for seniors