Decision Letter Lost Header and Footer After Switching to HTML/CSS v2

UPDATED: Technolutions has since published guidance for keeping HTML/CSS v2 while restoring print letterhead.
See The ReSolution > Updated Response and Recommended Readings sections below.

Reported Issue

A partner institution's admit decision letter used embedded confetti and modern styling on the web view. After switching the letter template's PDF setting to HTML/CSS v2 (full), the downloaded and printed version lost the letterhead, header, and footer that had displayed correctly under the previous setting.

What We Found

HTML/CSS v2 decision letters render through a headless browser rather than the legacy /apply/decision.pdf wrapper. That legacy wrapper does not control v2 output, so header, footer, and letterhead elements built for the old wrapper do not carry over automatically. This is documented, expected behavior for v2, not a defect.

The ReSolution

🕑 Original Response (Archived)

We reverted the letter template's PDF setting from HTML/CSS v2 (full) back to v1 (limited). That restored the letterhead, header, and footer, and we confirmed the confetti animation and general styling still displayed correctly on the web version. This got the partner institution unblocked quickly.

🌟 Updated Response

Reverting to v1 works, but it gives up the reason most Slate schools move to v2 in the first place. Namely, one template that controls both the web and printed versions of a letter. The Slate Knowledge Base and Community Forums have since laid out the better fix. Stay on HTML/CSS v2 (full) and add @media print CSS to the template with print-only header, footer, and address block elements that stay hidden on the web view and appear only when the letter renders to PDF or print. A @page { margin: 0; } rule, along with zeroing out the body margin and padding, removes the default browser print margins that would otherwise push a full-bleed letterhead out of position.

That keeps the web experience, confetti included, exactly as designed, while the printed and downloaded version gets its letterhead back. 

Recommended Readings

Check out Creating Decision Letters with Slate AI and Download and Print Decision Letters for the setting and the CSS pattern, and the Slate Community Forums' Get Inspired post this guidance is adapted from, Using Slate AI to Create Print-Friendly Decision Letters (🔒 requires login), for a worked walkthrough.