MS Word
Templates
The Normal Template
The normal template determines the attributes of a new, blank document. Each time you open Word, you create a new document with the attributes of the Normal template. If you'd like Word to automatically format each new document you make in a similar way, you can alter the Normal template to acheive that effect in a convenient way. To edit the Normal template:
- Click File in the menu bar
- Click Open
- Navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\user name\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates, where user name is your log in name for this computer (usually your vetmed log in name). If you can't find the "Application Data" folder, you probably need to tell windows to display hidden files and folders
- Double-click Normal.dot
Make any changes you want here, but remember that all changes you make to this document will be applied to all future documents. Be sure to save when you're finished, just like any other Word document.
Creating New Templates
Creating templates is an efficient way of creating multiple documents of varying types that you produce frequently. If you spend your work day drawing up new margins and indentations for formal letters only to change them again for typing a grant application, consider making templates. To do so:
- Open an existing document from which you'd like to make a template
- On the File menu, click Save As
- In the Save as Type box, click Document Template
- Type in an appropriate name and click Save.
This creates a new template in the General tab of the Template selection window.
Creating A New Document Based On A Template
Creating a template is useless if you can't make a new document based on it. To make a new document based on a template:
- Click File in the menu bar
- Click New
- In Word 2003, you'll see a bar on the right side of the screen. Choose from templates on your computer.
- A window will pop up, showing all template options divided into categories by tabs.
This window also has a button allowing you to download templates from Microsoft's web site.