Academic Technology Center

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Using Document Templates

Benefits of using document templates in Microsoft Word 2010:

Document templates can save you time! By establishing page settings, fonts, and any text that you use in many documents in one template, you save yourself from manually repeating these preferential settings each time you begin a new document.
Document templates are handy if you co-teach a course and want any course documents to be formatted the same.

Creating a Document Template

Open a new blank Microsoft Word 2010 document.
Format your document with any settings you want to use each time you start a new document.

Tip:

Ideas for formats include: font, margins, columns, headers, footers, tables, and signatures.

Go to the File Tab > Save As to save your document as a template file.
From the Save As window, select Document Template in the Save as Type drop-down menu.
Title your template and click Save when you are finished. The default file location is within Word’s Templates folder.

Starting a New Document from a Template

Start up Microsoft Word on your PC by going to Start > All Programs > Microsoft Office and selecting Microsoft Office Word 2010.
From the File Tab, select New.
The New Document page appears. Select My templates... under the Templates section.
The New window appears. Select your template and OK when you are finished.

Tip:

It is a good idea to save early and save often when working on files of any type, Microsoft Word included.

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Last modified: Jun 24, 2011, 12:45 EDT