6 Ways to Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word

6 Ways to Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word
6 Ways to Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word

Table of contents:

Anonim

This wikiHow teaches you how to select or create a template in Microsoft Word on Windows and Mac computers. A template is a pre-formatted document designed for a specific need or file, such as an invoice, calendar, or resume.

Step

Method 1 of 6: Selecting a Template in Word on a Windows Computer

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 1
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 1

Step 1. Open Microsoft Word

Double-click the Word icon, which looks like a white “W” on a dark blue background.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 2
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 2

Step 2. Find the desired template

Browse the main Microsoft Word page to find a template you like, or type a search keyword into the search bar at the top of the page to find a suitable template.

  • For example, if you want to search for templates related to budgets, type “budget” into the search bar.
  • Your computer must be connected to the internet for you to search for templates.
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 3
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 3

Step 3. Choose a template

Click the template you want to use. The template will open in a new window and you can take a closer look at the template.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 4
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 4

Step 4. Click Create

It's on the right side of the template preview window. After that, the template will open in a new Word document.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 5
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 5

Step 5. Edit the template

Most templates already have sample text. You can replace the text by deleting it and typing the text yourself.

You can also edit most template formats (e.g. font, color, and text size) without breaking the template itself

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 6
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 6

Step 6. Save the document

Click the menu File ” in the top left corner of the page, click “ Save As ”, double-click the save location, enter a document name, and select “ Save ”.

You can reopen the document by accessing its storage folder and double-clicking the document

Method 2 of 6: Selecting a Template in Word on Mac

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 7
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 7

Step 1. Open Microsoft Word

Double-click the Word icon, which looks like a white “W” on a dark blue background. A new document will be opened or the main Word page will be displayed, depending on the program settings.

When Word's main page loads, move on to the template search step (fourth step)

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 8
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 8

Step 2. Click File

It's in the top-left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear after that.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 9
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 9

Step 3. Click New from Template

It's at the top of the drop-down menu " File " Once clicked, the template gallery will load.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 10
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 10

Step 4. Find the template you want to use

Browse the available templates for pre-set or pre-designed options, or type a search keyword into the search bar in the top right corner of the page.

  • For example, to search for templates related to invoices, you can type “invoice” in the search bar.
  • Your computer must be connected to the internet for you to search for templates.
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 11
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 11

Step 5. Choose a template

Click a template to display a preview window showing the selected template.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 12
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 12

Step 6. Click Open

It's in the preview window. The template will open as a new document afterwards.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 13
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 13

Step 7. Edit the template

Most templates already have sample text. You can replace the text by deleting it and typing the text yourself.

You can also edit most template formats (e.g. font, color, and text size) without breaking the template itself

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 14
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 14

Step 8. Save the document

Click the menu " File ", choose " Save As ”, enter the document name, and click “ Save ”.

Method 3 of 6: Applying a Template to an Existing Document on a Windows Computer

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 15
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 15

Step 1. Open a Microsoft Word document

Double-click the document to which you want to add a template.

This step can only be followed for newly opened templates. If you haven't opened the template you want to use, first open the template and close the document before continuing

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 16
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 16

Step 2. Click File

It's in the top-left corner of the page.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 17
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 17

Step 3. Click Options

It's in the lower-left corner of the "Files" page.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 18
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 18

Step 4. Click the Add-ins tab

This tab is on the left side of the “Options” window.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 19
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 19

Step 5. Click the "Manage" drop-down box

This box is at the bottom of the “Add-Ins” page. A drop-down menu will be displayed.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 20
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 20

Step 6. Click Templates

It's in the middle of the drop-down menu.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 21
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 21

Step 7. Click Go…

It's on the right side of the " Manage " drop-down box.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 22
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 22

Step 8. Click Attach…

It's in the top-right corner of the page.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 23
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 23

Step 9. Choose a template

Click the template you want to use.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 24
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 24

Step 10. Click Open

It's at the bottom of the “Templates” window. The template will open afterwards.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 25
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 25

Step 11. Check the box " Automatically update document styles"

This box is below the template name, at the top of the page.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 26
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 26

Step 12. Click OK

It's at the bottom of the window. The template format will be applied to an existing document.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 27
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 27

Step 13. Save the document

Click the menu File ” in the top left corner of the page, click “ Save As ”, double-click the save location, enter a document name, and select “ Save ”.

Method 4 of 6: Applying a Template to an Existing Document on a Mac

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 28
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 28

Step 1. Open a Microsoft Word document

Double-click the document that you want to open.

This step can only be followed for newly opened templates. If you haven't opened the template you want to use, first open the template and close the document before continuing

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 29
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 29

Step 2. Click Tools

This menu is on the left side of your computer's menu bar. After that, a drop-down menu will be displayed.

If you don't see the option " Tools ”, click the Microsoft Word window to display it.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 30
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 30

Step 3. Click Templates & Add-Ins…

This option is at the bottom of the drop-down menu. After that, a new window will open.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 31
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 31

Step 4. Click Attach

This option is in the “Templates & Add-Ins” window.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 32
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 32

Step 5. Choose a template

Click the template that you want to apply to the document.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 33
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 33

Step 6. Click Open

The template format will be applied to an existing document.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 34
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 34

Step 7. Save the document

Click the menu " File ", choose " Save As ”, enter the document name, and click “ Save ”.

Method 5 of 6: Creating a Word Template on a Windows Computer

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 35
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 35

Step 1. Open Microsoft Word

Double-click the Word icon, which looks like a white “W” on a dark blue background.

If you want to create a template from an existing document, double-click the document and move on to the document editing step (third step)

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 36
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 36

Step 2. Click the "Blank document" template

It's in the upper-left corner of the Word window.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 37
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 37

Step 3. Edit the document

Formatting changes you make (e.g. line spacing, text size, and font) will become part of the template.

If you create a template from an existing document, you may not need to edit anything

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 38
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 38

Step 4. Click File

It's in the top-left corner of the page.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 39
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 39

Step 5. Click Save As

It's at the top of the pop-out window File ”.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 40
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 40

Step 6. Select a save location

Double-click the storage folder or directory to set it as the template storage point.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 41
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 41

Step 7. Enter the template name

Type in the name you want to use for the template.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 42
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 42

Step 8. Click the “Save as type” drop-down box

This box is below the file name text field. A drop-down menu will appear after that.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 43
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 43

Step 9. Click Word Templates

It's at the top of the drop-down menu.

You can also click “ Word Macro-Enabled Template ” in this menu if adding macros to the document.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 44
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 44

Step 10. Click Save

It's in the lower-right corner of the window. After that, the template will be saved.

You can apply this template to other documents if you want

Method 6 of 6: Create a Word Template on a Mac

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 45
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 45

Step 1. Open Microsoft Word

Double-click the Word icon, which looks like a white “W” on a dark blue background.

If you want to create a template from an existing document, double-click the document and move on to the document editing step (fourth step)

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 46
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 46

Step 2. Click the New tab

It's in the upper-left corner of the Word main page.

If the main page does not load, click the tab “ File " and click " New from Template " first.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 47
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 47

Step 3. Click the "Blank Document" template

This template is marked by a white box. After that, a new Word document will be created.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 48
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 48

Step 4. Edit the document

Formatting changes made (eg spacing between lines, text size, or font) will become part of the template.

If you create a template from an existing document, you may not need to edit anything

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 49
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 49

Step 5. Click File

It's in the top-left corner of the page.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 50
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 50

Step 6. Click Save As Template

This option is in the drop-down menu “ File ”.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 51
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 51

Step 7. Enter a name for the template

Type in the name you want for the created template.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 52
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 52

Step 8. Click the “File Format” drop-down box

This box is at the bottom of the window. A drop-down menu will load afterwards.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 53
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 53

Step 9. Click Microsoft Word Templates

This option is in a drop-down menu and has a ".dotx" extension next to it.

You can also choose " Microsoft Word Macro-Enabled template ” if you add a macro to the document.

Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 54
Use Document Templates in Microsoft Word Step 54

Step 10. Click Save

It's a blue button at the bottom of the window. The template will be saved afterwards.

You can apply this template to other documents if you want

Tips

Templates are very useful, especially when you want to create invoices or flyers

Recommended:

3 Ways to Convert a PDF Document to Microsoft Word

3 Ways to Convert a PDF Document to Microsoft Word

This wikiHow teaches you how to use Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and Adobe Acrobat Pro to convert a PDF file to an editable Word document. Keep in mind that if you want to convert a PDF to a Word file, it must come from a text-based document, although sometimes you can convert a scanned PDF to a Word document.

How to Insert a Table in a Microsoft Word Document: 3 Steps

How to Insert a Table in a Microsoft Word Document: 3 Steps

A good table can make the data you create clear to the reader, and inserting a table into a Word document is key. You have various options to customize the appearance of your table according to its function, and you can even choose a template or sample table that is already available to make table insertion easier.

4 Ways to Convert a Microsoft Word Document to PDF

4 Ways to Convert a Microsoft Word Document to PDF

This wikiHow teaches you how to create a PDF version of a Microsoft Word document. PDF files can be opened on most platforms and are difficult to edit making them suitable for storing and sending important documents. You can use SmallPDF or Google Drive to convert a Word document into a PDF file online, or you can use Microsoft Word itself on a Windows or Mac computer to convert the file.

3 Ways to Change Line Spacing in a Microsoft Word Document

3 Ways to Change Line Spacing in a Microsoft Word Document

Word documents are easier to read when you change the line spacing and take notes when printing. Follow the guide below to change the spacing in any version of Word. Step Method 1 of 3: Word 2016/2013/Office 365 Step 1. Click the Design tab You can find it at the top of Word.

How to Edit a Document with the Track Changes Feature in Microsoft Word

How to Edit a Document with the Track Changes Feature in Microsoft Word

This wikiHow teaches you how to use the "Track Changes" feature in Microsoft Word. This feature is useful for displaying the edits you made to the document in red ink. Step Method 1 of 2: Enabling the Track Changes Feature Step 1.