9. Using Templates
In This Chapter
You might not realize this, but as soon as you opened Word and started typing text you began working with templates. Every document in Word, including blank ones, are built with templates. If you’ve never worked directly with templates before, this chapter is just for you. Not only does this chapter define templates and introduce you to all the choices available in Word, but it also shows you how to create your own. Templates might sound a little intimidating at first, but after you know how they work and what to do with them, you’ll soon be using them like a pro.
Understanding Templates
A template is a pattern or boilerplate document that gives you a starting point for building documents. Most templates offer preset formatting and placeholder text that you can replace with your own text. The placeholder text is there to give you an idea of the type of text you can use in the document, as well as an idea of what the preassigned formatting looks like.
So what’s the difference between a template and a regular document, you might ask? Template files utilize a special file format and extension. If you turn on the file extension display in Windows Explorer, you can see Word template files listed with the .dotx, .dotm, or .dot extensions. (See Chapter 7, “Word 2013 Basics,” to learn more about file types.) Don’t let the special file format confuse you, however. When you assign a template, you’re just placing a style overlay onto a regular Word document file, so the document remains a regular .doc file type. It doesn’t suddenly become a template itself. It merely utilizes the design guide.
Applying a Template
You can apply a template to an existing document, or you can start a new document based on a template of your choice. To start a new document based on a template, click the Ribbon’s File tab and click New. This displays a screen similar to Figure 9.1 listing templates you can peruse.
The top of the screen offers a search box you can use to look for a particular kind of template and lists some search categories you can inspect with a simple click. Or you can use the scroll bar to scroll along and view various templates displayed in the window. When you find something you actually want to use, click it to select it. A smaller screen pops up, similar to Figure 9.2, with details about the template, its popularity rating, and a button you can click to download and apply the template. If the template suits you, click the Create button. If not, click the Close button (X) or use the navigation arrows to view more template descriptions.
Tip
If you find yourself using the same template over and over again, you can pin it so it’s always on the top of the list of templates on the New screen. To do so, move the mouse over the template you want to pin and click the pushpin icon in the bottom-right corner of the highlighted template. The pushpin icon toggles on and off; a vertical pushpin indicates the template is pinned, a horizontal pushpin means the template is not pinned.
As soon as you download a template, Word applies it to a new document. You need to save the file when you finish adding your own text and fixing it the way you want. (See Chapter 2, “Working with Office Applications,” to learn more about saving files.) The template you downloaded is automatically added to your template library. Word creates a new document file and applies the template. The file is not saved yet, so it still displays the Document2 filename at the top.
To start filling in a template, click the placeholder box and type away. Any placeholder text is replaced with the new text you add. You can easily move around and format text blocks. As soon as you click a box, it’s selected and surrounded by selection handles, which you can drag to resize the box.
Note
You can apply templates from older versions of Word, or templates you have created and stored elsewhere. Click the Ribbon’s File tab and then click Options in the left pane. This opens the Word Options dialog box. Click Add-Ins. From the Manage drop-down list at the bottom of the dialog box, select Templates and then click the Go button. This opens the Templates and Add-ins dialog box. You can click the Attach button to navigate to the folder or drive where your template file is stored and then open the template and attach it to your document.
Finding More Templates
You can use the search box on the New screen to look for more templates online (refer to Figure 9.1). Tapping into the vast resources of the Microsoft Office website, you can look for specific types of templates based on the keyword(s) you enter. With the New screen displayed (click the Ribbon’s File tab and click New to display it), click in the search box and type in your search word. Press Enter or click the Search button and a page opens displaying any matching results. Naturally you need an online connection to utilize this feature.
Click the Home button to return to the main New screen. Also on the New screen, just below the search box, is a list of suggested search categories. You can click a category to view a list of corresponding templates.
Note
By default, Word 2013 saves templates in the following folder path: %appdata%MicrosoftTemplates. If you type this path into the Explorer window’s Address bar, you can view all the template files stored within the default folder.
You can also use your web browser to check the Office website for more templates. Browse to office.microsoft.com, click the Templates link, and then click the link for Word. The web page displays all kinds of templates, categories, and links. When you find a template you want, click the Download button. You’re prompted to save the file to a folder you designate, or you can choose the default Templates folder as its home.
Tip
Finding downloaded templates can sometimes be a bit frustrating, especially if you don’t remember to specify a folder. You can use Explorer to search for templates (.dotx file extensions). In the Explorer search box, type *.dot or *.dotx to search for all templates, or if you know the exact name, you can type it instead.
Saving Templates
You can turn any document into a template file to reuse, or, after customizing a template, you can turn it into a new template to apply again and again. When you have finished making the document look just the way you want and are ready to save it as a template file, follow these steps:
1. Click File.
2. Click Save As.
3. On the Save As screen, specify where you want to save your template and click the Browse button.
4. Navigate to the folder or drive where you want to store the file; for best results, save your templates in the Custom Office Templates folder in the Documents library.
5. From the Save As Type drop-down list (see Figure 9.3), select Word Template (*.dotx).
6. Type a name for the template.
7. Click Save.
You can click the Personal category on the New screen to view the templates stored in your Custom Office Templates folder.