Creating MS Word Templates

Creating Templates in Microsoft Word

The following step-by-step instructions detail how to create a template in Microsoft Word 2013. Though these instructions are specific to Microsoft Word version 2013, they can be followed for other recent versions of Microsoft Word, provided the user has an intermediate understanding of MS Word and the various nuances between the different versions of Word up to version 2013.

This post provides detailed step-by-step, easy-to-follow instructions for creating a Microsoft Word 2013 template from blank document to completely user-friendly template equipped with styles that do not depend on Word's standard Normal template, thus reducing the risk of formatting errors as documents grown in size.

Create Blank Template

The first step in creating a Microsoft Word template is to open a blank document and save it as a template in the proper directory for default users. Other computers that download the same file should save to the same directory for proper access to the template.

Open a Blank Document

1. Double-click the MS Word icon on your desktop to open MS Word 2013 on your desktop.
   
2. Click File at the top left of the screen to open the File menu.
   
3. Click New from the options on the left.
   
4. Double-click the first choice in the main area labeled Blank document.
   
5. Save Blank Document as Template
   
6. Click File at the top left of the screen to open the File menu.
   
7. Click Save As from the options on the left.
   
8. Click Browse to open the Save As pop-up window.
   
9. Navigate to the Microsoft Template directory in the Users Folder of the C: drive as shown in the below image.
   
10. Select Word Template (*.dotx) from the Save as type dropdown menu at the bottom of the pop-up window.
    
11. Provide a name for the template in the File name text area above the Save as type dropdown menu.
    
12. Click Save.
    

Create Styles

Once the template has been saved to the proper directory, you can begin creating styles that you will need for various documents based on this template. Every different type of style, no matter how similar it may seem to other styles, should be assigned its own style from the style list.

Open the Styles menu

1. At the top left of the Microsoft Word 2013 main window, click the Home tab.
   The various sections of the Home tab are labeled at the bottom center of the corresponding section: Clipboard, Font, Paragraph, Styles, Editing.
   
2. Click the small arrow pointing down to the right in the bottom right corner of the Styles section.
   The Styles menu opens up. You can fit the Styles menu to match the height of the main area so that they fit together by clicking and holding the top of the Styles menu and dragging it to the right until it snaps into place.
   

Adjust Styles Options

1. At the bottom of the Styles menu, click the Options... link.
   
2. The Style Pane Options pop-up window appears.
   
3. In the Select styles to show: dropdown menu, click All styles.
   
4. In the Select how list is sorted: dropdown menu, choose your preference.
   
5. Best practices are to select the Alphabetical option for ease of use.
   
6. Check the boxes in the first group to show all the various styles.
   
7. Check the first box in the second group to show built-in styles.
   Checking the second box will hide the built-in name of a style if you duplicate one of the built-in styles and rename it. This choice is best left unchecked for beginners, but even advanced users may benefit from viewing all the different names of duplicate styles; therefore, best practices are to keep the last box unchecked.
   

Create a New Style: BodyText

The purpose of these instructions are to create styles that do not depend on the Normal template. The following steps can be repeated until all styles that will be used in a document have been accounted for. Note that you can create additional styles in Word besides duplicates of the built-in styles.

1. Single-click the NewStyles icon on the left of the three icons.
   
2. Enter the name BodyText, no spaces, in the Name: text field.
   
3. Select the Paragraph option from the Style type: dropdown menu.
   
4. Select the _(no style)_ option at the top of the list of the Style based on: dropdown menu.
   The Style for following paragraph: dropdown menu should be prepopulated with the new BodyText style that is being created. If not, select it from the list.
   
5. Adjust the font formatting preferences from the options available.
   
6. The Format dropdown menu at the bottom left of the screen allows you to adjust the paragraph and other formatting settings.
   
7. Check the two boxes above the Format dropdown menu to add and update the new style.
   
8. Select the New documents based on this template radio button.
   
9. Click OK to save.