Creating a Template

If you use a format for a document repeatedly, one useful shortcut is to create a template that contains all the appropriate adjustments to margins, font size and style, headers and footers, and page numbering, along with pre-set space to fill in name and date information and the all important title for the paper.  You may choose to create one template file that you use for your own papers or that you distribute to your students to insure they follow your essay formating guidelines. You can also have students each create their own personalized file in class as a way of introducing the various formatting features of Word.

To Create a New Template

1.      Go to the File menu and choose New.

New Document Dialog Box

2.      With Blank Document highlighted (should be default), under the Create New section, check the Template box and click OK.

3.      Change the necessary settings to format the document.

4.      Type text placeholders for heading information that you want to appear each time you create a new document using this template. 

5.      Most instructors prefer a clean font that is neither too large nor too small.  Therefore, you may want to set your font for the page to one of the more commonly used fonts, such as Times New Roman, 12 pt or Courier, 10pt.  To apply this font to the entire document, go to the Edit menu and choose Select All before changing the font name and size using the drop-down boxes on the standard toolbar.

Example of Paper Template with Text Placeholders

6.      When you’ve finished editing the template page, choose File and Save.  Note that Word is set to automatically save templates in the Templates folder in Windows.  If you are creating this template at your home or office computer, you should title the template with a distinctive name (NOT Template) and allow Word to save.  However, if you want to move this template to another computer, you’ll need to change the Save In location to a floppy or zip disk.

Using Your New Template

Once you have copied the template file into the Microsoft Office Templates folder, you are ready to use your new template.

1.      Start Microsoft Word

2.      Choose File and New.

3.      Your template file should appear in the New File Dialog Box.  If your template is not there, make sure you have correctly copied the file to the Templates folder.

4.      Double-Click on your template file name.  A new document will open with your template settings and text.  You can edit and save this document however you wish without effecting the template file. 

 

Transferring Your Template to Your Students

Once you have your assignment template complete and saved on your computer as a .dot file, you can transfer it to your students by choosing:

File
Send To
Mail Recipient (as Attachment)

You may want them to save it (it will go into THEIR templates folder).
or you may simply want them to open it (it will open as an unnamed document).