page settings (eg margins, paper size, paper orientation, settings for headers and footers).content (eg text, pictures, a fax header, a form to fill in, the outline of your monthly management report, any content in headers and footers).When a document is created, it inherits three things from its parent template: Part 1: What happens when a document is born? In Word 2007 and Word 2010 it is normal.dotm. Up to and including Word 2003, the Normal template was called normal.dot.

Unless you specify a different template, Word bases all new documents on the Normal template. If you choose 'Blank document', Word will base your document on the Normal template. And you see a dialog box presenting you with several templates from which to choose. In Word 2000 and earlier, you create a new document by doing File > New. If you click 'On my computer…' in Word 2003, or 'General templates…' in Word 2002, you see the full dialog box showing all your Word templates and you can choose a template.

In Word 2002 and Word 2003, if you do File > New, you see the New Document task pane. Or, you can choose to base your document on a different template. If you click 'Blank document', Word will base your new document on the Normal template. You then see the 'New Document' dialog box.

In Word 2007, you create a new document by clicking the Office button (also known, irreverently, as the pizza button) and choosing 'New'. If you click 'Blank document' in the 'Available templates' section, Word will base your new document on the Normal template. In Word 2010, you create a new document by clicking the blue File button and choosing 'New'. When you create a new document, Microsoft Word bases your new document on a template. Preamble: How is a document based on a template?

Understanding the relationship between documents and templates is crucial to understanding how Word works.

toolbars (in Word 2003 and before) or UI customizations (including Ribbon customizations) in Word 2007 and Word 2010Įvery Microsoft Word document is based on a template, whether you choose a template explicitly or not.

AutoTexts (in Word 2003 and before) or Building Blocks (in Word 2007 and Word 2010).

Thereafter, a template sits in the background and provides four things to a document: When a Word document is created, it inherits three things from its parent template:

2007 microsoft word templates