Changing "Normal.dot"

  • Thread starter Thread starter FranOnTheEdge
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FranOnTheEdge

Hi,

I'm completely new to Word 2007 and hating every minute of it.

I am used to 2003, but even there I have it - had it - adjusted to my
layout, my sight, my way of working.

My question is:
How do I adjust what used to be "Normal.dot" and save the changes so that
all my new documents arrive already the way I want them instead of this
hopeless mess that MS seems to think is what we should be using?

I need to be able to adjust the text to arrive as Times New Roman, at font
size 16 or 14.

(what the heck is Calibri?)

I need the margins adjusted so I'm not continually wasting most of the page
with nothing on it, (usually .3" or .5")

I need the measurements in inches, not cms...

I need lots of things changed - so you can see why I need to change
"Normal.dot" otherwise I'm spending most of my working time changing each and
every document before I can even begin!

Please, please, can someone help?

Fran
 
To change the default fonts, you can do the following: On the Home tab,
click Change Styles | Style Set | Word 2003. Then click Change Styles |
Fonts | Office Classic. To save these new settings to the attached template,
click Change Styles | Set as Default. If/when you are prompted to save your
template, choose to do so.

To change the margins, click the Page Layout tab. In the Page Setup group,
click the dialog launcher button (the arrow on the bottom right). Specify
the desired margins, and then click the Default button. Again, if/when Word
prompts you to save the template, do so.

The units of measurement can be specified in Office button | Word Options,
Advanced category.
 
The default template for Word 2007 is normal.dotm. You can modify the styles
it contains just as you could in Word 2003, or you can create your own
document templates configured as you wish.

Calibri is a new sans serif font akin to Arial

Page setup (for the margins) is on the Page Layout tab

The measurements are set to Inches from the Office button (looks like a
Pizza - top left of the Word screen) > Word Options > Advanced > Display >
Show measurements in units of ...

The learning curve is steep, but 2007 can do most things that 2003 could do
and a few more.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
 
Thanks both of you - you ain't whistling Dixie when you say the learning
curve is steep.

Why oh why did they have to change the layout so very much and so
irritatingly?

What are these new things that 2007 can do that 2003 couldn't... and is it
worth all the hastle?

What do you mean 2007 can do MOST of what 2003 could do?.... what can't it do?

Oh and how do I get the page numbers at the bottom of the page (found this
bit) but also on the OUTSIDE of each page? I used to have that in 2003.

Thanks.

Fran
 
Word doesn't offer a built-in way to choose Outside as it did in the Insert
| Page Numbers dialog. Instead, you need to enable "Different odd and even"
headers and footers and place the PAGE field appropriately in the Odd Page
Header/Footer and Even Page Header/Footer.
 
Ah, this'll be another backwards step for the software then.

Thanks for the info on how to work around it, I'm much obliged.

Fran

(I wonder how many versions backward this takes us?)

:

Word doesn't offer a built-in way to choose Outside as it did in the Insert
| Page Numbers dialog. Instead, you need to enable "Different odd and even"
headers and footers and place the PAGE field appropriately in the Odd Page
Header/Footer and Even Page Header/Footer.
 
Sorry, but I still can't figure out how to get my page set up for different
odd and even page numbers in the footer so that the number appears on the
outside of each page.

I've managed to get "different odd & even pages" enabled in header footer
design, but I can't get the outside part without already having a document
with more than 1 page already written.

Is this even possible in 2007?

Fran
 
You have to do that at template level (and always have had to). Once you
have created the H&Fs, you can then delete the additional pages and save the
template. Word will store the H&F information for the following pages in the
template, even though it only seems to have one page.
 
I must say everybody has been incredibly helpful with my frustration with
this dratted problem, I'm very grateful to you all.

Well yes, that is how I thought I'd done it in version 2003, - in a template
I mean.

But do I save the template as .dot, .dotm .dotx or what?

I've got my save set to "Save as 2003 document" as the default you see,
since I'm transferring docs between machines that have only 2003 and this new
PC of mine with 2007 on it.

Fran
 
There's no reason you can't do it in the document as well, but of course if
you want it in new documents, you'll need to create a template.
 
The .dotm and .dotx extensions are for Word 2007 templates (with and without
macros, respectively). To save as a Word 2003 .dot (which may be wise),
you'll need to choose Other Formats in the Save As list. This opens the
familiar Save As dialog, in which you can scroll all the way down to "Word
2003 Template (*.dot)."
 
Yes I need it as a template.

But does it matter where I save the template? If I want that template to
rule everything....


Until I come up with other requirements.

Fran
 
You probably need to read
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/WhatTemplatesStore.htm. Note that
Normal.dot (Normal.dotm) is the only "global" template that provides both
document styles and layout to documents on which it is based and toolbars,
menus, macros, AutoText, etc., to any open document. Other templates have to
choose between being document templates (which provide layout and the other
assorted stuff to documents based on them) and add-ins, which provide the
etc. but not styles or formatting (such as margins, header/footer or other
content, etc.) to any open document. The only place to make changes that
will affect all new Blank Documents is Normal.dot(m), but you don't want to
add any text to Normal.dot (especially headers or footers) because this will
cause problems with other sorts of documents (notably labels).
 
Thank you for the lesson Stephan, I tried researching it several ways and you
made it real easy to change font style and size. The question now is, do I
lose the other features that Word 2007 has to offer?
 
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