changing colors in templates

[Valerie]

I want to use a newsletter template I downloaded from the
Microsoft template gallery, but I want to change the
color scheme. For example, there is a bold blue line
across the top and bottom, a blue column at the left,
etc. I want to change these to various other colors. How?
Please help.

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

Open the template directly using Word (it will be a .dot file, most likely),
perform the desired edits, then save the .dot file. I recommend saving it
under a new name.

Choose File - New and navigate to the template you want to change, as if you
were going to create a new document from it. But, in the Templates dialog,
set Create New to Template rather than Document. Then, make your changes and
save the template under the desired new name. Then, when you choose File -
New, next time, that template will be listed among the others.

 

[Valerie]

That seems simple enough, but it's the "perform the
desired edits" that I'm struggling with. Changing fonts,
etc. is no problem; it's the graphics I can't seem to
change -- the bold blue bars at the top and bottom and at
left. You can see what I'm talking about by starting a
new document, typing in "Online Newsletter" in the Search
Online For box, then selecting "Business e-mail
newsletter".

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If these are drawing objects, change the fill color. If they're shading,
change the shading color (Format | Borders and Shading). In either case,
they're probably part of the header, so View | Header and Footer to access
them.

 

[Valerie]

This is getting really bizarre now. I can't save the file
as a template or anything else, nor can I view headers &
footers or toolbars. "Save As," and View "Headers &
Footers" and View "Toolbars" are not options; they're all
greyed out.

I don't know why I didn't think of headers & footers or
the drawing toolbar, but I didn't. But now my question
is, how do I save the darn thing and then view the
headers & footers? Is this possibly a problem with this
particular template, or my computer, or something else
altogether?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Could be that the document is protected. See if Unprotect Document is on the
Tools menu.

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

Another possibility is that a coincidence of timing has put Word into
reduced functionality mode until it's activated (Help - Activate Product).