How can I open a document with a particular template?

[Kelly V]

Hello!

I work in Word 2007, and I've been challenged by my boss to create a
template for about a hundred Smart letters. I've created the template, but
can't figure out a way to link it with the Smart letters. What the template
required was particular graphics that I placed into the header and footer,
and what we need is for all of these particular documents to open with (or
link to, whichever works) this template's parameters. We need to be able to
edit the header/footer should something change, and to have to change a
hundred documents is a pain. So, ideally, we would be able to just change
one thing, i.e. the template, and then whenever a document is opened with
that template, it will show the changes.

I was trying to link everything together and came up bust. Is there any way
of changing the default opening template of an already-created document so
that it opens with the header and footer I created? Has any of my babbling
made sense? I know how to change the default template for a *new* document,
but that is of no use to me -- I need to change an existing document. I
tried to create a style AND a theme with my template, and nada. There MUST
be a way!

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Jay Freedman]

Hello!

I work in Word 2007, and I've been challenged by my boss to create a
template for about a hundred Smart letters. I've created the template, but
can't figure out a way to link it with the Smart letters. What the template
required was particular graphics that I placed into the header and footer,
and what we need is for all of these particular documents to open with (or
link to, whichever works) this template's parameters. We need to be able to
edit the header/footer should something change, and to have to change a
hundred documents is a pain. So, ideally, we would be able to just change
one thing, i.e. the template, and then whenever a document is opened with
that template, it will show the changes.

I was trying to link everything together and came up bust. Is there any way
of changing the default opening template of an already-created document so
that it opens with the header and footer I created? Has any of my babbling
made sense? I know how to change the default template for a *new* document,
but that is of no use to me -- I need to change an existing document. I
tried to create a style AND a theme with my template, and nada. There MUST
be a way!

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Sorry to say, Word doesn't work the way you imagine. Attaching a different
template to an existing document _will not_ change the header/footer, graphics,
or other content. It can change styles, or make different macros or AutoText
entries available, but not content.

For reference, please read
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/attachtemplate/index.html.

Because you have so many letters to change, it would be worth spending some time
(or money) programming a macro to do it.

 

[Kelly V]

Darn it, what a bummer! I was so *sure* I'd seen/read about how you could
open an existing document within a different template, but it must've been
wishful thinking (or a misunderstanding of the article, which is probably
more likely!)

Thanks for your help, though, much obliged!

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

You can create a new document based on a specific template and then use
either Copy/Paste or Insert | File to insert an existing document into it.