Saving Styles in Word

[editor]

With a word document open, I create a new style, paragraph type, it
works on the document. When I close the document and open a new one
the style I created in the previos document can't be found -- in
short, my styles won't save. I have followed all of the trouble
shooting steps.

Can anyone tell me how to get the styles to save?

 

[Clive Huggan]

Hello Editor,

If you want a newly created style to be included in the styles available in
new blank documents, you need to explicitly add it to your Normal template.

You don't mention your version of Word, but in Word 2004 the quickest way is
to choose Format menu -> Style -> Modify -> Add to template.

In the same window as "Add to template",you'll see "Automatically update".
Don't click on that unless you know the consequences; for further
information, see page 156 of some notes on the way I use Word for the Mac,
titled "Bend Word to Your Will", which are available as a free download from
the Word MVPs' website
(http://word.mvps.org/Mac/Bend/BendWordToYourWill.html). After that, do a
"Find" for "Automatically update".

Alternatively, Format menu -> Style -> Organizer -> select the style in the
left-hand box -> Copy.

Cheers,

Clive Huggan
Canberra, Australia
(My time zone is 5-11 hours different from North America and Europe, so my
follow-on responses to those regions can be delayed)
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[editor]

Thanks Clive,

Yes, I am on Word 2004. Just curious, what are the "consequences."

And, now that I have a style saved, is there anyway to make that style
be the default style when I launch Word? Now, when I launch it comes
up Times New Roman 12 pt., I want it to be Times 11 pt.

Thanks,

Joe

 

[Clive Huggan]

Joe,

The consequences are explained in the ref I made to "Bend Word to Your
Will". They are too long to repro here.

To make an 11-point font size the default for a style, just select a word,
apply 11 point manually, then follow the Format menu -> Style -> Modify ->
Add to template, mentioned in my previous post.

For a description of how I manage styles, see "Styles and templates ‹ the
keys to consistency and saving time" starting on page 87 of "Bend Word to
Your Will". You'll see several articles relevant to what you need, and I
guarantee you'll come out of it a wiser man! -- Word is very much a
styles-based application, and mastering them leads to huge gains in
productivity.

[Note: "Bend Word to your will" is designed to be used electronically and
most subjects are self-contained dictionary-style entries. If you decide to
read more widely than the item I've referred to, it's important to read the
front end of the document -- especially pages 3 and 5 -- so you can select
some Word settings that will allow you to use the document effectively.]

I wouldn't use Times in Word 2004 -- it's an OS 9 font that does not render
as well as Times New Roman in Word 2004's ATSUI interface, and will have to
endure font substitution on someone else's computer.

Cheers,

Clive Huggan
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