Word 2000 in a Nutshell

Name

File → New

Synopsis

Whenever a new document is created in Word, it is based on one or more document templates (.dot files). Templates serve as boilerplates, containing settings, text, and formatting that is applied to a new document. Templates may also contain macros that can be used in a new document. The Normal document template (normal.dot) is automatically loaded with Word, making it the global template. For a complete discussion of how Word uses templates, refer to Chapter 2.

A generic blank document is created based on normal.dot (found in \Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates) by using Ctrl-N, by selecting the New Blank Document toolbar button, or by simply starting Word.

File → New launches the New dialog box shown in Figure 4-1, containing templates and wizards to create other document types.

Figure 4-1. Creating a new document

Generating a Preview

No preview is available for some templates, especially those without text. If you create a template and wish a preview to be available, open the template in Word and select File → Properties → Summary → Save Preview Picture. The preview of the document is available in both Word and Windows Explorer. The preview area on the New dialog box is often too small to be of much use. Choose Format → Theme → Style Gallery for a better way of previewing templates without having to open each one in Word. For more on using the style ...