Office 2000 template files contain a variety of elements (such as text, graphics, and formatting) depending on the Office program you are using. Using a template can save you time no matter which program you are using, because it will give you the ability to quickly reproduce the same basic structure in multiple files. This article shows you how to create a template in various Office 2000 programs, either from scratch or from an existing Office file. If you want to make changes to an existing template file (without renaming and saving it as a new template file), read Customizing Templates in Office 2000.

Word

Create a Word 2000 document template

1. Do one of the following:

   • To base a new template on an existing document, click Open on the File menu, and then open the document you want.

   • To base a new template on an existing template, click New on the File menu. Click a template that is similar to the one you want to create, click Template under Create New, and then click OK.

2. On the File menu, click Save As.
3. In the Save as type box, click Document Template. This file type will already be selected if you are saving a file that you created as a template.
4. The default folder is the Templates folder in the Save in box. To save the template so that it will appear on a tab other than General, switch to the corresponding subfolder within the Templates folder.
5. In the File name box, type a name for the new template, and then click Save.
6. In the new template, make any changes you want to appear in all new documents that you base on the template.

Excel

Create an Excel 2000 workbook template for new workbooks

1. Do one of the following:

   • To base a new template on an existing workbook, click Open on the File menu, and then open the workbook that contains the sheets, default text (such as page headers and column and row labels), formulas, macros, styles, and other formatting you want in new workbooks that you base on the template.

   • To base a new template on an existing template, click New on the File menu. Click a template that is similar to the one you want to create, and then click OK.

2. On the File menu, click Save As.
3. In the Save as type box, click Template (*.xlt).
4. Do one of the following:
   • To create a default workbook template, select either the XLStart folder or the alternate startup folder in the Save in box, and then type book in the File name box.
   • To create a custom workbook template, select the Templates folder in the Save in box, and then type any valid file name in the File name box.

Create an Excel 2000 sheet template for new worksheets

1. Create a workbook that contains one worksheet. On the worksheet, include the formatting, styles, text, and other information you want to appear on all new sheets of the same type.
2. On the File menu, click Save As.
3. In the Save as type box, click Template (*.xlt).
4. Do one of the following:
   • To create a default worksheet template, select either the XLStart folder or the alternate startup folder in the Save in box, and then type sheet in the File name box.
   • To create a custom sheet template, select the Templates folder in the Save in box, and then type any valid file name in the File name box.

For more information about using templates in Excel, read How to Create and Maintain Excel 2000 Templates.

Outlook

Create an Outlook® 2000 template

• If you use Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) as your message format and you want to change the background and default font for your messages, create stationery.
• If you repeatedly send mail that's structured the same way (sent to the same people, has the same content and formatting, etc.), create a form to use as a template.
• If you want to have text automatically added to the e-mail messages you send, such as a boilerplate response to messages, use a signature.

Create Outlook 2000 stationery

1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Mail Format tab.
2. In the Send in this message format box, click HTML.
3. Click Stationery Picker, and then click New.
4. In the Enter a name for your new Stationery box, enter a name.
5. Under Choose how to create your Stationery, select whether to start from scratch or use an existing stationery.
6. Click Next.
7. Select the options you want to use.

Note  If you like the stationery in a message that you received from someone, you can save it as your own stationery. In the message, click the File menu, click Save Stationery, enter a file name, and then click OK.

For more information about using stationery in Outlook, read OL2000: Working with HTML Stationery.

Create an Outlook 2000 message form to use as a template

1. Create a new e-mail message. Add the recipient, subject, and message content that you use each time you send this type of message. Exclude information that will vary each time.
2. On the Tools menu, point to Forms, and then click Publish Form As.
3. In the Look in list, click Personal Forms Library.
4. In the Display name box, type the name you want to appear in the list of forms.
5. In the Form name box, type a name for the form if you want it to be different from the display name.
6. Click Publish.

For more information about using the message form you just created, read Create a Message Template in Outlook 2000.

Create a signature for Outlook 2000 messages

1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Mail Format tab.
2. In the Send in this message format box, click the message format you want to use the signature with.
3. Click Signature Picker, and then click New.
4. In the Enter a name for your new Signature box, enter a name.
5. Under Choose how to create your Signature, select whether to start from scratch or use an existing signature.
6. Click Next.
7. In the Signature text box, type the text you want to include in the signature.
   You can also paste text to the Signature text box from another document.
8. To change the paragraph or font format, select the text, click Font or Paragraph, and then select the options you want. (These options are not available if you use plain text as your message format.)

For more information about creating a signature to use with Word as your e-mail editor in Outlook, type create a signature in the Office Assistant or on the Answer Wizard tab in Outlook Help, and then click Search.

PowerPoint

Create a PowerPoint® 2000 template

1. Open a blank or an existing presentation, or use an existing template to base your new template on.
2. Change the template or presentation to suit your needs.
3. On the File menu, click Save As.
4. In the File name box, type a name for your design template.
5. In the Save as type box, click Design Template.
6. The default folder is the Templates folder in the Save in box. To save the template so that it will appear on a tab other than General, switch to the corresponding subfolder within the Templates folder.

FrontPage

Create a FrontPage® 2000 template

1. In Page view, point to New on the File menu, and then click Page.
2. In the New dialog box, click the General tab.
3. Click the template that you want to base your template on, and then click OK.
4. Modify the page to create a custom template. For example, create a page that includes generic text, comments, and so on.
5. On the File menu, click Save As.
6. In the Save as type box, click FrontPage Template (*.tem).
7. In the File name box, type the file name for the template.
8. Click Save.
9. In the Save As Template dialog box, enter the information you want, and then click OK.

Publisher

Create a Publisher 2000 template

1. Create the publication you want to use as a template.
2. On the File menu, click Save As.
3. In the File name box, type a name for the template.
4. In the Save as type box, click Publisher Template.
5. Click Save.

PhotoDraw

Create a PhotoDraw™ 2000 template

Although you can't create a template to use in the Templates gallery in Microsoft PhotoDraw, you can save your own styles and shapes and use them again.

Save your own styles

PhotoDraw includes a variety of professionally created styles that you can apply to shapes and other picture objects. Styles are typically composed of two or more PhotoDraw effects.

1. Select the object that has the formatting you want to reuse.
2. On the Web Effects menu, click Styles.
3. At the bottom of the Styles workpane, click Save New Style.
4. Enter a file name for your custom style.

When you save your style, it appears as a thumbnail in the Styles gallery in a category called My Styles.

Save your own shapes

1. Select the shape you want to reuse.
2. On the Draw Paint menu, click Shapes.
3. At the bottom of the Edge workpane, click Save New Shape.
4. Enter a file name for your shape.

When you save your style, it appears as a thumbnail in the Shape gallery in a category called My Shapes.

Access

Create an Access 2000 template for forms and reports

When you create a form or report without using a wizard, Microsoft Access uses a template to define the default characteristics of the form or report.

The default templates for forms and reports are called Normal. However, you can use any existing form or report as a template. You can also create a form or report to use only as a template.

For more information about how to use a form template or a report template in Access, type create a template in the Office Assistant or on the Answer Wizard tab in Access Help, and then click Search.

More information

Customizing Templates in Office 2000

OFF2000: How Office 2000 Manages Templates

Organize Your Templates by Creating Custom Tabs in Office 2000

ACC2000: Hints for Printing Mailing Labels

FP2000 How to Alter the Theme Used by Web Templates

FP2000: How to Create Custom Web Templates

FP2000: How To Create, Modify, and Delete Shared Templates