Wizards & Templates

To make life easier, Microsoft provides built-in Wizards and Templates to help you create common types of documents without having to format everything from scratch. Templates and Wizards are pre-formatted documents that allow you to simply "plug in" the information you need in the appropriate places. To get started, follow these instructions:

1. Choose File » New from the drop-down menu (NOT the New Blank Document icon on the toolbar). The New Document task pane will display on the right side of the Word window.
2. Click the General Templates icon toward the bottom of the task pane, under the subhead New from Template (in Word 2003, this icon is called On my computer). A new window called "Templates" will pop up.

3. Click the tab of the type of template you would like to use (e.g. the Letters & Faxes templates), select a specific template or wizard, and click OK.

4. For templates, simply type your own text over the default text. For wizards, follow the instructions to populate the appropriate fields, then type your own text in the created document.

From the New Document task pane, you may also try searching for templates on Microsoft.com or other Web sites.

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