How To Change Default Settings In Word 2016

How to change the default settings for new Word documents

Introduction

Background

Irresolute default formatting for new documents

Word 2003 and before

Changing default page formatting
Changing default font formatting
Changing default paragraph formatting
Irresolute other styles

Word 2007

Irresolute default page formatting
Changing default font formatting
Changing default paragraph formatting
Changing other styles
Changing document defaults

Word 2010

Changing default folio formatting
Changing default font formatting
Changing default paragraph formatting
Changing other styles
Changing certificate defaults

Word 2013 and above

Irresolute default page formatting
Changing default font formatting
Irresolute default paragraph formatting
Irresolute other styles
Irresolute document defaults

Other changes

Changes that are not recommended

What you lot should never practice

If you make changes yous shouldn�t take

Introduction: a template behind every certificate

Whenever you beginning Word with a new blank certificate or create a new document by selecting from the offerings at File | New or Function Push | New, that certificate is based on a template, a special kind of file that contains instructions for formatting a certificate, including specifications for the page size and margins, the font style and size, paragraph formatting, etc.

When that document is the �Blank document� that Word starts with, or that you tin can choose from the New dialog or New tab of the Backstage (or create with Ctrl+North), the template is the built-in default template called Normal.

The Normal template serves equally more a document template; it is also a �global� template, which means that it stores certain kinds of customizations, including macros, AutoText entries, and (in earlier versions) toolbar and bill of fare customizations. These customizations are available in every document you lot create, not just those based on the Normal template (that�s why Normal is chosen �global�).

Although all templates, including Normal, contain many styles, the basic style in every template is called Normal. That is the style applied to the default empty paragraph in any new document, and most of the rest of the styles in the document are based on it, so making changes in the Normal style has a ripple effect throughout all the styles.

Background: the development of the Normal style

If you look at the formatting of the default Normal way in early versions of Word, y'all can deduce that Give-and-take�s designers assumed that Word would by and large exist used to create business organization letters and reports. The font used was 10-bespeak Times New Roman, a compact font at a size that approximated 12-pitch �Aristocracy� blazon on a typewriter, which is what early Word users would have been familiar with. To proceed lines of small type from being too wide to read easily, the side margins were set at a generous 1.25 inches left and right. Paragraphs were left-aligned (not justified), with no indents, and single-spaced, with no Spacing Earlier or After. The letter templates used by the Letter of the alphabet Magician used 13-indicate Times New Roman, a larger size better suited to shorter documents. You could have any color you lot liked as long as it was black: nigh users were assumed to be using monochrome printers, so colour was reserved for graphics (pictures, charts, and the like). Although font colour could exist applied, the default styles were all set to �Automatic� (black on a light background, white on a dark background).

In Word 2000, the default font size was increased to 12 points (approximately equivalent to �Pica� type on a typewriter). According to Microsoft, �This change was implemented considering many Spider web browsers apply 12pt as their default font size.� This determination, one of many implemented to make Word 2000 more than Web-compatible, therefore plainly had zip to practise with what might be well-nigh appropriate for printed documents.

In all versions of Give-and-take from the very start through Give-and-take 2003, Times New Roman (a serif font) was used as the font for torso text and Arial (a sans serif font) for headings. Word users became accustomed to these fonts. Times New Roman was so widely used that it became �invisible�: type any kind of certificate in TNR and no one would notice the font; information technology did not call attention to itself.

When Give-and-take 2007 was introduced, Give-and-take users were stunned. In addition to having to learn how to utilise the new Ribbon in place of toolbars and menus, users were presented with new formatting for the Normal fashion. Serif and sans serif styles had been swapped. The new default Trunk font was Calibri (a sans serif font), at 11 points, with Cambria (a serif font) used for Headings. And the headings were blue! To add to the confusion, the paragraph spacing had been fix to i.15 lines, with 10 points Spacing Subsequently, giving the appearance (to many users) of double spacing. In Word 2013, fifty-fifty this was changed: Body and Headings fonts were now Calibri and Calibri Light, and paragraph spacing was i.08 lines, with eight points spacing subsequently.

Even in the primeval versions of Word, information technology was not unreasonable to want narrower margins or a different font or font size. Fortunately, these were relatively easy to change. More recent versions have added so many bells and whistles that it is non always obvious how to make the changes (sometimes at that place�s more than than one way). This article volition describe how to change page, paragraph, and font formatting in Word versions 2003 (and before), 2007, 2010, and 2013. Instructions for Word 2013 are all applicable to Word 2016.

Changing default formatting for new documents

At that place are basically two ways to change the formatting for all new documents. One is to create a template using your desired settings and base of operations new documents on that template. This method is recommended for specific types of documents: reports, for example, in which y'all always want to have a specific header or footer or comprehend page, or messages, where you may want to include a letterhead. Just if y'all want to change the basic formatting for a new Blank Certificate (what you lot get when you kickoff Word), then yous need to customize the Normal template. In that location are several means to practice this, some of them quite simple, but in that location are pregnant differences between versions, so you lot should find the version you have in the discussion below and follow those instructions.

Discussion 2003 and earlier

Changing default page formatting

All of the settings for folio-level formatting of a document or section (except columns) are constitute in Give-and-take�s Page Setup dialog. In Give-and-take 2003, y'all can open up this dialog by selecting Folio Setup� on the File carte du jour. An easier way to access the dialog, if you have the horizontal ruler displayed, is to double-click at the top of the ruler.

By default, the Page Setup dialog first opens to the Margins tab, shown beneath.

Word 2003 Page Setup dialog showing the Margins tab

The Newspaper and Layout tabs also present settings you may desire to change (the paper size, for instance). But if all y'all want to do is change the default margins, here�due south how to practice information technology.

Open a new Give-and-take document and get to File | Page Setup�
Set the margins the way you want them in your default certificate. Do not brand whatsoever other changes in this dialog unless you want them to apply to all new documents.
Click the Default� button at the lesser of the dialog.
Word will ask whether you want the new settings to utilise to all new documents based on the Normal template. Answer Yes.

Word 2003 Page Setup default message box

Irresolute default font formatting

Irresolute the default font changes the font used by the Normal style and all styles based on Normal for which some other font is not specified. The default body font in Discussion 2003 is Times New Roman, so changing the default font will modify the font of all styles that employ that font. Arial is used for headings in Word 2003, so the heading font will non alter unless yous modify information technology explicitly.

To modify the default font:

Open a new Discussion document and open the Font dialog. You can do this by pressing Ctrl+D, past selecting Font� on the Format bill of fare, or past right-clicking in the default empty paragraph and choosing Font� on the context menu.
In the Font dialog, change the font and/or font size to your preference.
Click the Default� button at the bottom of the dialog.

Word 2003 Font dialog showing Default... push button

Word volition inquire whether you desire the new settings to apply to all new documents based on the Normal template. Answer Yes.

Word 2003 Font default message box

Irresolute default paragraph formatting

When you change the default font using the Default... button equally described in a higher place, you lot are irresolute the font for the Normal style. There is non a Default... push button in the Paragraph dialog. Instead, you would accept to change the paragraph formatting of the Normal style. Because so many other styles are based on it, nonetheless, it is not advisable to brand changes in the paragraph formatting of the Normal style. If you make Normal justified or double-spaced, for example, or requite it some Spacing Before or Afterward or a first-line indent, this change may trickle down to other styles (see �How styles in Word pour�).

Changing other styles

Yous may, all the same, want to modify the formatting of other styles in Discussion. For instance, there are many good reasons for using Discussion�s born Heading styles (run into �Ten reasons to utilise Discussion'south congenital-in Heading styles�), just many users avert them because they don�t like the formatting. Luckily, this is easy to alter! Discussion MVP Shauna Kelly gives pace-by-step instructions for doing this in her article �How to modify a manner in Word.� As she explains, if you want your modified manner to exist the default for all new documents, you should cheque the �Add to template� box in the Change Style dialog, and the modify will be saved to Normal.dot.

Word 2007

Changing default page formatting

All of the settings for page-level formatting of a document or section (except columns) are found in Discussion�southward Folio Setup dialog. In Word 2007, y'all can open this dialog past clicking the dialog launcher (small-scale arrow) in the bottom right corner of the Page Setup grouping on the Page Layout tab. An easier way to admission the dialog, if you lot have the horizontal ruler displayed, is to double-click at the tiptop of the ruler.

By default, the Folio Setup dialog first opens to the Margins tab, shown below.

Word 2007 Folio Setup dialog showing the Margins tab

The Paper and Layout tabs also nowadays settings you may want to change (the paper size, for example). But if all you desire to practise is change the default margins, hither�s how to do it.

Open a new Discussion document and go to the Page Setup dialog.
Set the margins the way yous want them in your default document. Do not brand any other changes in this dialog unless you desire them to apply to all new documents.
Click the Default� push button at the lesser of the dialog.
Word will ask whether you want the new settings to apply to all new documents based on the Normal template. Answer Yep.

Word 2007 Page Setup default message box

Irresolute default font formatting

Changing the default font changes the font used by the Normal way and all styles based on Normal for which another font is not specified. The default body font in Discussion 2007 is Calibri, so irresolute the default font volition change the font of all styles that use that font. Cambria is used for headings in Word 2007, and then the heading font will not change unless you lot change it explicitly.

To change the default font:

Open a new Word document and open the Font dialog. Yous can do this past pressing Ctrl+D, past clicking the dialog launcher in the Font grouping on the Home tab, or by right-clicking in the default empty paragraph and choosing Font� on the context menu.

Give-and-take 2007 Font dialog showing Default... button

In the Font dialog, modify the font and/or font size to your preference.
Click the Default� button at the bottom of the dialog.
Give-and-take will enquire whether y'all want the new settings to apply to all new documents based on the Normal template. Respond Yep.

Give-and-take 2007 Font default message box

To change the font theme:

You will detect that past default the font of the Normal style (the default font) is fix to +Body. This means that all styles that are identified equally +Body will use the font specified for +Trunk in a given theme. The default Function theme uses Calibri for +Body and Cambria for +Headings. If you lot apply a dissimilar theme, the fonts will change accordingly (yous can see this effect by applying different themes from Page Layout | Themes | Themes).

If yous specify a font for the Normal style, then changing themes will have no outcome on the font (though the font color may change). If you adopt to use Times New Roman for body text and Arial for headings (as in previous versions), you tin apply the Office Classic theme. Access these themes via Home | Styles | Change Styles | Fonts or via Folio Layout | Themes | Fonts.

Word 2007 font themes

You tin can also specify fonts for body and headings by creating a new font theme. On the menu accessed via Home | Styles | Change Styles | Fonts or via Page Layout | Themes | Fonts, select Create New Theme Fonts� and select your desired fonts for trunk text and headings.

Create New Theme Fonts dialog in Word 2007

When yous have selected or created the font theme you prefer, click Set as Default at Home | Styles | Change Styles.

Changing default paragraph formatting

When y'all change the default font, y'all are changing the font for the Normal mode. Considering so many other styles are based on it, it is non advisable to make whatsoever other changes in the Normal style. If you make Normal justified, for example, or requite it some Spacing Before or After or a first-line indent, this change may trickle down to other styles (see �How styles in Give-and-take cascade�).

In Word 2007, still, the Normal style already has multiple line spacing (1.15 lines) and Spacing After (ten points). If y'all want Normal and the other styles based on information technology to be single-spaced and take no Spacing Later unless you specify it, then you may indeed want to change the default formatting of the Normal way. This is done the same for paragraph formatting as for margins and font formatting:

Open up the Paragraph dialog by clicking the dialog launcher in the Paragraph group on the Home tab or by correct-clicking in the default empty paragraph and choosing Paragraph�

Word 2007 Paragraph dialog

In the Paragraph dialog, alter the line spacing and Spacing Before/After to your preference (changing alignment or indents is not recommended).
Click the Default� button at the bottom of the dialog.
Word will inquire whether you want the new settings to apply to all new documents based on the Normal template. Respond Yeah.

Word 2007 Paragraph default message box

Of import Notation: If you lot desire to revert to the formatting of body text and headings in Word 2003 and earlier, there is an easier way. On the Home tab, in the Styles group, click Change Styles, then Manner Set. Choose Word 2003 from the menu. This volition give you the paragraph formatting of Word 2003; if you lot besides want to replicate the font formatting, you will need to select the Part Classic font theme as described in a higher place.

Irresolute other styles

You may too desire to change the formatting of other styles in Discussion. For example, there are many good reasons for using Discussion�south built-in Heading styles (see �Ten reasons to utilize Word's born Heading styles�), but many users avoid them because they don�t like the formatting. Luckily, this is easy to modify! Word MVP Shauna Kelly gives pace-by-step instructions for doing this in her article �How to modify a fashion in Word.� Every bit she explains, if yous want your modified style to be the default for all new documents, you should select the radio button for �New documents based on this template� so the modify will be saved to Normal.dotm.

You can also experiment with changing the style set up via Domicile | Styles | Change Styles | Fashion Set to see if there is another style set up you lot prefer. When you take selected the manner set up you prefer, click Set as Default at Dwelling house | Styles | Change Styles.

Change Styles button and Manner Fix carte du jour in Give-and-take 2007

Of import Annotation: Considering of an apparently incurable bug in Discussion 2007, the Style Set menu may be wider than your screen because the peak item is a long list of telephone numbers. How they got into this dropdown is a mystery, and there is no known solution.

Changing document defaults

You can change both font and paragraph formatting at the aforementioned time using the document defaults.

Click the dialog launcher in the bottom right corner of the Styles group on the Home tab to open the Styles pane.
In the lesser left corner of the Styles pane, click the third button, Manage Styles.

Word 2007 Styles pane showing Manage Styles button

In the Manage Styles dialog, select the Set Defaults tab.

Set Defaults tab of Manage Styles dialog in Discussion 2007

Make the desired font and paragraph formatting changes (again information technology is not recommended that y'all change alignment or indents), select the radio button for �New documents based on this template,� and click OK.

Important Note: When you modify the document defaults (which is what you lot are doing when you use the Default� push button in the Font and Paragraph dialogs), you are changing the default for the Normal style and all others based on information technology and also all styles based on (no style). After changing the certificate defaults, you can change the font of the Normal style specifically, and the change will touch styles based on Normal, merely styles based on (no mode) volition still exist based on the document defaults. Moreover, if you change the font formatting of the document defaults, the change will affect styles based on (no mode) simply will not affect the Normal style in which a different font has been specified. As a full general dominion, then, information technology is preferable to go along the Normal style the same as the document defaults to forestall confusion.

Word 2010

Changing default folio formatting

All of the settings for page-level formatting of a document or section (except columns) are found in Word�s Page Setup dialog. In Word 2010, you tin can open this dialog by clicking the dialog launcher (small-scale pointer) in the bottom right corner of the Folio Setup group on the Page Layout tab. An easier way to access the dialog, if y'all have the horizontal ruler displayed, is to double-click at the top of the ruler.

By default, the Folio Setup dialog showtime opens to the Margins tab, shown below.

Discussion 2010 Page Setup dialog showing the Margins tab

The Paper and Layout tabs also present settings you may desire to change (the paper size, for example). Simply if all yous want to do is change the default margins, here�s how to practice it.

Open a new Word document and go to the Page Setup dialog.
Set the margins the manner yous desire them in your default document. Practise not make any other changes in this dialog unless y'all desire them to utilize to all new documents.
Click the Set As Default button at the bottom of the dialog.
Word will ask whether you want the new settings to apply to all new documents based on the Normal template. Answer Yes.

Word 2010 Folio Setup default message box

Changing default font formatting

Changing the default font changes the font used by the Normal style and all styles based on Normal for which another font is not specified. The default body font in Word 2010 is Calibri, so irresolute the default font will change the font of all styles that use that font. Cambria is used for headings in Word 2010, and so the heading font will not change unless yous change it explicitly.

To alter the default font:

Open a new Word document and open the Font dialog. You lot tin can do this by pressing Ctrl+D, by clicking the dialog launcher in the Font grouping on the Home tab, or by right-clicking in the default empty paragraph and choosing Font� on the context card.

Discussion 2010 Font dialog

In the Font dialog, change the font and/or font size to your preference.
Click the Set up As Default button at the bottom of the dialog.
In the ensuing bulletin box, cull the radio button for �All documents based on the Normal.dotm template,� then click OK.

Give-and-take 2010 Font default message box

To modify the font theme:

Y'all will notice that by default the font of the Normal mode (the default font) is ready to +Body. This ways that all styles that are identified as +Body will use the font specified for +Torso in a given theme. The default Office theme uses Calibri for +Body and Cambria for +Headings. If you lot utilize a different theme, the fonts will modify appropriately (yous can come across this upshot by applying different themes from Page Layout | Themes | Themes).

If y'all specify a font for the Normal style, then changing themes will have no effect on the font (though the font color volition alter). If y'all prefer to apply Times New Roman for body text and Arial for headings (equally in Word 2003 and earlier), you can apply the Part Classic theme. Access these themes via Domicile | Styles | Alter Styles | Fonts or via Page Layout | Themes | Fonts.

Word 2010 font themes

Y'all tin can also specify fonts for torso and headings by creating a new font theme. On the card accessed via Home | Styles | Change Styles | Fonts or via Page Layout | Themes | Fonts, select Create New Theme Fonts� and select your desired fonts for body text and headings. (The screen shot in a higher place shows a custom font theme I created for a client.)

Create New Theme Fonts dialog in Word 2010

When y'all have selected or created the font theme you adopt, click Gear up as Default at Home | Styles | Change Styles.

Irresolute default paragraph formatting

When you lot change the default font, you are irresolute the font for the Normal style. Because so many other styles are based on information technology, it is not advisable to make any other changes in the Normal style. If you make Normal justified, for instance, or give it some Spacing Earlier or Afterwards or a start-line indent, this change may trickle down to other styles (see �How styles in Word cascade�).

In Word 2010, notwithstanding, the Normal style already has multiple line spacing (1.xv lines) and Spacing Afterward (10 points). If you desire Normal and the other styles based on it to be single-spaced and take no Spacing Subsequently unless yous specify it, and then you may indeed want to modify the default formatting of the Normal style. This is washed the same for paragraph formatting as for margins and font formatting:

Open the Paragraph dialog past clicking the dialog launcher in the Paragraph grouping on the Home tab or by right-clicking in the default empty paragraph and choosing Paragraph�

Word 2010 Paragraph dialog

In the Paragraph dialog, change the line spacing and Spacing Before/After to your preference (changing alignment or indents is not recommended).
Click the Prepare As Default push button at the bottom of the dialog.
In the ensuing bulletin box, cull the radio button for �All documents based on the Normal.dotm template,� then click OK.

Discussion 2010 Paragraph default bulletin box

Important Note: If you want to revert to the formatting of body text and headings in Word 2003 and before, there is an easier way. On the Home tab, in the Styles grouping, click Change Styles, then Style Set. Choose Word 2003 from the card. This will requite you the paragraph formatting of Word 2003; if yous too desire to replicate the font formatting, you will need to select the Role Archetype font theme equally described higher up.

Changing other styles

You may likewise desire to change the formatting of other styles in Word. For instance, there are many expert reasons for using Word�due south built-in Heading styles (run into �10 reasons to use Word'southward built-in Heading styles�), just many users avoid them because they don�t like the formatting. Luckily, this is easy to change! Discussion MVP Shauna Kelly gives pace-by-step instructions for doing this in her article �How to modify a style in Discussion.� As she explains, if you want your modified style to exist the default for all new documents, you should select the radio button for �New documents based on this template� and so the change will exist saved to Normal.dotm.

You can also experiment with changing the style set via Domicile | Styles | Change Styles | Style Gear up to see if there is some other style set y'all prefer. When you have selected the style set you prefer, click Fix as Default at Domicile | Styles | Modify Styles.

Modify Styles button and Style Gear up carte du jour in Give-and-take 2010

Changing document defaults

Y'all can change both font and paragraph formatting at the same time using the document defaults.

Click the dialog launcher in the lesser right corner of the Styles group on the Home tab to open the Styles pane.
In the bottom left corner of the Styles pane, click the 3rd button, Manage Styles.

Word 2010 Styles pane showing Manage Styles push button

In the Manage Styles dialog, select the Set Defaults tab.

Ready Defaults tab of Manage Styles dialog in Word 2010

Make the desired font and paragraph formatting changes (over again information technology is not recommended that yous change alignment or indents), select the radio button for �New documents based on this template,� and click OK.

Of import Note: When you change the document defaults (which is what you lot are doing when you lot use the Default� push in the Font and Paragraph dialogs), you are changing the default for the Normal fashion and all others based on information technology and also all styles based on (no style). After changing the document defaults, you can alter the font of the Normal style specifically, and the change will affect styles based on Normal, merely styles based on (no style) will still be based on the document defaults. Moreover, if you modify the font formatting of the document defaults, the change will affect styles based on (no manner) but will not affect the Normal style in which a different font has been specified. Equally a full general dominion, so, it is preferable to keep the Normal style the same as the document defaults to prevent confusion.

Word 2013 and above

Irresolute default folio formatting

All of the settings for page-level formatting of a document or section (except columns) are found in Word�southward Folio Setup dialog. In Word 2013/2016, you lot tin open this dialog by clicking the dialog launcher (small arrow) in the bottom right corner of the Page Setup grouping on the Folio Layout tab. An easier mode to admission the dialog, if you accept the horizontal ruler displayed, is to double-click at the top of the ruler.

By default, the Page Setup dialog beginning opens to the Margins tab, shown beneath.

Word 2013 Page Setup dialog showing the Margins tab

The Paper and Layout tabs also nowadays settings y'all may want to modify (the newspaper size, for case). But if all you desire to practice is change the default margins, here�s how to practice it.

Open a new Word document and become to the Page Setup dialog.
Set the margins the way you want them in your default document. Practise non brand any other changes in this dialog unless you want them to utilise to all new documents.
Click the Set As Default button at the bottom of the dialog.
Discussion will ask whether y'all want the new settings to apply to all new documents based on the Normal template. Reply Yeah.

Word 2013 Page Setup default bulletin box

Changing default font formatting

Irresolute the default font changes the font used by the Normal style and all styles based on Normal for which some other font is not specified. The default body font in Word 2013/2016 is Calibri, so changing the default font will change the font of all styles that utilize that font. Calibri Low-cal is used for headings in Word 2013/2016, so the heading font will not alter unless you change it explicitly.

To alter the default font:

Open up a new Word document and open the Font dialog. You tin practise this by pressing Ctrl+D, by clicking the dialog launcher in the Font group on the Home tab, or by right-clicking in the default empty paragraph and choosing Font� on the context menu.

Word 2013 Font dialog

In the Font dialog, change the font and/or font size to your preference.
Click the Fix As Default button at the lesser of the dialog.
In the ensuing message box, cull the radio button for �All documents based on the Normal.dotm template,� then click OK.

Word 2013 Font default message box

To change the font theme:

Yous will notice that by default the font of the Normal style (the default font) is set to +Body. This means that all styles that are identified as +Trunk will use the font specified for +Body in a given theme. The default Office theme uses Calibri for +Torso and Calibri Light for +Headings. If you apply a dissimilar theme, the fonts volition change accordingly (you can see this outcome by applying different themes from Design | Document Formatting | Themes).

If you specify a font for the Normal fashion, then changing themes will take no result on the font (though the font color will change). If you adopt to use Calibri for body text and Cambria for headings (equally in previous versions), you lot can apply the Role 2007�2010 theme. If you lot desire Times New Roman for trunk text and Arial for headings (every bit in Discussion 2003 and earlier), y'all can apply the Arial�Times New Roman theme (the themes aren�t listed alphabetically, and so you�ll have to coil down for that one). Access these themes via Design | Document Formatting | Fonts.

Word 2013 font themes

Note: Equally yous tin can encounter from the screen shots higher up, in Word 2007 and 2010, the font themes had names such every bit Noon, Aspect, and Civic. Word 2013 and 2016 now place the font themes by the font names so that you can more easily choice only the combination you desire.

You lot tin can as well specify fonts for body and headings by creating a new font theme. On the menu accessed via Pattern | Document Formatting | Fonts, select Customize Fonts� and select your desired fonts for body text and headings.

Create New Theme Fonts dialog in Word 2013

When y'all have selected or created the font theme yous prefer, click Set as Default at Design | Document Formatting.

Changing default paragraph formatting

When you modify the default font, you are changing the font for the Normal style. Because so many other styles are based on information technology, information technology is not advisable to make whatever other changes in the Normal style. If you make Normal justified, for instance, or requite it some Spacing Earlier or After or a first-line indent, this modify may trickle down to other styles (see �How styles in Discussion cascade�).

In Word 2013, even so, the Normal style already has multiple line spacing (i.08 lines) and Spacing After (viii points). If you want Normal and the other styles based on it to exist single-spaced and accept no Spacing After unless you specify it, then you may indeed desire to change the default formatting of the Normal style. This is done the same for paragraph formatting equally for margins and font formatting:

Open up the Paragraph dialog by clicking the dialog launcher in the Paragraph grouping on the Home tab or by right-clicking in the default empty paragraph and choosing Paragraph�

Discussion 2013 Paragraph dialog

In the Paragraph dialog, modify the line spacing and Spacing Before/Subsequently to your preference (changing alignment or indents is not recommended).
Click the Set As Default button at the bottom of the dialog.
In the ensuing message box, choose the radio button for �All documents based on the Normal.dotm template,� then click OK.

Discussion 2013 Paragraph default message box

Important Note: If you have previously used Word 2007 or Word 2010, you may have taken reward of the ability to revert to the paragraph formatting of Word 2003 by selecting the Word 2003 style fix from a Fashion Gear up menu on the Home tab. Discussion 2013 replaces this menu with a Quick Style Sets gallery on the Design tab. Unfortunately, the thumbnails are too modest to give much of an idea of what to expect, simply fortunately they exercise provide names when you mouse over them, and amid these are Word 2003 and Give-and-take 2010. Unlike the mode sets in Give-and-take 2007 and 2010, these Quick Manner Sets actually do modify both paragraph and color formatting at one become, but you will still demand to change the font formatting (to Office 2007�2010 or Arial�Times New Roman) separately.

Changing other styles

You may likewise desire to change the formatting of other styles in Word. For instance, there are many skilful reasons for using Word�s born Heading styles (see �10 reasons to employ Word's built-in Heading styles�), but many users avoid them because they don�t similar the formatting. Luckily, this is easy to modify! Give-and-take MVP Shauna Kelly gives stride-by-step instructions for doing this in her article �How to alter a style in Discussion.� As she explains, if yous want your modified fashion to be the default for all new documents, yous should select the radio push for �New documents based on this template� so the change volition be saved to Normal.dotm.

You lot can also experiment with changing the way set via the Quick Style Sets gallery at Blueprint | Certificate Formatting to run into if in that location is another style set you prefer. When you have selected the style set you prefer, click Set equally Default at Design | Document Formatting.

Quick Style Sets gallery in Word 2013

For more on using Quick Style Sets, see this Office Blog entry.

Changing document defaults

You can change both font and paragraph formatting at the same fourth dimension using the document defaults.

Click the dialog launcher in the bottom right corner of the Styles group on the Home tab to open the Styles pane.
In the lesser left corner of the Styles pane, click the tertiary button, Manage Styles.

Word 2013 Styles pane showing Manage Styles button

In the Manage Styles dialog, select the Ready Defaults tab.

Gear up Defaults tab of Manage Styles dialog in Word 2013

Make the desired font and paragraph formatting changes (again information technology is not recommended that yous change alignment or indents), select the radio push button for �New documents based on this template,� and click OK.

Important Note: When you change the document defaults (which is what you are doing when y'all utilise the Default� button in the Font and Paragraph dialogs), you lot are irresolute the default for the Normal style and all others based on it and also all styles based on (no style). Subsequently changing the document defaults, y'all can modify the font of the Normal style specifically, and the change volition touch on styles based on Normal, only styles based on (no manner) will notwithstanding be based on the certificate defaults. Moreover, if you alter the font formatting of the document defaults, the change will affect styles based on (no way) but volition not affect the Normal way in which a different font has been specified. As a general rule, then, it is preferable to go on the Normal style the aforementioned equally the document defaults to prevent defoliation.

Other changes

The folio, font, and paragraph formatting changes described above tin be made from within a Word document. You can also create AutoText entries (building blocks), macros, and styles and save them to the Normal template. Aside from these, about other changes you might want to brand in the Normal template would exist a bad thought, but there may be times when you lot will want or need to open the Normal template for editing and make changes straight in the file.

The location of the Normal template varies somewhat depending on Word and Windows version, and it is often stored in a folder that Windows is loath to prove you. If you demand to open and edit information technology frequently, then y'all tin become a complete rundown here.

Regardless of where the Normal template is stored (in whatever Word/Windows version), in that location�s a quick way to open it:

In Word, press Alt+F11 to open the Visual Basic Editor.
Printing Ctrl+G to activate the Firsthand window.
In that window, type (or paste)
NormalTemplate.OpenAsDocument
and press Enter.
Close the Visual Basic Editor.
You are at present in the Normal template; the championship bar of the window will say �Normal.dot � Microsoft Word� or �Normal.dotm � Microsoft Word.�
Make whatever desired changes. If the changes don�t event in the Undo button being activated, you will need to make a change that Give-and-take recognizes as a change in club to forcefulness it to save; Spacebar followed by Backspace is recommended.
Save the file.

This method is useful if for some reason the changes you make to the Normal template (through the Page Setup, Font, Paragraph, Manage Styles, or Alter Style dialogs) are not being saved when you lot quit Give-and-take. If you detect that even this doesn�t piece of work (or that you�re non able to even access the VBA Editor), and if you are on a corporate network, then it is fourth dimension to talk to your Information technology department; it may be that the company has the Normal template locked down (which is strongly advised against).

Changes that are not recommended

Because the Normal template is the footing for labels too every bit ordinary documents, information technology is strongly recommended that you not add a header or footer (fifty-fifty something equally uncomplicated equally a page number) to the Normal template. This volition adversely bear upon the layout and alignment of labels.

Similarly, calculation any other elements that yous don�t want to have in every single document (a cover page, for instance, or any other static text) is not recommended. Fifty-fifty if almost every document you create is a alphabetic character, I don�t recommend calculation a letterhead, date, salutation, etc. Instead create a template specifically for messages.

What you should never do

Sometimes �helpful� advisors will tell you to change the Normal template or recreate it by creating a new blank document or template and saving information technology as Normal.dot/Normal.dotm or saving information technology under some other proper noun and so renaming information technology Normal.dot/Normal.dotm. This will not work. For details, see this Microsoft Knowledge Base of operations article.

When Word creates a new Normal template, it automatically adds built-in AutoText entries, information technology creates the built-in Rich Text (formatted) AutoCorrect entries, such every bit the J, and it automatically initializes the apparently-text AutoCorrect entries found in your *.acl files for your default Language settings.

If you create your own Normal.dot, information technology will not comprise the born AutoText entries or formatted AutoCorrect entries. You will still be able to use the evidently-text AutoCorrect entries only the AutoCorrect dialog box will not perform as expected. The AutoCorrect listing will announced empty the start time you open the AutoCorrect dialog box. It takes a second opening to brandish the patently text AutoCorrect listing for your default language, and the formatted AutoCorrect entries volition be missing. This behavior will occur each time you start Word.

Important Note: The Normal template is your own personal style canvas, in which you salvage your personal customizations, and should never be shared with other users; Microsoft makes this clear in the article �You lot cannot share the Normal.dot file amidst multiple users in Word.� If you are on a corporate network prepare up and so that the Normal template must exist shared, you should refer the system administrator to that article.

If you make changes you lot shouldn�t have

Perhaps y'all have already customized the Normal template in means you don�t like, such as calculation text that you don�t want to appear in every document. Or perhaps yous took bad advice and saved a certificate every bit the Normal template. In that example, you may desire to beginning over with a fresh copy of the template, generated by Discussion from its internal defaults. If y'all rename the Normal template, a fresh, factory-default copy volition be generated when you restart Word. For more information on this, see �Why is my �Blank Document� not bare?�

Annotation: I am indebted to Boyfriend Word MVP Jay Freedman, who read an early on draft of this commodity and provided critical corrections and many helpful suggestions.

This article copyright � 2015 by Suzanne South. Barnhill, based on an earlier article at the Word MVP site.