how to open word files with font arial, size 7 all the time?

[Nima]

How does one set up a default setting to open all word files with a specific
font and size?

 

[Kathy Kensche]

By changing your Normal.dot (that's the general template Word uses to create
any new document for you). Go to C:\Documents and Settings\user
name\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates. You may want to take a copy of
"Normal.dot" before doing anything to it. Then right click on Normal.dot.
Select "Open" and modify the style "Normal" to what you want it to be. (This
is the underlying text style for all new documents and most other text
styles).

A text style saves all text formatting that you want to include by default.
To modify (or create) styles, select "Format - Styles and Formatting" (in
Word 2002/03) which will open the Styles and Formatting Panel on the right.
In there find "Normal" and select "modify" on the dropdown menu (arrow
appears on the right when you hover on it). In the dialogue, change the font
settings to what you'd like it to be and go OK.

!!!Please be aware that other templates may be based on the standard
Microsoft Normal Style and changing Normal style may impact documents that
rely on that style (i.e. everything called Normal that looked liked Times New
Roman so far may well be changed now)!!!

Generally, it's not best practice to change the inbuild Microsoft styles but
rather build your own ones or create style aliases.

Have a look here: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word/HP011210281033.aspx

 

[Nima]

Hi Kathy,
I have already tried that. That applies to any new documents i
create......but thats not what i need.
I want all files to be opened by default with font arial and size 7.

Thanks,
Nima

 

[Tony Jollans]

I won't say it can't be arranged (although it can't be for all documents, it
could be for many) but it is a slightly unusual request. Why do you want to
do this?

 

[Kathy Kensche]

There we are all trying hard making everyone looking at documents the way the
creators want you to look at them... and then along come those
individualists.....

Don't think you can change the way Word documents appear once they've been
based on styles which have been defined in a certain way.

My best guess is to try and change your Normal Style in Normal.dot and hope
that some templates use this as the "Base Style" (which they shouldnt).
Whenever in a template the base style is Times New Roman (which is the
Microsoft Standard for "Normal") and no particular re-definition has been
made, you should be able to view it as Arial if you change your Normal style.
But that's just a guess and may not apply to evertything your viewing.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

The settings in your Normal.dot will have no effect on documents created by
others unless you reattach the template with "Automatically update document
styles" checked. See
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/templaterelations/index.html

 

[Beth Melton]

If what you want to do is change how you see the document then go to
Tools/Options/View, select Draft Font, and modify the font and size to your
liking. Then switch your document view to Normal view (View/Normal) if
necessary.

Note this will not change will only affect how you view the documents on the
screen and not modify the documents.

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email cannot be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Coauthor of Word 2007 Inside Out:
http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/9801.aspx#AboutTheBook

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/