Need help creating a template for work with a locked indentations

[Guest]

I really need help with this. My work currently has some templates with a
numbering system that was defined by the person who worked before me. The
format is like the following...

1. Purpose
1.1
1.1.1

2. Scope/Application
2.1
2.1.1

And so forth. For some reason when other users type their information into
the template, every now and then I'll find the indentations are skewered.
For example

1. Purpose
1.1
1.1.1

2. Scope/Application
2.1
2.1.1

This ends up being completely different from how the template was intended,
and I can't figure out what users are doing in the first place to screw it
up. When I try to edit their documents, I have to do a copy format/paste all
throughout the document to get it to look like normal again, but I can't seem
to easily put it back how it was supposed to be in the first place. Even
when I go into Styles/Formatting and try to REDEFINE the indentations, that
doesn't seem to work so well either.

I need to know if there's a way to LOCK the indentation of the numbering
schematic so that users do not do something to inadvertantly screw up all the
line ups through the rest of their document. Ultimately it looks like the
default ends up being changed somehow, and it's something that almost
EVERYONE who writes a document on this template seems to make happen except
for me, and I can't figure out why.

I'd just assume fix it so that they can't mess it up in the first place, but
if there's a different/better solution, please let me know. If you need more
information, please let me know that as well.

Thanks,
Doug

 

[Guest]

Numbered styles in Word need to have the indentation set in two different
spots: the paragraph format window and the number format window.

Go to Format - Styles and Formatting, and select the style for the
paragraphs that aren't working correctly.

Right click on the style and select "Modify."

Then check Format - Paragraph and set the indentation you want.

Then select Format - Numbering and make sure that the indents listed there
match the indents listed under the Paragraph formatting.

Then select "Add to Template" to make the indentation stick in all documents
based on that template.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the advice Idaho Word Man.

I went ahead and followed those instructions which helped me at least set
the default for the document I was having problems with. However, I'm not
quite sure how to be utilizing the template feature.

Perhaps it all comes down to how the original person setup the template,
since the document wasn't saved as a .dot file but rather a .doc file.

We have our template (which again, is a .doc file) stored on a central
document management system, similar to storing the document on a server drive
accessable by all computers. The users can then download and save the
template to their hard drive for use in writing their documents.

Somehow, along the way, many users end up forcing the tabs out of whack. So
I'm thinking that your suggestion of selecting "Add to Template" might help
if we save it as a .dot file? I'm wondering if even then it would prevent
these errors from happening.

Thanks,
Doug

 

[Guest]

I hate to tell you this, but if you have saved your template as a *.doc file,
rather than as a *.dot file, the it isn't a "template" at all. It's just a
blank document.

You can, however, save your template as a *.dot file in your templates
directory, and then attach it to the documents you need, using Tools -
Templates and Add Ins - Attach.

Then, when you want to create a new document, use your mouse (keyboard
shortcuts will NOT work here) to go to File - New. If you're using XP,
you'll need to select On my computer... from the list that will pop up. Then
select the newly created template, and you'll get a new document called
Document 1 with all the existing text, headers, footers, and styles in the
template.