update styles per new template

[Ellen Finkelstein]

In Word 2003, I want to attach a new template and have the styles in my document change to match the definitions of the new template.

I have two templates that contain the same styles but with different definitions. I want to create a document based on one template, print it, then attach the 2nd template so that the styles change. (One document is for 8-1/2x11 b&3 printing and the other is to make a large poster in color.) But when I attach the 2nd template, even though the Automatically Update Document Styles check box is checked, the formatting of the text doesn't change to reflect the new definitions. I have to manually select each block of text and choose the style from the Styles drop-down list. That takes way too long!

Is there any way to get the styles to update automatically when I attach a new template? I thought it was supposed to do this by itself.

Ellen

 

[Jezebel]

I thought it was too. Perhaps this is another of W2003's negative
improvements. Try this: attach the new template, select the entire document
and press Ctrl-Q.



In Word 2003, I want to attach a new template and have the styles in my
document change to match the definitions of the new template.

I have two templates that contain the same styles but with different
definitions. I want to create a document based on one template, print it,
then attach the 2nd template so that the styles change. (One document is for
8-1/2x11 b&3 printing and the other is to make a large poster in color.) But
when I attach the 2nd template, even though the Automatically Update
Document Styles check box is checked, the formatting of the text doesn't
change to reflect the new definitions. I have to manually select each block
of text and choose the style from the Styles drop-down list. That takes way
too long!

Is there any way to get the styles to update automatically when I attach a
new template? I thought it was supposed to do this by itself.

Ellen

 

[Ellen Finkelstein]

That definitely didn't work, although it unnumbered a couple of numbered
lists. What is Ctrl+Q supposed to do?

Ellen

 

[Jezebel]

CTRL-Q resets the paragraph formats to their styles. The fact that it didn't
work explains why the 'Automatically update' didn't work either: it means
that your paragraphs have been manually formatted differently from the
underlying styles. Eg, your numbered lists have been created by applying
numbering directly, rather than by applying a style that includes numbering.

 

[Stefan Blom]

Attaching a new template certainly updates the styles (assuming that
you check that option in the Templates and Add-Ins dialog box), but
unless your document is actually formatted with the same styles as
those present in the template, the text won't look any different after
updating. If necessary, you can use Edit>Replace to find styles (or
direct formatting) and replace with the proper styles from the
template you are attaching.

As soon as the proper styles are in fact applied, you can use
CTRL+SPACEBAR to remove any font formatting (font name, font size,
bold, italics, underline, etc.) not in style. And CTRL+Q removes
paragraph formatting (numbering, indents, tabs, line spacing, space
before, space after, paragraph borders, etc.) not in style.

--
Stefan Blom


In Word 2003, I want to attach a new template and have the styles in
my document change to match the definitions of the new template.

I have two templates that contain the same styles but with different
definitions. I want to create a document based on one template, print
it, then attach the 2nd template so that the styles change. (One
document is for 8-1/2x11 b&3 printing and the other is to make a large
poster in color.) But when I attach the 2nd template, even though the
Automatically Update Document Styles check box is checked, the
formatting of the text doesn't change to reflect the new definitions.
I have to manually select each block of text and choose the style from
the Styles drop-down list. That takes way too long!

Is there any way to get the styles to update automatically when I
attach a new template? I thought it was supposed to do this by itself.

Ellen

 

[Ellen Finkelstein]

But the other styles, ones with no numbering?
It's true that I created the document, formatted it, and then created styles
based on existing formatting. They were unique types of styles, so defining
them in the dialog box would have been time-consuming. But I didn't change
the formatting after that. In other words, I didn't create a style and then
change formatting. I can see why manual formatting afterwards would remain.

Ellen

 

[Ellen Finkelstein]

Stefan,
I created the document using the 1st template. Then I changed some text
content, but no styles, did a Save As, and then attached the new template.
All the styles are still there. That is, all the text still has the same
style names. That's why, if I select the text and re-select the style name
that it already shows, I get the right formatting. But it doesn't happen
automatically.

I'm trying to create the same document, once for printing on 8-1/2x11 paper
and once for printing on poster-size paper -- all the text is the same.

By the way, one of the styles does change, for some weird reason.

Ellen

 

[Guest]

Hi, Ellen. In the menu you used to attach the new template, did you check the box for "Automatically update document styles"?

 

[Margaret Aldis]

If the style is updated but does not change existing text until reapplied,
you have direct formatting on your text. Did you try Stefan's suggestion of
using Ctrl-Q and Ctrl-Space bar?

 

[Ellen Finkelstein]

Yes.
Ellen

Hi, Ellen. In the menu you used to attach the new template, did you check

the box for "Automatically update document styles"?

 

[Ellen Finkelstein]

Thanks Margaret. I found the problem. There was direct formatting, but it
was in the 1st template that I created and I was looking for it in the
document. Your clear explanation helped me figure it out.

Ellen