Using formatting styles is a good way to organize existing data in a standard format. If you routinely create similar documents from scratch, however—such as monthly reports, purchase orders, or product invoices—consider creating an Excel template. A template is a file that serves as a model for worksheets you create in your workbooks. You can use the many preformatted templates that are included with the Office software, or you can create your own templates that you can use whenever you want to create data in a particular format. In this section, you'll learn:
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You can use Microsoft Office templates and wizards to create many standard documents automatically. For more information, see "Creating Files Using a Document Template"
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Use an Existing TemplateIf you just want to use an existing Excel template to create a new worksheet (rather than modify a template to create a new type of worksheet), choose New from the File menu. Select a template from an appropriate tab, and then click OK.
To open an existing template file—either a template included with Office or one you created on your own—choose Open from the Excel File menu, specify Templates (*.xlt) in the Files Of Type list box, and double-click the template file icon in the files list box. Unless you intend to make changes to the original template, your first step after opening a template should be to save the workbook under a new filename to protect the original template.
To open an existing template, follow these steps:
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Excel templates have the .xlt file extension on disk.
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For a description of each of the templates included in Microsoft Excel, search for "Templates" in the Excel online Help.
If the template was included with the Office software, it typically contains several worksheet tabs and operating instructions. It may also contain a useful template toolbar that has custom template commands and online Help for the template.
To make a new template file using one of your own workbooks as a model, complete the following steps. When you're finished, you'll have a template you can use each time you want to create a worksheet that has the formatting you've included.