Microsoft Office

Using and Creating Templates 9
If you ever want to revert to the standard default workbook, just delete the book.xltx file.
Using the worksheet template to change worksheet defaults
When you insert a new worksheet into a workbook, Excel uses its built-in worksheet defaults for the worksheet.
These default settings include items such as column width, row height, and so on.
If you don’t like the default settings for a new worksheet, you can change them by following these steps:
1. Start with a new workbook and delete all the sheets except one.
2. Make any changes that you want to make, which can include column widths, named styles,
page setup options, and many of the settings that are available in the Excel Options dialog
box.
3. When your workbook is set up to your liking, choose Office ➪ Save As.
4. In the Save As dialog box, select Template (*.xltx) from the Save As Type box.
5. Enter sheet.xltx for the filename.
6. Save the file in your \XLStart folder.
7. Close the file.
8. Close and restart Excel.
After performing these steps, all new worksheets that you insert by using any of these methods will be formatted
like your sheet.xltx template:
n
n
n
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Clicking the Insert Worksheet button (next the last sheet tab)
Choosing Home ➪ Cells ➪ Insert ➪ Insert Sheet
Pressing Shift+F11
Right-clicking a sheet tab, choosing Insert from the shortcut menu, and choosing the Worksheet
icon in the Insert dialog box.
Editing your templates
After you create your book.xltx or sheet.xltx templates, you may discover that you need to change
them. You can open the template files and edit them just like any other workbook. After you make your
changes, save the file, and close it.
Resetting the default workbook and worksheet settings
If you create a book.xltx or sheet.xltx file and then decide that you would rather use the standard
default settings, simply delete the book.xltx or sheet.xltx template file — depending on whether you
want to use the standard workbook or worksheet defaults — from the XLStart folder. Excel then uses its
built-in default settings for new workbooks or worksheets.
TIP
You can also rename or move the template files if you’d like to keep them for future use.
Creating custom templates
The book.xltx and sheet.xltx templates discussed in the preceding section are two special types of
templates that determine default settings for new workbooks and new worksheets. This section discusses
other types of templates, referred to as workbook templates, which are simply workbooks that you set up as
the basis for new workbooks or worksheets.
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