When I referred to "document", I actually meant template as I was using the
template to format the text. I'm only doing this because I couldn't find a way
to import styles from one document into another. It seems I can only import
styles into a template.
Not true. If you use Format>Styles...Organiser, you can import styles into
any document you like.
However, it is important to understand that a document makes no further
reference to its template following the instant of creation. At document
creation, the entire style table is copied from the template into the
document, and operates separately after that instant.
All of the styles in use in a document are stored IN the document, in the
local document style table.
To change the styles in a document, you must either update the local style
using Format>Style, or import them using Organiser. But you must change the
copy of the style held in the local document or the change will have no
effect.
Could I ask another question? For a long time now, I'm finding that my Word
files are behaving very erratically. For example, when I make a change to a
certain paragraph, all the paragraphs in the document take on the same change.
That's "Automatically update style" applied to the style of the paragraph
you are changing. With that turned on, any change to the paragraph
formatting will be replicated into the style definition stored in the local
style table in the document, and from there, flow to every other paragraph
in the document formatted with that style.
Go to Format>Style and switch it OFF
It should be impossible to switch "Automatically update" on for Normal
style, but this was a change made in a recent version of Word. Documents
made in older versions may still have that switched on, and if they have,
things become quite entertaining!
It also helps your long-term sanity if you get out of the habit of applying
direct formatting. The first time you need any specific kind of formatting,
create or modify a style to contain it. Check "Add to Template" when you
do, then you've got it forever.
If you discipline yourself to "Create a style, every time" by the end of a
month, you will be more than ten times faster at formatting documents, your
documents will be 100 per cent consistent, and your Word files will be more
than twice as reliable. All good outcomes...
To me, this points to a corrupt file
No: That specific one is an inappropriate user setting.
however I'm having other problems with
the program generally, ie. the default font in the font menu is showing up as
Times New Roman, however if I start to type, the font that appears is in some
other sans serif font.
You have some direct formatting stuck in your Normal template.
Close ALL other documents (make sure of this, or the cure won't work...)
Open your Normal Template, turn on the paragraph marks (Show/Hide...) so
that you can see what you are doing, and add a couple of characters to the
blank paragraph.
Open the Toolbox and apply the Office theme. Hover over the themes to see
their names. The Office one should be the top left one.
Now drop down the "Fonts" drop-down and choose the "Arial/Times New Roman"
(Office Classic) theme setting.
Go to the Styles segment, drop-down the disclosure triangle on the Normal
style and check that the Font has now changed to Times New Roman.
Now carefully select ALL of the paragraph INCLUDING the paragraph marker,
and hit Control + Spacebar, then Command + Option + q.
That removes all the direct formatting.
Now remove the junk characters you added, and Save/Close the Normal template
(quit Word and re-start to make quite sure the old Normal is not saved in
memory).
In Word 2008, the imposition of the very useless "Themes" mechanism provides
a global override on all your styles. The Theme settings can override any
part of all the styles in the document. It's a mess: I do hope they take it
away soon. Usually Themes cause no problems because nobody knows they are
there, but if they get mis-set, they can contribute to the entertainment
level in unfortunate ways. I have yet to find a legitimate use for them...
I wondered if trashing the preferences would work or is there another way I
can fix this? If trashing the preferences would be helpful, could you point
out where these exist on mac OS 10.5.8?
Pointing to preferences and resources on someone else's computer is a risky
game, because many of these files can be placed wherever YOU damn well like
Generally, we try to tell you how to find them, wherever you have put
them.
Hope this helps
--
The email below is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless I ask you to; or unless you intend to pay!
John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410 | mailto:
[email protected]