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Out of the box, Give-and-take does a reasonable job of anticipating how most of u.s.a. work. Still, yous'll still discover a few things you alter almost every fourth dimension you start a new document, and doing and then quickly becomes annoying. Why not change these options permanently? That fashion, every new certificate opens ready to get, so you tin be a flake more productive.

Of course, "permanently" but ways the beliefs persists until yous change information technology again; you tin can revert to the out-of-the box setting or to another setting anytime y'all desire. But with the right tweaks, your custom settings tin can save you a lot of time. In this commodity, I'll bear witness you 10 defaults you tin can reset; these are the features readers contact me about the virtually.

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Many of these changes are to awarding-level settings, merely a few customize the Normal template. As a rule, I recommend that y'all not modify Normal or that you brand few customizations. It's not bad–yous're non going to blow upwards Word–but users often forget about the customizations and are later confused when the template isn't working every bit expected. In that location are a few important things to call up when yous customize the Normal template:

  • If Word encounters a corrupt Normal file, information technology will generate a new one, which won't include your customizations.
  • If the Normal template is deleted (it shouldn't happen, but it could), Give-and-take will generate a new version, which won't include your customizations.
  • If you lot upgrade, Word might generate a new Normal template file, which won't include your customizations.
  • If you share files with others, your customizations might conflict with theirs. Specifically, your Give-and-take files might non wait the same on someone else's organisation.

Noesis is ability, and so customize Normal fully informed and prepared for what might happen (but seldom does).

I'm using Word 2022 (desktop) on a Windows 10 64-bit arrangement, but most of these defaults utilize to before versions. In that location'south no demonstration file to download. Note: You lot tin can't reset defaults using the browser version.

Note: This article is too available in the free PDF Make Office 2022 work your way by changing these default settings.

1: Line spacing

Once Microsoft started pushing Office documents toward the spider web, information technology changed the default line spacing to ane.15. Information technology provides a looser informal look. Information technology looks good if yous're generating web content. If y'all're non–and most of us aren't–change that default setting to 1 every bit follows:

  1. Right-click Normal in the Styles Quick gallery, choose Modify, and then choose Paragraph from the Format list. You tin can also correct-click a document's background or inside a paragraph and choose Paragraph.
  2. In the Spacing section, change the At setting from 1.15 to i, as shown in Figure A. Or change Multiple to Single.
  3. If enabled, click Prepare As Default and click OK. If Set Every bit Default isn't enabled, click OK and then click the New Documents Based On This Document option at the bottom. Click OK and click Yes if prompted to make the change to the default template.

Figure A

Adjust the line spacing for all documents.

You lot might be wondering about the Multiple setting. A Multiple setting of i is similar to Single, merely they're not the aforementioned. The Line Spacing setting determines how Word handles spacing when a line has more one font size. The distinction won't affair to most of us. In add-on, line spacing isn't always the same size as the font. Many fonts utilize a smaller measurement for line spacing.

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2: Smart quotes

Despite Word'southward advancements toward collaborative tools, smart quotes yet crusade problem when dropped into HTML and certain mobile file formats. You'd think disabled would be the default, just it's not. If you press Ctrl+Z later on typing a quote mark, Give-and-take will convert that smart quote to a straight quote–but that can get old in a hurry. A amend plan might exist to turn smart quotes off, as follows:

  1. Click the File menu and choose Options.
  2. Choose Proofing in the left pane.
  3. Click AutoCorrect Options in the AutoCorrect Options section.
  4. Click the AutoFormat As You Type tab.
  5. Uncheck the Straight Quotes With Smart Quotes pick in the Supercede As Y'all Type section (Effigy B).

Figure B

Disable smart quotes for the electric current and all new documents.

3: Paste Special

Past default, Word retains the source formatting when you lot paste content. If you're pasting from strange sources or another document, that might mean double work because you must alter the formatting to match the current certificate'due south formatting after the paste task. If this happens infrequently, you tin can use the appropriate selection in the Paste dropdown (in the Clipboard grouping). Just if your formatting update happens oft, reset the pick's default to conform your needs, as follows:

  1. Click the File tab and cull Options.
  2. Select Advanced in the left pane.
  3. In the Cut, Copy, And Paste section, select the Use Destination Styles (Default) pick from the Pasting Betwixt Documents When Way Definitions Conflict dropdown.
  4. If you copy a lot of text from strange sources, choose the Keep Text But option from the Pasting From Other Programs dropdown (Effigy C).
  5. Click OK to return to your certificate.

Figure C

This option is more flexible than it used to be.

Every bit y'all can come across, there are several options available. Select those that meet your needs the all-time. This is one of my favorite default changes.

iv: Default file location

If you're using Windows 10, your Office apps default to OneDrive when saving. However, you accept a Word choice that works similarly but save files locally. Discussion's local default is your User Documents library, just you can change it as follows:

  1. Click the File tab and choose Options.
  2. In the left pane, select Save.
  3. In the Relieve Documents section, enter the binder where you want to save Discussion documents in the Default Local File location, as shown in Effigy D.
  4. Click OK.

Figure D

Tell Discussion where to save your documents.

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5: Paragraph spacing

By default, Discussion adds a bit of white space after each paragraph when yous press Enter at the end of a line. This white space isn't a blank line; it's function of the paragraph leading. If y'all want paragraphs to flow from ane into another without that white space, change the default as follows:

  1. Click the Home tab and then click the Paragraph grouping's dialog launcher.
  2. Bank check the Don't Add together Space Betwixt Paragraphs Of The Aforementioned Way option in the Spacing department (Figure E).
  3. Click the Set As Default option and then click OK.

Figure East

Eliminate the white space between paragraphs.

half dozen: The Mini toolbar display

Many users like the Mini toolbar, which displays formatting options when you select text. It annoys me, and it's ane of the showtime things I disable after an upgrade. You can press Esc to dismiss information technology, so it'southward not a big deal. Only if yous never use it (like me), go ahead and disable information technology as follows:

  1. Click the File tab and choose Options.
  2. Cull General in the left pane.
  3. In the User Interface Options section, uncheck the Show Mini Toolbar On Selection option (Figure F).
  4. Click OK.

Figure F

Uncheck this option to disable the Mini toolbar.

seven: The Normal style

In #1, yous changed the line spacing setting for Word's template. Another template setting that users like to customize is the font and font size. To change them for all documents, practice the following:

  1. Right-click Normal in the Styles gallery (in the Styles group on the Dwelling house tab).
  2. Choose Modify.
  3. In the resulting dialog, brand your changes.
  4. Subsequently making your changes, click the New Documents Based On This Template option (Figure G).
  5. Click OK.

Figure Thou

Change the Normal style in your Normal template.

eight: Word selection

When you highlight part of a word and and so extend that pick to the side by side word, Word automatically selects the whole discussion for yous. Give-and-take's trying to assist, but it tin can be abrasive if that'south not what you lot want. Fortunately, you can disable this setting:

  1. Click the File tab and choose Options.
  2. Select Avant-garde in the left pane.
  3. In the Editing options department, uncheck the When Selecting Automatically Select Unabridged Word option (Figure H).
  4. Click OK.

Effigy H

Stop selecting entire words.

9: Spelling, grammer, and formatting

Give-and-take likes to aid u.s.a. past identifying misspelled words, grammatical errors, and formatting inconsistencies, equally we type:

  • A reddish line indicates a word not institute in the dictionary (possibly misspelled, mayhap correct as is).
  • A green line indicates a possible grammatical error.
  • A wavy blue line indicates an inconsistent format.

I don't recommend that you disable these features; doing so makes you vulnerable to mistakes you might hands miss when proofing your work. If, on the other manus, y'all're writing the great American novel, you might find them distracting. The good news is, if yous really must, you lot can disable them every bit follows:

  1. Click the File tab and choose Options.
  2. Select Proofing in the left pane.
  3. In the When Correcting Spelling And Grammar In Word section, uncheck the appropriate options, as shown in Figure I.
  4. Click Advanced in the left pane to continue.
  5. In the Editing options section, uncheck the Mark Formatting Inconsistencies option (Figure J).
  6. Click OK.

Figure I

Disable spelling and grammar indicators.

Figure J

Disable the formatting indicator.

x: Margins

Lastly, let's tackle one more default option that affects your Normal template–margins. Fortunately, that option is also piece of cake to change:

  1. Click the Layout tab.
  2. In the Folio Setup group, click the Margins option.
  3. From the dropdown, choose Custom Margins.
  4. In the resulting dialog, set your custom margins (Effigy Grand). You tin can also change orientation and many other layout options.
  5. When you're done, click Set As Default and click Yeah to confirm that you're irresolute the template.
  6. Click OK.

Figure Thousand

Set the custom margins.

Piece of work your style

There are many default settings you lot can change at the application level or to the template. Don't stop with the x I've mentioned. Whatever fourth dimension you observe yourself repeating the aforementioned task frequently, check for a default setting to change.

Transport me your question most Office

I respond readers' questions when I can, but at that place's no guarantee. Don't ship files unless requested; initial requests for aid that make it with attached files volition be deleted unread. You can send screenshots of your data to aid clarify your question. When contacting me, be as specific as possible. For instance, "Please troubleshoot my workbook and gear up what's wrong" probably won't get a response, just "Can y'all tell me why this formula isn't returning the expected results?" might. Please mention the app and version that you're using. I'm not reimbursed by TechRepublic for my time or expertise when helping readers, nor do I ask for a fee from readers I aid. Y'all tin contact me at susansalesharkins@gmail.com.

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