Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Office 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Saving a Preview with Your Template.

Saving a Preview with Your Template

by Allen Wyatt
(last updated February 7, 2019)

3

You already know that Word allows you to save your own document templates. These files are blueprints for documents you want to create in the future. When you select New from the File tab (Word 2010 and later versions) or Office button (Word 2007), you can use the resulting controls to see a list of templates available for creating new documents. In the left side of the dialog box (Word 2007) are the templates and at the right side is a preview of what that template looks like.

You may have already noticed that some of the templates you create don't have a preview available in the dialog box. If this is the case with your template, and you want to have a preview available, you can follow these steps:

  1. Press F12 to display the Save As dialog box.
  2. Along the bottom edge of the dialog box is a Save Thumbnail check box. Turn it on to save a preview of the template itself.
  3. Confirm that the Save As Type input field is still set to the appropriate Word Template file type.
  4. Confirm that the template is being saved to the right folder.
  5. Confirm that the file name is correct, that it hasn't accidentally been changed.
  6. Click on the Save button to save the changes.

At this point you can close the template file. Now when you display templates when creating a new document, your template should have a preview available.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (8659) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Office 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Saving a Preview with Your Template.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Picking Worksheets Quickly

If your workbook contains a multitude of worksheets, the worksheet tabs at the bottom of the program window start to lose ...

Discover More

Printing a List of AutoCorrect Entries

Want a printed record of the AutoCorrect entries you've created in Word? There is no built-in way to do it, but you can ...

Discover More

Pausing Macros for User Input

Does your macro need to get some input from a user? Here are the ways that Excel provides for that input to be solicited.

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 2013 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access) with VBA programming, using it for writing macros, automating Office applications, and creating custom applications. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2013 today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Where Are Templates Stored?

Need to know where templates are located in Word 2007? The locations may be the same as in earlier versions of the ...

Discover More

Managing Corporate Templates

Templates are used to store styles and lots of other customizations that affect how you use Word. On a single-user ...

Discover More

Best Way to Create a Document Template

Templates are the basis of creating consistent documents that permit fast and easy formatting. What is the best way to ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 3 + 5?

2017-09-27 05:15:46

Beata

Thank you

2017-09-14 12:23:26

Graham Spillman

In Word 2007 - don't know about other versions - there seems to be a small glitch in this procedure

I find it works well for a normal unprotected template, but Thumbnail Previews are missing if the template saved has been partially protected by clicking on "Yes, Start enforcing protection" before the document is saved as a Template.

This means you have to choose between having a Preview of an unprotected form OR having a protected template for the form with no preview

I couldn't find any way around this.
Do you have any other ideas?

2014-09-24 12:45:45

Jim Wood

I have a new installation of Office 2013 and this does not work. The thumbnail keeps coming up blank. My .dotx file that is displaying has the text I want in the thumbnail.

This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR AUTHORS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2019 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.