How to Use Themes in Word 2007

Word 2007 provides for the ability to apply fonts, colors, styles and other formatting options consistently across documents via its themes capabilities. Numerous themes are available both by default and from the Microsoft Office website and you can create your own themes. By using themes, an individual or organization can ensure that documents maintain a consistent look and feel.

Instructions

Access or create a Word 2007 document. Themes are easiest to apply and create to Word documents that already contain information that has been formatted with styles, graphics and other options that the theme can modify.

Use an included theme. Word 2007 includes a number of themes for various types of documents. To access an included theme, select the "Page Layout" ribbon, then click on the "Themes" icon. A drop down dialog will show the available theme. Mouse over a theme to preview how it looks for your document and click on a theme to apply it.

Download a theme from the Microsoft Office website. A number of themes are also available from Microsoft, and can be accessed by clicking on "More themes on Microsoft Office Online" on the "Themes" dialog. At the website, browse through the available themes and click on the highlighted name of a theme to download. Click "Continue" if your system has not yet been verified by the Microsoft Office Genuine Validation system and follow the directions. Otherwise, click "Download Now," save each file to the default location and then select the new theme from the "Custom" section of the "Themes" dialog.

Customize a theme. You can customize a theme by changing the colors, fonts and effects to be applied. Each setting is available in the drop down lists next to the "Themes" icon on the "Page Layout" ribbon. Once you have customized the theme and would like to save the settings as a new theme, select "Save Current Theme" from the "Themes" dialog. Give the theme a name and save it in the default location by selecting "Save."