Making changes to the default Word orientation will only affect new documents that you create which use the Normal template (which is most documents.)Ĭhanging the default layout will affect the orientation of the entire document. Note that any existing documents will use their current orientation setting. If you want to return to the Portrait orientation as your default setting in the future, then you will need to follow the steps above, but choose the Portrait option in Step 4 instead. Re-launch the program, and your new document should be in the landscape orientation. To confirm that the setting has been applied, you can now close Word 2010 without saving the document.
#HOW TO CHANGE MICROSOFT WORD DEFAULT SETTINGS 2010 HOW TO#
More Information on How to Set Landscape as Default Orientation in Word 2010 You can always change the page orientation for a document by returning to the Page Setup group and selecting the desired orientation from that menu. While future Microsoft Word documents that you create won’t require you to click the orientation button and choose landscape from the drop down menu, it is something that you will need to do if you open an existing document that you created or saved. Will I Need to Change Page Orientation for An Existing Word Document? The highlighted orientation is the one that is currently set for the document.Ī document that uses the portrait orientation will have its long edges on the left and right sides of the page, and the short edges at the top and bottom.
You can check this at any time by going to Page Layout > Orientation. If you haven’t made any changes to Word’s default settings, then you are likely still using the Normal template when you choose to create a new document in Word.Īgain, assuming that you haven’t made any changes to the application’s defaults, then the default page orientation for new documents will be the Portrait orientation. Our tutorial continues below with additional discussion on making changes to the default orientation in Microsoft Word 2010. Step 2: Click the Page Layout tab at the top of the window. But if your situation dictates that your efficiency and enjoyment would be improved by changing some default settings, then you can follow the steps below to do just that. I work with Word and other Office programs on a lot of different computers, most of which have default settings, so it is in my best interest to be able to troubleshoot problems coming from that configuration. How to Change Default Orientation in Word 2010 (Guide with Pictures)Īs a long-time user of Microsoft Word, I have adjusted my usage habits to accommodate the default settings in the program. Our guide continues below with additional information on setting landscape as the default orientation in Word 2010. If you are using Word 2016 for Mac, go to /Users/ username/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.6 See also How to Switch to Default Landscape Layout – Word 2010 In the Open dialog box, browse to the folder that contains the Normal.dotm file. If you open Normal.dotm from the Finder, Word will create a new blank document based on the template.
To make changes to Normal.dotm, you must open the file from Word. You can customize the Normal template and change default settings for many aspects of a document, such as text formatting, paragraph formatting, document formatting, styles, text, pictures, AutoText entries, and keyboard shortcuts. On the Format menu, click Document, and then click the Layout tab.Ĭhange other default settings in the Normal template For example, the layout attributes for new blank documents are based on the Normal template. On the Format menu, click Document, and then click the Margins tab.Ĭhanging the default layout in any template means that the section breaks, headers and footers, and other layout attributes are used in every new document that is based on that template. For example, the margins for new blank documents are based on the Normal template. Make any changes that you want, and then click Default.Ĭhanging the default margins in any template means that the margin settings are used in every new document that is based on that template. On the Format menu, click Font, and then click the Advanced tab. Open the template or a document based on the template whose default settings you want to change. For example, the character spacing for new blank documents is based on the Normal template. Changing the default font also changes the Normal style, which affects any other style that is built on the Normal style.Ĭhanging the default character spacing in any template means that the settings for scale, spacing, position, kerning, and other typographic features are used in every new document that is based on that template. Note: Most of the styles in Word are based on the Normal style.