How do I make an Outlook Template?

Word, Excel, and PowerPoint all have easy template options for creating new documents based upon a sample file. Outlook, however, does not make it quite as easy! I needed to keep creating the same email on a daily basis, so here's what I did:

1. Create a sample file in Outlook:
   
   
   
2. Then we need to save this sample email as a template file, just like we would in Word or Excel. Pay close attention to where you are saving this file. You will need the complete path to the file in a minute.
   
   
   
3. Now we are going to create a macro that will let us open a new email from a template, something that is NOT available in Outlook like it is in the other office products. Additionally, Outlook does not let you record macros, only write them in visual basic code. Fortunately, our code will be short and sweet. First we need to go to the "Developer" tab and click "Visual Basic"
   
4. A "Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications" (also known as VBA) window will open. Right Click on "ThisOutlookSession" and choose to "Insert" a "Module". This will give you a window where you can enter some lines of instructions.
   
   
5. Now we need to enter the following code into the right-hand window. Replace red italicized words with your own counterpart.
   
   Sub NAME_OF_TEMPLATEMACRO()
   Set newItem = Application.CreateItemFromTemplate("c:\folder\template.oft")
   newItem.Display
   Set newItem = Nothing
   End Sub
   
   Here is an example in my case:
   
6. Now save and close the developer window. Before you can use your new macro you need to enable support for macros in Outlook. On the "Developer" Tab Click "Macro Security". This will open the "Trust Center" window where you can configure "Macro Settings". To enable macros without prompting choose the 4th radio button labeled "Enable all macros." To enable macros with a dialog prompt each time choose "Notifications for all macros". Click "OK" and Close Outlook, and then reopen Outlook to reinitialize Macro Security Settings.
   
7. Now that Macros are enabled, you can launch your template from the developer tab under Macros:
   
8. This opens your template up as a new file, but is not a very convenient. What would be nice is a shortcut in the Quick Access Toolbar above that would be available while looking at any tab! Here's how. Click on the dropdown arrow at the right hand side of the Quick Access Toolbar:
   
9. In the "Outlook Options" window that opens choose "Macros" from the list of command types to choose from:
   
10. Find your macro in the list of commands below and then click "Add" so that a button for the macro will be added to the Quick Access Toolbar. Then click "Modify" so we can change the appearance of the button:
    
11. Pick the most meaningful Icon you can find from the symbols given and click "OK" and then "OK" on Outlook Options" window.
    
12. You will now see your Icon on the Quick Access Toolbar from the moment you open up Outlook:
    
13. Click your Icon and you will see your template appear as a new email, waiting to be completed!
    

So there you have it. Microsoft Outlook has templates, but you need to be a little bit crafty to make them easy to use. May all your emails be delivered on the wings of internet eagles, and you inbox be spam-free.
-Majorbacon

 

Old Print Preview in Word 2010 or Word 2013

Backstory: A colleague at work posed me an interesting question this morning that went something like this, "I used to use the "Shrink one page" feature in Word 2007, but I can't find it in Word 2010... and ideas?"

So I found the feature in Word 2007 - which looks like this:



So I opened up Word 2010 confidently, knowing I would be able to track this beast down. 10 Minutes later, I opened up Google confidently, knowing I would be able to track this beast down...

Here's what I found. Word 2010 has a new feature called the Backstage which includes a preview that is automatically presented when you click on the File Tab in the ribbon and choose options such as Info or Print.'

Backstage for Printing looks like this:


So... that Print Backstage feature is awesome for whipping up quick margins and quick collation features like duplexing. However, it doesn't have it all... for example, where is the "shrink one page" button?!?!?!

Microsoft sometimes pushes old features into the background in order to encourage the use of new features that require building new habits. The simple fix for many "where is it" type problems is the Quick Access Toolbar (also sometimes shortened to QAT). If you go back to the images above, you'll see it on the title bar next to the Word Icon. The drop down menu on the end lets you add shortcuts to your favorite commands without having to navigate the ribbon to find them. It even has options that aren't on the ribbon!

The fix for my friends problem then was to go to the "more commands" option in the drop down of the QAT, which opens up this dialog box. From the dropdown list that I show opened, you will almost always want to choose "All Commands" Which will then give you an alphabetical list of every possible command to add to the ribbon!



After choosing "All Commands" you can scroll down alphabetically and add "Shrink One Page" if that is all you are after. But what if you wanted a classic Print Preview window?  Sliding to the "P" section shows us the following:





As you can see, there is more than one "Print Preview" related option!  If you want the old Print Preview style interface choose "Print Preview Edit Mode". The others open up shortcuts to more standard ribbon based options.

Yah-hoo for the QAT! (By the way, is QAT a homonym for cat?)

PS: This workaround still applies in Word 2013