How to create custom templates in excel

Excel Templates on Your Computer

The easiest way to locate Excel templates, is to find the ones located in your version of Excel. To find free Excel templates that are available to you:

Open Excel 2007

• Select the Office Button and select New.
• On the right side of your screen, type in the search criteria. (This works as long as you have an internet connection. Your search criteria can be anything you are looking for: budgets, calendar, etc)
• Click OK.
• You will see a ton of free templates available to you.

If you have Excel 2003,

• Select File and then New.
• Look to the right of your workbook (the task pane) and type your criteria in the search online box. (This works as long as you have an internet connection)
• You can also search by clicking on the link for On My Computer. This lets you find templates already stored on your computer.

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Odds are pretty good that you create the same types of Excel spreadsheets over and over again. Creating a custom template can help make that process a lot smoother.

When faced with creating similar spreadsheets, many people pop open an existing sheet, delete the data they don’t want there, and then save it as a different file. Worse still, some just create the file from scratch every time. A custom template can make this go a lot faster. Template files are more or less the same as standard Excel files, but with formatting and boilerplate content already set. You just use the template to create a new Excel file, and fill in the data. You can create a custom template from scratch, or you can save an existing spreadsheet as a template, and then clean it up a bit. The only difference is whether you start with a new, blank sheet or one you’ve already created.

Create a Template

For our example, we’re going to create template from an existing spreadsheet. Here’s a standard sheet we use at How-To Geek for expense reports.

The file is just a regular Excel file saved with the .xlsx extension. Ours is already nicely formatted, so we just need to delete any actual data we don’t need to be there. If you’re adapting an existing sheet (or creating a new one), go ahead and clean it up. Set up the base sheet, add your headings, include formulas, format cells, create borders, whatever. In short, make it so that when you create a new file based on the template, you can just start typing in data.

When you’ve got things looking the way you want, you need to save the file as a template. Open the “File” menu, and then click the “Save As” option.

In the file type dropdown (just underneath the file name text box), select the “Excel template (.xltx)” option.

By default, Excel likes to save templates in Documents\Custom Office Templates, but you can save them wherever it makes sense to you.

If you want an even more organized approach, you can change the default location where Excel saves templates. On the “File” menu, click the “Options” command. In the “Excel Options” window, slick the “Save” category in the left column.

On the right, you’ll see a “Default personal templates location” box where you can type a path to a custom save location for templates. There’s “Browse” button for some reason, so type the full path to the folder you want to use or copy and paste the location from a File Explorer address bar.

Use a Template to Create a New Document

Now that you’ve got your template saved, you can use it to create new documents. And you can do this in one of two ways.

If you save your templates in the official custom templates folder Office uses (whether that’s the default Documents\Custom Office Templates location or you configured a new save location in Settings), those templates become available on the Office splash screen. That screen shows featured templates by default, but you can see templates you’ve saved by clicking the “Personal” link.

Just click the template you want to use, and Excel creates a new document for you based on that template.

You can also create a new file based on a template by just double-clicking the template in File Explorer. The default action on template files is to create a new file rather than open the template file, so double-clicking a template immediately opens a new Excel file for you.

If you want to open the actual template file to modify it, you can right-click the file, and then choose “Open” from the context menu.

In the end, template files are functionally much like regular excel files. The big difference lies in how Excel handles those files, making it easy for you to create new documents based on them.

If you often use the same layout or data in a workbook, save it as a template so you can use the template to create more workbooks instead of starting from scratch.

You can use one of your own templates to create a new workbook, or you can use one of the many predefined templates that you can download from Microsoft Office Online.

Save a workbook as a template

If you’re saving a workbook to a template for the first time, start by setting the default personal templates location :

Click File > Options.

Click Save, and then under Save workbooks, enter the path to the personal templates location in the Default personal templates location box.

This path is typically: C:\Users\[UserName]\Documents\Custom Office Templates.

Once this option is set, all custom templates you save to the My Templates folder automatically appear under Personal on the New page ( File > New).

Open the workbook you want to use as a template.

Click File > Export.

Under Export, click Change File Type.

In the Workbook File Types box, double-click Template.

In the File name box, type the name you want to use for the template.

Click Save, and then close the template.

Create a workbook based on the template

With the template you created above, you can create a new workbook. This section tells you how to do that.

Note: Alternately, you can browse for various online templates in Excel and use them instead. For more information, see Download free, pre-built templates.

Click File > New.

Double-click the template you just created.

Excel creates a new workbook that is based on your template.

Save a workbook as a template

Open the workbook that you want to use as a template.

Click File, and then click Save As.

In the File name box, type the name that you want to use for the template.

In the Save as type box, click Excel Template, or click Excel Macro-Enabled Template if the workbook contains macros that you want to make available in the template.

The template is automatically placed in the Templates folder to ensure that it will be available when you want to use it to create a new workbook.

Tip: You can copy any Excel workbook into the Templates folder, then you can use the workbook as a template without saving it in the template file format (.xltx or .xltm). In Windows Vista, the Templates folder is usually C:\Users\ \AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates. In Microsoft Windows XP, the Templates folder is usually C:\Documents and Settings\ \Application Data\Microsoft\Templates.

Use a template to create a new workbook

Click File and then click New.

Under Available Templates, do one of the following:

To base the workbook on a recently used template, click Recent Templates, and then double-click the template that you want to use.

To base the workbook on an installed template, click Sample templates and then double-click the template that you want to use.

To base the workbook on a template that you created, click My templates, and then on the Personal Templates tab, double-click the template that you want to use.

To base the workbook on another workbook, click New from Existing, and then double-click the workbook that you want to use.

Tip: When you are connected to the Internet, you can also access templates that are available from Office.com. Under Office.Com Templates, click a template category, and then under that category, double-click the template that you want to download. If the template that you want to download has been supplied by a member of the Microsoft Office.com Community, you must click I accept to accept the License Agreement for Community Templates Terms of Use before you can download that template.

Save a workbook as a template

Open the workbook that you want to use as a template.

Click the Microsoft Office Button , and then click Save As.

In the File name box, type the name that you want to use for the template.

In the Save as type box, click Excel Template, or click Excel Macro-Enabled Template if the workbook contains macros that you want to make available in the template.

The template is automatically placed in the Templates folder to ensure that it will be available when you want to use it to create a new workbook.

Tip: You can copy any Excel workbook into the Templates folder, then you can use the workbook as a template without saving it in the template file format (.xltx or .xltm). In Windows Vista, the Templates folder is usually C:\Users\ \AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates. In Microsoft Windows XP, the Templates folder is usually C:\Documents and Settings\ \Application Data\Microsoft\Templates.

Use a template to create a new workbook

Click the Microsoft Office Button , and then click New.

Under Templates, do one of the following:

To base the workbook on a recently used template, click Blank and recent, and then under Recently Used Templates, double-click the template that you want to use.

To base the workbook on an installed template, click Installed Templates, and then under Installed Templates, double-click the template that you want to use.

To base the workbook on a template that you created, click My templates, and then on the My Templates tab, double-click the template that you want to use.

To base the workbook on another workbook, click New from Existing, and then double-click the workbook that you want to use.

Tip: When you are connected to the Internet, you can also access templates that are available from Office Online. Under Microsoft Office Online, click a template category, and then under that category, double-click the template that you want to download. If the template that you want to download has been supplied by a member of the Microsoft Office Online Community, you must click I accept to accept the License Agreement for Community Templates Terms of Use before you can download that template.

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How to edit/change a personal template in Excel?

For example, you have created an Excel template before, and now you need to make some changes in the template file. As you know, when we open an Excel template file directly, it will only create a workbook with this template applied. So how to edit or change a personal Excel template? In this article, I will introduce two methods to edit or change a personal template in Excel.

For example, I need to edit or change an Excel template named as Gantt Chart with Conditional Format, and I will show the detailed steps to edit this Excel template as following:

Step 1: Create a workbook with the original template applied:

1. In Excel 2013, click the File >New >Personal, and then find out and select the original template. In our case, we select the Gantt Chart with Conditional Format template.
2. In Excel 2007 and 2010, click the File >New >My Template, and find out and select the original template.

Step 2: Edit and make any changes in the opening workbook.

Step 3: Click the File > Save > Computer > Computer > Browse in Excel 2013, or click the File / Office Button > Save in Excel 2007 and 2010.

Step 4: In the coming Save As dialog box,

(1) Enter the name of original template in the File name box, in our case we enter Gantt Chart with Conditional Format.

(2) Click the Save as type box and select Excel Template (*.xltx) from drop down list,

(3) Click the Save button.

Note: Normally we save Excel templates into the default save location. If your Excel template is saved in a custom folder, you need to find out and open the custom folder in the Save As dialog box.

Step 5: In the opening Confirm Save As dialog box, click the Yes button.

Now we have edited or changed the specified Excel template already.

Save range as mini template (AutoText entry, remaining cell formats and formulas) for reusing in future

Normally Microsoft Excel saves the whole workbook as a personal template. But, sometimes you may just need to reuse a certain selection frequently. Comparing to save the entire workbook as template, Kutools for Excel provides a cute workaround of AutoText utility to save the selected range as an AutoText entry, which can remain the cell formats and formulas in the range. And then you will reuse this range with just one click. Full Feature Free Trial 30-day!

Strictly speaking, the above method is not to edit or change an Excel Template, but to overwrite. Actually we can open an Excel template and then edit it directly.

Step 1: Open the Excel template you want to edit or change:

1. In Excel 2013, click the File >Open >Computer >Browse.
2. In Excel 2007 and 2010, click the File/Office button >Open.

Step 2: In the popping up Open dialog box,

(1) Find out and open the folder where your Excel template is saved;

Note: If your Excel templates are saved in the default save location, you can paste the following paths into the Address box and press Enter key to open the default save folder of Excel Templates quickly.

Excel 2013’s personal templates: C:\Users\%Username%\Documents\Custom Office Templates

Excel 2007/2010’ templates: C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates

(2) Click to select the Excel template you want to edit;

(3) Click the Open button.

Step 3: Make any changes into the opening Excel template.

Step 4: Save the Excel template by clicking the File / Office Button > Save.

Instead of creating an Excel workbook from scratch, you can create a workbook based on a template. There are many free templates available, waiting to be used.

Existing Templates

To create a workbook based on an existing template, execute the following steps.

1. On the File tab, click New.

2. Use the search box to search for online templates or click a template from one of the Office templates.

3. Click Create to download the template.

Excel creates the workbook Home inventory1.xlsx based on this template.

Create a Template

If you create your own template, you can safely store it in the Templates folder. As a result, you can create new workbooks based on this template without worrying that you overwrite the original file.

To create a template, execute the following steps.

1. Create a workbook.

2. On the File tab, click Save As.

4. Enter a file name.

5. Select Excel Template (*.xltx) from the drop-down list.

Excel automatically activates the Templates folder. Notice the location of the Templates folder on your computer. It’s usually located here:

C:\Users\ \Documents\Custom Office Templates

To create a workbook based on this template, execute the following steps.

7. On the File tab, click New.

8. Click Personal.

9. Click WeddingBudget.

Excel creates the workbook WeddingBudget1.xlsx based on this template.

Note: to edit a template, on the File tab, click Open and then click Browse, to open the template. Edit the file and save the file to its original location.

In this video, we’ll look at how to create and apply a chart template.

Chart templates are useful when you want to save and re-apply colors, layouts, font formatting, and other chart settings.

In this worksheet, we have the same two charts we looked at earlier in a video about copying and pasting chart formatting.

Let’s assume we want to create a template based on the left chart, and then apply it to the chart on the right.

To save a template based on a chart, right-click the Chart Area, then choose Save as Template from the shortcut menu.

When Excel prompts you for a name, type a suitable file name and save the template.

Notice Excel will add the chart template extension automatically, “crtx”.

To apply a template to an existing chart, right click the chart and choose Change Chart type.

In the window that opens, select the Templates folder.

Then choose a template and click OK.

The template will then be applied to the chart.

Applying a template will affect a wide range of chart elements.

First, the chart type is applied. Before copying formats, the chart on the right was a regular stacked column chart. Now it’s a 100% stacked column chart, just like the original.

Font color and size are also transferred, as you can see with the chart title, legend, vertical and horizontal axes, and the data labels.

Any custom number formats will also be carried over in the template, as you can see here with the data labels.

Templates also apply colors. Both charts now use the same blue palette.

Finally, a template will also set element positions.

The legend in the right chart was originally on the bottom, but now it’s at the top below the title.

Notice that templates do not set overall chart size.

You’ll need to match dimensions manually if needed.

Help & How-To Center

Workpapers CS

When you create a custom Excel workpaper via the Add Workpaper wizard, you can save your column settings as a template. When you create subsequent custom Excel workpapers, you can select the saved templates from the Template field in the Column Definition screen in the wizard to use the same column definitions.

Create and save a template

1. In the Engagement Binders Tree portlet of the Workpapers Dashboard, click the Add Workpaper button in the toolbar to open the Add Workpaper wizard.
2. In the Workpaper Type screen of the Add Workpaper wizard, select Custom Excel, and then click Next.
3. Choose the appropriate options in the Custom Excel screen, and then click Next.
4. In the Column Definition screen, define the columns, as appropriate.
5. Click the Save button next to the Template field.
6. Enter up to 30 alphanumeric characters for the template name in the Save template as field and click OK.

Apply a template

In the Column Definition screen of the Add Workpapers wizard, select an existing template from the drop-down list in the Template field. The application automatically applies the column settings from the template to the new workpaper.

Update a template

After you save a template, you can make changes to it while creating a custom Excel workpaper.

1. In the Column Definition screen of the Add Workpaper wizard, select the template to modify. The Save button changes to an Update button.
2. Modify the column settings and then click the Update button.
3. Click Yes when you are prompted to continue.

Note: When you modify or update an existing template, the application does not update existing workpapers that were created with the original template. The modified template applies only to the current workpaper and any new workpapers that are created with that template.

Save a copy of a template with a new name

You can make a copy of any template and save it with a different name.

In the Column Definition screen of the Add Workpaper wizard, select a template in Template field, right-click and choose Save as, and then enter the new name.

Delete a template

You can delete any templates that you no longer need.

In the Column Definition screen of the Add Workpapers wizard, select a template in Template field, right-click and choose Delete.

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Create Excel Template (Table of Contents)

Create Templates in Excel

We have different types and category of template available in Excel which we can be accessed from the File menu ribbon’s New section. This has a different type of Templates such as for Business, Calendar, Budget, Planner, Financial Management, etc. To create customize templates other than these, we can use Data Validation for drop-down, Table, Images and give them proper header names. We can also insert a logo for our template. To standardize the template always fix the theme or template and the purpose of creation should be seen by visuals.

Excel functions, formula, charts, formatting creating excel dashboard & others

How to create Templates?

Templates can be made by saving an excel file with a specialized extension and then saving the file in a specified directory.

What type of content can be stored as a Template?

Text data can be stored as a template. Various sections of a document such as page titles, column and row labels, text and section headings, any cell in Excel that contains text or numbers, or any kind of data can all be included in a template. We can also include any graphical shapes, logos of companies, or any type of background image and even Excel formulae into templates.

Along with the data, the type of text formattings such as font or color or size can be saved as a template. Formats of cells or worksheets, such as column width, or background fill color or alignment of text and even formats of numbers and dates, and a number of sheets can be saved in templates.

What are the advanced features that can be saved as Templates?

All hidden and protected areas such as locked cells that cannot be altered and hidden columns and rows, or even worksheets that may contain data that is not meant for general view.

Help & How-To Center

Workpapers CS

When you create a custom Excel workpaper via the Add Workpaper wizard, you can save your column settings as a template. When you create subsequent custom Excel workpapers, you can select the saved templates from the Template field in the Column Definition screen in the wizard to use the same column definitions.

Create and save a template

1. In the Engagement Binders Tree portlet of the Workpapers Dashboard, click the Add Workpaper button in the toolbar to open the Add Workpaper wizard.
2. In the Workpaper Type screen of the Add Workpaper wizard, select Custom Excel, and then click Next.
3. Choose the appropriate options in the Custom Excel screen, and then click Next.
4. In the Column Definition screen, define the columns, as appropriate.
5. Click the Save button next to the Template field.
6. Enter up to 30 alphanumeric characters for the template name in the Save template as field and click OK.

Apply a template

In the Column Definition screen of the Add Workpapers wizard, select an existing template from the drop-down list in the Template field. The application automatically applies the column settings from the template to the new workpaper.

Update a template

After you save a template, you can make changes to it while creating a custom Excel workpaper.

1. In the Column Definition screen of the Add Workpaper wizard, select the template to modify. The Save button changes to an Update button.
2. Modify the column settings and then click the Update button.
3. Click Yes when you are prompted to continue.

Note: When you modify or update an existing template, the application does not update existing workpapers that were created with the original template. The modified template applies only to the current workpaper and any new workpapers that are created with that template.

Save a copy of a template with a new name

You can make a copy of any template and save it with a different name.

In the Column Definition screen of the Add Workpaper wizard, select a template in Template field, right-click and choose Save as, and then enter the new name.

Delete a template

You can delete any templates that you no longer need.

In the Column Definition screen of the Add Workpapers wizard, select a template in Template field, right-click and choose Delete.

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In this Article

In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about using chart templates in Excel.

Why Chart Templates Are So Incredibly Useful

Chart templates mainly bring two things to the table: automation and consistency.

Let’s assume you run a small store selling electronics. Naturally, that involves regularly putting together monthly sales reports to monitor the demand. But since new data comes in each month, going through the tedious process of building the same chart every single time seems inevitable, right?

Not with chart templates. Instead of plotting the report over and over again, you can save yourself a great deal of time and effort by designing a reusable template.

As an additional bonus, this Excel feature promotes consistency within your organization as everyone uses an identical blueprint for visualizing their data.

Let’s move from theory to practice.

Consider the following data illustrating the company’s sales figures for July:

To visualize that data, we are going to opt for a clustered column chart. And here’s what Excel has to offer from its massive variety of built-in visualization tools:

We can do so much better, don’t you think? Let’s customize the chart to make it more informative and colorful.

Now the sales report looks pretty good. However, it took me a multitude of steps to transform the report from dull to engaging. Imagine being stuck with doing that every single month.

And that’s where Excel chart templates charge in to do all the dreary dirty work for you by automating the entire process!

On top of that, it takes less than five minutes to master this handy tool, removing the non-value-added tasks from the equation and saving you countless hours in the long run.

How to Create a Chart Template

First, you have to lay the groundwork: prepare a custom chart that will be used as the future template.

Once the final version of your chart is ready, right-click on the chart area and choose “Save As Template” from the menu that appears.

The Save Chart Template dialog box will immediately pop up. In the dialog box, name the chart template and click “Save.”

At that point, a CTRX file containing your chart template data will be created.

Ta-da! You have just saved your first Excel chart template!

How to Apply a Chart Template

Another month has passed, meaning the opportunity for putting your template to the test has finally come. Consider the August sales report data:

From now on, no more building the same charts from scratch—it’s time to bring in the heavy artillery by applying the saved chart template to that fresh data.

1. Highlight your chart data.
2. Navigate to the Insert tab.
3. Click “See All Charts.”

In the Insert Chart dialog box, load the chart template:

1. Switch to the All Charts tab.
2. On the left sidebar, choose “Templates.”
3. In the Templates tab, select your chart template.
4. Click “OK.”

Now, a fully customized chart based on your template will appear. As an example, take a look at the newly created chart below:

But there’s more to it than that.

You can do the same thing with existing charts as well. Whenever you want to apply your chart template to another chart, just follow the few simple steps shown below.

To start with, right-click on the chart plot and select “Change Chart Type.”

In the Change Chart Type dialog box, navigate to the All Charts tab and load your chart template (Templates > Select your template > OK).

How to Add or Delete a Chart Template

In addition to creating your own chart templates, Excel allows you to import third-party chart template files and use them in your projects.

First, access the Charts folder that stores all the CTRX files on your computer.

To do that, navigate to the Insert Chart/Change Chart Type dialog box, open the Templates tab, and click “Manage Templates.”

Another way to go is to open the folder manually, which is typically located here on your computer:

C:\Users\[Your user name]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\Charts

Once you have opened the Charts folder, copy the CTRX file containing the chart template you want to add to this folder, and you’re all set. It’s as simple as that.

Conversely, you can remove any given template by deleting the corresponding CTRX file.

Advanced Excel Chart Templates

Still not impressed?

Well, the sales report used as a running example in this article is nowhere near as time-consuming as advanced Excel charts like gauge charts or thermometer charts, which generally take a lot more time and effort to put together.

Fortunately, when it comes to chart templates, the more complex the chart, the greater the payoff. So, if you’ve built an advanced Excel graph, don’t forget to save it as a template, and it will be available whenever you need it.

That’s it for today. You now have all the information needed to unleash the potential of chart templates in Excel.