From Ted French,
Your Guide to Spreadsheets.
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A template in Excel is a spreadsheet file containing common data and formatting options that is used as a model for other spreadsheets.

• Formatting can include font and layout changes, conditional formatting, color changes, and any other available options.
  
  
• Charts can added to the template file as can formulas, functions, look up tables, and macros.

Steps to creating a template in Excel 2007

1. Enter all of the necessary data.
   
   
2. Add or remove rows and columns as needed.
   
   
3. Create formulas, charts and other options.
   
   
4. Apply all formatting options.
   
   

To save the template once all changes have been made to your spreadsheet:

1. Click on the office button to open the drop down menu.
   
   
2. Choose the Save As option.
   
   
3. Choose the Other formats option.
   
   
4. Choose the Save As option to open the Save As dialog box.
   
   
5. Click on the Save as type option to open the drop down list.
   
   
6. Scroll through the list to find the template options.

Template options in Excel 2007

There are three templates that can be created in Excel 2007:

• Excel Template (*.xltx)
  
  
• Excel Macro Enabled Template (*.xltm)
  
  
• Excel 97 - 2003 Template (*.xlt)

If your template contains macros:

• choose the Macro Enabled Template (*.xltm) option

If you plan to use your template with older versions of Excel:

• choose the Excel 97 - 2003 Template (*.xlt) option

For all other templates:

• choose the Excel Template (*.xltx) option

Once saved, your template is stored in the templates folder on your computer.

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