Carla uses dissimilar headers for dissimilar documents, and she considered creating a dissimilar template for each header. She could go that route, only if everything else–styles, formatting, and then on–are the same, Carla doesn't need multiple templates. Instead, Carla should consider adding each of her custom headers to the Headers gallery using Discussion'south Quick Parts characteristic.

I'm using Word 2016 (desktop) on a Windows 10 64-bit system, only this technique will work in earlier versions. Although the browser edition will let you lot edit a header (somewhat), the Headers gallery isn't bachelor. In that location's no sit-in file because you won't need one. This commodity assumes you lot know how to create a Word header.

Notation: This commodity is the first of a three-part serial. You'll find the next to articles here:

  • How to create custom galleries and categories to control organization in Word docs
  • How to add custom galleries to Give-and-take's QAT and ribbon for quick access

What are building blocks?

Discussion's Quick Parts feature comprises reusable content in the form of AutoText, document backdrop, fields, and building blocks. These pre-designed elements comprise structure, formatting, text, and graphics, ready to go with a simple click. You lot're already familiar with them–many of them are bachelor via Word's galleries.

What makes them so useful is that you can save custom content equally a building block. When yous exercise and then, Give-and-take allows you to salve the custom building cake to its many galleries. Simply create and format the text and graphics. Then add them to the advisable gallery via the Quick Parts feature (on the Insert tab). In this article, nosotros'll add a custom header to the Headers gallery by saving the custom content every bit a building block. If the relationship still isn't clear, don't worry.

SEE: Price comparing calculator: G Suite vs. Office 365 (Tech Pro Research)

Save the headers

Beginning, we need a custom header to add to the Headers gallery. Figure A shows two similar, but slight dissimilar headers. The example headers are simple on purpose, and then as non to distract from the technique. You don't need to recreate our header; you tin can use any header elements yous like.

Figure A

You'll need at least two different headers to come across the full benefit of this technique.

Once you have a customized header that you want to reuse, practice the following to save it as a building block item:

  1. With the header open in edit manner press Ctrl+a to select everything in the header.
  2. Click the Insert tab, and and so cull Relieve Option to Quick Part Gallery (Figure B) from the Quick Parts drop-downward (information technology's in the Text group). Or, press Alt+F3.
  3. In the resulting dialog, give the building cake a meaningful name–these appear in alphabetical gild in the gallery.
  4. Choose Headers from the Gallery drop-down (Figure C). You can save the custom header to any gallery, but the Headers gallery makes the best sense in this example.
  5. Yous don't need to change any other settings, so click OK.

Effigy B

Save the custom header every bit a building cake using Quick Parts.

Figure C

Salvage the custom header to the Headers gallery.

Quick access to dissimilar headers

After saving all your custom headers to the Headers gallery, you're ready to add them to your documents. Open a new document (or an existing document), and do the following:

  1. Open the header in edit fashion.
  2. Click the Header drop-down in the Header & Footer grouping to see the Headers gallery. You lot'll see born headers as thumbnails.
  3. Thumb downward until you see TR Header One and TR Header Two (Effigy D).
  4. Select one of the custom headers. That's it!

Figure D

Your custom headers are now part of the built-in Headers gallery.

Yous used Word'southward Quick Parts feature to save custom headers to the Headers gallery. They're not saved with the Normal template, they're saved in Building Blocks.dotx (another template). Consequently, your custom headers are available to all open documents–both new and existing.

Once you save a header (or any element) to a gallery, you might need to maintain it a flake. Let's look at how you delete and modify one of these custom elements.

Maintaining building blocks

Removing a custom element from a gallery is easy. Brandish the gallery, right-click the appropriate thumbnail, and cull Organize and Delete from the resulting submenu, as shown in Figure E. In the Building Blocks Organizer (Figure F) click Delete. Click Yes to confirm, and then Close. You tin as well access the Edifice Blocks Organizer via the Quick Parts drop-down.

Figure Eastward

Admission the Building Blocks Organizer.

Figure F

Click Delete to remove the selected building cake.

Y'all can as well use both routes to modify the element as a edifice block. However, you're not changing the chemical element's design; you're irresolute its edifice cake properties. If you need to alter the design, you'll accept to commencement over and supplant the existing building block.

SEE: 10 all-purpose keyboard shortcuts to boost your Word efficiency (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

A fiddling insight

When creating the custom building block, you lot used the default Insert content only Options setting (encounter Figure C). If your header contains line spacing, indents, alignments, then on, you might non go the results you wait when inserting the custom header via the gallery. In this example, you might demand to choose Insert content in its own paragraph from the Options drop-down. Be certain to include the paragraph marker at the cease of the section (Effigy Thou). Pressing Ctrl+a with the header in edit mode will select the paragraph mark. (To display paragraph marks, click Show/Hide in the Paragraph group on the Home tab.)

Effigy G

Be sure to include the paragraph mark.

Every header you add this way will be bachelor to all documents–fifty-fifty existing documents. You lot could change that setting and salve the custom headers to only the Normal template or a custom template.

You can add together custom elements to most galleries using this technique so don't stop with a few headers!

Transport me your question most Office

I respond readers' questions when I can, but in that location's no guarantee. Don't send files unless requested; initial requests for assistance that arrive with attached files will be deleted unread. You tin ship screenshots of your information to assist analyze your question. When contacting me, be as specific as possible. For example, "Please troubleshoot my workbook and set up what'southward wrong" probably won't become a response, only "Tin can y'all tell me why this formula isn't returning the expected results?" might. Please mention the app and version that you're using. I'm not reimbursed past TechRepublic for my time or expertise when helping readers, nor exercise I ask for a fee from readers I assist. You can contact me at susansalesharkins@gmail.com.

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