A 'blank' template is in the nature of a 'clear canvas' onto which clauses selected for assembly can be poured during a document assembly session. Keep in mind that while the canvas is 'blank,' it still contains the desired document 'shape' (margins, styles, headers, footers, etc.) and styles needed to give the assemble document the desired look.

   When you are having style issues (that is, the style of the text which you are trying to copy/paste into a new document don't appear identical -- see this link for more: styles

   Here is how to create a 'blank' template

Manually

(1) Display a source document that has the desired 'shape'.

(2) Press Ctrl-A to highlight all of the text.

(3) Press Delete to void the document of all text. (Don't panic, we will not lose your original, but make sure that you press SaveAs in the next step.

(4) Save this blank document out as a template. Do so by pressing 'SaveAs' from Word's 'File' toolbar item and then choose Template from the "Save as type:" list at the bottom of the screen. Name the template something meaningful (like 'MyCompany.dot') and save it in your default templates folder. (In most cases, Word will automatically switch to the proper folder when you click on Templates as the Save as type:" ) Close the template you just created.

Automatically:

(1) Display a source document that has the desired 'shape'.

(2) Display the Templates and Styles screen. (It is found in the Pathagoras drop down features menu.) This is what you will see:

(3) Click the <Create New Template> button.

(4) Follow the prompts. (The steps outlined above in the 'Manually' section will be performed, but automatically so.

Now, and from now on, when you assemble a document from the book to which have attached the template, Pathagoras will first lay down the assigned template. (Look at this as the 'canvas' upon which the document will be painted.), Then, all clauses you selected from the Clause Selection Screen will be poured onto the canvas.

Headers and Footers within your new template:

   Headers and footer will remain in the template, even if the document otherwise appears blank. If the template you created had 'personalized' headers and footers (i.e., they contained the name of a specific client or customer), don't forget to replace the personal names with the appropriate bracketed variable.

   If you have taken advantage of Word's 'Different Odd & Even' and/or 'Different First Page' header/footer settings, make sure that you change all appropriate headers and footers. You may have to add a 'dummy' second page  in order to trigger the display of the second page header and footer. You can add this dummy page by pressing Ctrl-Enter.

   Sometimes an original document has 'Different Odd & Even' or 'Different First Page' header/footer settings that you don't want or no longer need. You should modify those settings in the Page Layout section of your template. Here are the steps:

   1. Click File|Page Setup.

   2. Click the Layout tab.

   3. Uncheck any undesirable settings.

Getting to the Page Layout screen is a little different in Word 2007/2010, but the same number of steps. Click the Page Layout Tab and then the Page Setup button in the lower right corner. Click again the Layout tab that appears in the resulting menu.

Accessing Page Layout in Word2007/2010.