Form and report templates

This content is no longer actively maintained. It is provided as is, for anyone who may still be using these technologies, with no warranties or claims of accuracy with regard to the most recent product version or service release.

When you create a form or report without using a wizard, Microsoft Access uses a template to define the default characteristics of the form or report.

The template determines which sections a form or report will have and defines each section's dimensions. The template also contains all the default property settings for the form or report and its sections and controls.

The default templates for forms and reports are called Normal. However, you can use any existing form or report as a template. You can also create a form or report to use only as a template. For information on specifying a new template, click aa218020(v=office.10).md.

Notes

• Changing the template doesn't have any effect on existing forms or reports.

• A template doesn't create controls on a new form or report.

• Microsoft Access saves the settings for the Form Template and Report Template options in your Microsoft Access workgroup information file, not in your Microsoft Access database (the .mdb file) or Microsoft Access project (the .adp file). When you change an option setting, the change applies to any database or Access project you open or create. To see the name of the template that is currently used for new forms or reports, click Options on the Tools menu, and then click the Forms/Reports tab.

• To use your templates in other databases or Access projects, copy or export the templates to them. If your templates are not in a database or Access project, Microsoft Access uses the Normal template for any new forms and reports you create. However, the names of your templates appear in the Form Template and Report Template options in every database or Access project in your database system, even if the templates are not in every database or Access project.