How to Launch A New Document by Default on Mac
Mac beginners may have asked this question: how can I launch a new document by default in iWork suite, or Microsoft Office for Mac? In most cases we desire to start typing when opening the editing software, yet those apps always display a templates window or the document gallery instead of a blank document at the beginning.
So how to change the default settings? This post will show you how to configure iWork and Office for Mac to launch directly with a new blank document window.
iWork Suite:
> Open up the Pages, Numbers, or Keynote app on your Mac.
> Head to the [app name] on the menu bar, and choose Preferences from there.
> Under the General tab in the Preferences window, locate the option labeled For New Documents, and then select the option saying Use Template: Blank.
If you prefer to launch the app with your own custom template, click the Change Template button below, and select you desired document template. When finished, close out of the Preferences window, and the change takes effect immediately. The next time the app will open a new blank document rather than the template chooser.
Microsoft Office:
When opening Word, Excel or PowerPoint, by default you will separately see the so-called Document Gallery, Workbook Gallery or Start Screen window. There is a similar way to configure these apps to launch directly with a new document.
> Launch the Word app from Applications folder, Spotlight or Launchpad.
> Head to the Word menu on the top bar, and choose Preferences.
> Click on General in the Preferences window, locate the option labeled Show Word Document Gallery when opening Word, and uncheck it. Them exit out of the window.
For Excel and Powerpoint, repeat the same steps and then uncheck the option labeled Show XXX when opening [app name]. You can have a test by quitting the app and relaunching it. The app should be able to open a new blank document this time.
The configuration is a little different for the older versions of Microsoft Office. To launch apps in Office for Mac 2011 with a blank new document, just launch the app, and check the box labeled Don’t Show This When opening [app name] at the bottom.
If later you want to create a new document template from the Document Gallery in Word, you can head to File menu and choose New from Template from the menu bar.
So that’s how to configure Apple’s iWork and Microsoft Office to make them launch with a new blank document on your Mac. Is this post helpful for you?