In the discussion here I've noticed confusion. A Template in Word jargon is a computer file. It is confusing because there is also the normal Style. A style is a collection of formatting characteristics, either applied to a paragraph or a character. Templates hold collections of styles, one of which is the normal style. "Heading 1," "Heading 2," "Heading 3," and "Body Text" are all names of styles.



Many other styles base their formatting on the normal style by default.

In Windows, and I suspect on the Mac, you can open the normal template for editing by using vba, even if you do not know where it is located. Normal Template in Microsoft Word - How to Open. Once you have it open, you can modify the normal style and other styles that are used.

Doing this will change future new blank documents.

If you are using Word more than 6 hours a month you owe it to yourself to learn to use Styles in Word. Within two months you will more than have recovered any time you spend learning them. If you use Word more than that the savings are much more dramatic. See Understanding Styles in Microsoft Word, Tips for Understanding Styles in Word and Yet Another "Use Styles" Verbal Beating!