How do I save and reuse Microsoft Office themes?

Question

I've created a bunch of Heading styles, colours, fonts, etc. that I would like to reuse in all my documents and those of my colleagues. I used the page layout tab and saved the theme to a .thmx file. When opening a new document however, I didn't see the new theme. One way or the other I've managed to get it to show up under Page Layout > Themes > Themes.

Here's the problem(s):

1. Creating a new document and then clicking on my theme under Page Layout > Themes some of the formatting takes place, but most of my heading fonts/sizes/etc don't take effect. It's almost as though it wasn't saved as part of the theme.
2. Any custom styles I created weren't saved as part of the them
3. If I get this right (the theme that is) how do I distribute it so that it's available on everyone's machines in the office?

This is the correct format:

This is the format after I've saved my theme and try to reuse it (incorrect):

Answer 1

This website should be very helpful.

Saving a theme

1. On the Page Layout tab, in the Themes group, click Themes.

1. Click Save Current Theme.

2. In the File Name box, type an appropriate name for the theme, and then click Save.

The custom document theme is saved in the Document Themes folder and is automatically added to the list of available custom themes.

Applying a theme

To change the document theme that is applied by default in Word, select another predefined document theme or a custom document theme. Document themes that you apply affect the styles (A combination of formatting characteristics, such as font, font size, and indentation, that you name and store as a set. When you apply a style, all of the formatting instructions in that style are applied at one time) that you can use in your document.

1. On the Page Layout tab, in the Themes group, click Themes.

1. Do one of the following:

   • To apply a predefined document theme, under Built-In, click the document theme that you want to use.

   • To apply a custom document theme, under Custom, click the document theme that you want to use.

   Note Custom is available only if you created one or more custom document themes. For more information about creating custom document themes, see Microsofts' Customize a document theme.

2. If a theme that you want to use is not listed, click Browse for Themes to find it on your computer or network.