Formatting automated documents

If your automated document is experiencing a formatting issue, there are three techniques you can try to quickly solve the problem. The first section of this article explains how to use the inspection tool, a utility provided by Word that can discover and remedy hidden issues with a few clicks. 

The second section demonstrates how to resolve font-related issues using the Style setting in Word. The final section of this article will delineate how to access and use the many formatting options to correct multilevel lists. 

If your specific formatting issue is not covered nor solved by these techniques, reach out to our Support team for additional help. 

Utilize the inspection tool

The Inspection Tool can detect and resolve issues that may cause interference with an automated form. We recommend taking this step first before attempting any of the other formatting adjustments described in this article.

To use the inspection tool:

1. While in Word, select File.
   
2. Select Info from the list of actions located on the left side of your screen.
3. Select the button to Check for Issues.
4. Select Inspect Document.
   
5. Select the checkboxes you wish the tool to review in the pop-up window and then select the Inspect button.
   
6. If any issues are flagged, select the Remove All button to remove them. 
7. Select Close.

Resolve font issues 

If you experience difficulty in creating automated documents with consistent fonts, we recommend modifying your Normal Style setting in Word to resolve the issue. To do so:

1. While in Word, navigate to Home and then select Styles.
2. Right-click on Normal.
3. Select Modify from the pop-up menu and adjust the following parameters:
   
   • Choose a paragraph alignment (left, right, center, justified)
   • Choose a spacing option (single, 1.5x space, double space)
   • Select a font (Times New Roman, Arial, etc.)
   • Select a font size
     
     
4. Select OK to save your selections.

Important Note: If you are considering attaching a container to a template, the Normal Style settings for document containers will overwrite all other Normal Style settings on your templates. The container's style settings will affect all content generated on the attached template.

If font or spacing of a template changes upon generating, try the following steps:

1. In Modify mode, review the template's Normal Style settings and modify these settings as needed using the steps described above. If these settings are correct but the issues is still unresolved, check if the template is attached to a document container.
   • You can access modify mode from the document's matter by selecting the Forms & Templates button, clicking on the document you wish to review, and then selecting Modify.
2. To check if a template is attached to a container, expand the arrow icon next to Details under the Smokeball toolbar to see which container, if any, is attached. You can then try to modify the container to resolve the issue by checking the Normal Style of the container (proceed to the next step).
   
3. To adjust the Normal Style of a document container, navigate to Smokeball Settings > Document Containers. Right-click on the container you wish to review and select Modify.
    
4. Make any needed changes to the Normal Style and then select Save & Close from the Smokeball Word ribbon.
    
5. If the document container settings are also correct and your template still has formatting issues, reach out to Support for assistance. 

Define a new multilevel list

Many estate planning documents, such as wills, POAs, and trusts use multilevel lists. If you work in this area of law - or any area of law which requires multilevel lists - Word includes many formatting options that you can edit to suit your firm's preferences. 

To view and edit these options:

1. In Word, select the text or numbered list you need to change.
2. From the Paragraph group on the Home tab, click the arrow next to Multilevel List and then click Define New Multilevel List.
   
3. Expand the Multilevel list dialog box by clicking More in the lower-left corner.
   
4. Choose the list level you need to modify by selecting the list. By default, "1" is selected.
5. Use the Apply changes to: dropdown menu to choose where to apply your changes by clicking the Whole list, This point forward, or current paragraph.
   
6. To use an existing style in Word for each level in the list, choose a style under Link level to style.
7. Choose the number to show in the gallery. By default, Level 1 is selected.
   
8. Name the multilevel list in the ListNum field list name. This name will appear whenever you see the ListNum field.
   
9. To append the numbered list with a dash, parentheses, or another value, input it in the Enter formatting for number field.
    
10. To change the font size, style, and color, click Font and choose a setting on the Font tab or Advanced tab.
    • Use the Font tab if you need to change the bullet font, style, size, color, underline style, underline color, and related effects.
    • Use the Advanced tab if you need to change the bullet font character spacing and OpenType features.
      
11. Click the down arrow next to Number style for this level and choose numbers, letters, or another chronological format to change the style. Specify a level number in the Include level number from: field.
      
12. Select a number to start the list. By default, this value is "1." To restart numbering after a specific level, select the Restart List After checkbox and choose a level from the list.
13. Select Legal Style Numbering to enforce a legal style on the multilevel list.
    
14. You can change the number alignment by selecting Left, Center, or Right under Alignment.
15. Specify a value for where to start the alignment and a value for the text indent.
16. Choose Set for All Levels to apply the values you selected to the entire list.
    
17. Enter a value into the Following number with field: Tab character, Space, or Nothing. Select Add tab stop at and enter a value.
18. Select OK.