Creating a new document is one of the most basic commands you need in Word. You can create a new blank document, or you can create a new document based on a template.

Create a Blank Document

1. Click the File tab.
   
2. Click New.
3. Select Blank document.
   

A new, blank document is created in a new window.

 Press Ctrl + N to open a new blank document.

Create a Document from a Template

1. Click the File tab.
   
2. Click New.

   The New screen has a few ways for you to select a template.

   First, several featured templates will appear, after the Blank document template.

   You can also search for a template using the search field or select a template category from the suggested searches.

3. (Optional) Select or search for a template category.
   

   Preview images of the templates will appear for the selected category, along with a Category list.

4. (Optional) Select or search for a template category.

   Selecting additional categories allows you to narrow your template search even more. Only templates that fit into all the selected categories will appear.

5. Select a template.
   

   A larger preview of the template appears, along with a description.

6. Click Create.
   

A new document from the template is created. Now, just fill in the placeholders.