Save > For This Folder & Subfolders in the Folder Options dialog is how you create the folder format.
If the format is not being used in specific situations, we need to know what those situations are in order to make suggestions.
Remember to close existing windows and open fresh ones when testing folder formats, to avoid confusion caused by cached temporary changes.
Use the tooltip on the format lock (but do not click on the format lock) to see where the current format is coming from.
The Folder Formats: Quick Guide and Detailed Guide at the top of the FAQs are worth reading if you have not looked at them already.