Getting Started Guide

Creating a template
You can create your own templates in two ways: from a document, and using a
wizard.
Creating a template from a document
To create a template from a document:
1) Open a new or existing document of the type you want to make into a template
(text document, spreadsheet, drawing, presentation).
2) Add the content and styles that you want.
3) From the main menu, choose File > Templates > Save. The Templates dialog
opens (see Figure 54).
4) In the New template field, type a name for the new template.
5) In the Categories list, click the category to which you want to assign the
template. The category you choose has no effect on the template itself; it is
simply the folder in which you save the template. Choosing an appropriate
category makes it easier to find the template when you want to use it. For
example, you might save Impress templates under the Presentations
category.
To learn more about template folders, see “Organizing templates” on page 72.
6) Click OK to save the new template.
Figure 54: Saving a new template
Any settings that can be added to or modified in a document can be saved in a
template. For example, below are some of the settings (although not a full list) that
can be included in a Writer document and then saved as a template for later use:
• Printer settings: which printer, single sided / double sided, and paper size, and
so on
• Styles to be used, including character, page, frame, numbering and paragraph
styles
• Format and settings regarding indexes, tables, bibliographies, table of
contents
Templates can also contain predefined text, saving you from having to type it every
time you create a new document. For example, a letter template may contain your
name, address and salutation.
66 Getting Started with OpenOffice.org 3.3