OpenOffice Templates: Making Them, and Making New Documents Based on Them (Writer, Calc and Impress): Updated March 2006

March 2006: I've added info at the end about how to point to a directory of templates.

This is embarrassing. I have a huge blogapalooza on styles but left out templates. (Updated it yesterday a bit but still, no real thorough coverage.)

I shall remedy that immediately.

All right. Let's say you have the following:

• A bunch of styles you need to have when you create a document.
• Some canned text, like your signature or a graphic logo, that you use in a lot of documents
• Or you're just darned picky about how you want your documents ;>

You are an excellent candidate for using templates. Templates are documents that store styles, text, graphics, general formatting—whatever you want. You create a document, save it as a template in the Template Place, then point to that template when you want to create a new document using what it's got. (“Styles and canned text...that's what it's got....remember that.”)

And it really couldn't be easier.

Making a Template

Open a new document.

Put in it what you want in the template. Styles, graphics, text of every kind and variety. Whatever.

Then choose File > Templates > Save.

Specify My Templates unless you have another idea for a category.

(To create a new category, click the Organizer button, select a category in the button that appears, right-click on it and choose New. An untitled category will appear. IMMEDIATELY start typing the name of your new category. Click somewhere else in the category list when you're done typing. Click Close.)

Type the name of your template like Meeting Minutes.

Click OK.

Now you've got a template.

Using a Template

You need to create a new document using that template.

Choose File > New > Templates and Documents.

Select the Template icon on the left.

Open the category you chose like My Templates. You'll see your template.

Click Open and you'll have a new untitled document based on that template.

The Coolest Part—Making That Template Come Up When You Create Any New Document

Choosing File > New > Templates and Documents is fine but what if that's your template you use all the time? You can make it come up when you just choose File > New > [type of document] by setting it as the default template.

Choose File > Templates > Organize.

Open the category your template is in, in the left side.

Right-click on the template and choose Set as Default Template.

Click Close. You're done! Choose File > New > [type of document] and you'll see the effect.

To switch back to the normal original boring blank document, repeat the steps but this time choose Reset Default Template > [type of document]

Pointing to an Existing Directory of Templates

If you have a bunch of templates, Microsoft or OpenOffice.org, set up OpenOffice.org to know where they are. Then you can get to them as above by choosing File > New > Templates and Documents.

Converting, If You Want to Point to Microsoft Format Templates
First, if they're in Microsoft format, you need to convert them to OpenOffice format. Choose File > Wizards > Document Converter. Follow the wizard through to create a converted set of copies of the templates.

Step 1.

Step 2, then just follow the wizard as prompted.

Pointing to Templates to Use
Now, choose Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > Paths. Select the Templates line.

Click Edit, then click Add, and add the path to the templates you want to point to. (Click this image to see a larger version if you like.)

Click OK, and OK, and OK  again.

Now you'll see the templates when you choose File > New > Templates and Documents.

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http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

Comments

[Solveig]

Hi TR,

Sorry, I don't know of any. Cool feature, though.

You could probably write a macro to do it but that's not my field.

Solveig

[Patrick]

In Word 2003, anyone know how to make a template like a letterhead as the MEW BLANK document when you click NEW and BLANK DOCUMENT without going through the Template process? Thanks

[Miguel Guhlin]

Great job, Solveig. My daughter asked me how to import a PPT preso as a template for OpenOffice and I generally followed your steps (actually, I walked her through the process while looking at your blog entry).

Thank you so much for your help!

Your OpenOffice connection in K-12 schools (Texas),

Miguel Guhlin
http://mguhlin.net

[traveller]

Hi,

I am creating a simple template. And I have inserted some images in the header region. I want them to become part of the template. I am uisng File->Templates... and saving it. But the template require that the inserted image files to be present externally in the current directory. If I remove those files there are empty boxes in the template showing the file path. How can I insert the images so that are internal to the template.

Please help. I really have tried tens of times with the same result. Shipping images along with templates is so INELEGANT.

Bye 4 now. Hope u can provide the answer
traveller

[Solveig]

Hi Traveler,

Absolutely! See the blog entry on graphics and Writer documents, to be posted in about 15 minutes, for May 5th 2008.

Solveig

[Greg Atkins]

Solveig,
I created a template for personal letters, which is really just a logo-graphic in the lower-left corner of the page. It's not exactly small, so printing it consumes a sizeable amount of black ink.
I printed one page and had it photocopied. The idea being, that I could create the letters in the template on the screen and then print it without printing the logo every time as well.
I'm sure there is a setting in Oo Word that makes this possible but I can't find it! Can you please help?
Thanks.

[Solveig]

Hi Greg,

To not print the graphic, choose File > Print, click Options, and ummark the Graphics option. Click OK.

Solveig

[Greg Atkins]

Thanks, Solveig. I worked out an answer, which was to open a page set up with the regular margins and draw a box in the lower left corner. I had the height and width dimensions of the graphic so it was easy enough to position that where the graphic would be; I then removed the outline and saved that as a template.
It worked fine, but your solution is much easier.
Thanks for your time and assistance.

[alan perlman]

I converted a index card template .doc over to .doc and I still cannot get it to work. I cannot input in the correct places. anyone have any idea if this can be used in open office? it is no big deal, just wanted to use 3x5 cards instead of holding a book when doing some vfw ceremonies. thanks

[Solveig]

Hi Alan,

If it's not a publisher file, then it's probably just a very complicated template with lots of text boxes, etc. (Word templates tend to be like that.)

I would just, in OpenOffice.org, create a new text document, choose format > page and make it landscape with half inch left and right margins, then choose insert > Frame and make a 5 wide by 3 high frame. insert three more and arrange them as you need to.