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 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.
http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping
Not to pick on you, but the reason I don't use the Templates and Documents function is because once, when I updated OpenOffice (I believe this was prior to 2.0, which could make my statement completely irrelevent) the setup which executed on my first run created a new... lets call it a profile. So, my templates were no longer available. What I do is, I store my templates in a folder I created. Sure, it makes it a tad harder to use templates, but... Arg! Maybe I try your (the correct) method in the future :)
Posted by: er | March 06, 2006 at 05:45 PM
SpreadsheetConverter to Java generates a JavaServer Page and a JavaBeans for each Excel spreadsheet that it converts.
http://www.yaodownload.com/software-development/java/
Posted by: joe | April 21, 2006 at 08:31 PM
Sorry, it just doesn't work - no hair left. I have a presentation to prepare, so using Powerpoint.
Posted by: Grahame | June 08, 2006 at 12:53 PM
Thanks. Exactly what i was looking for!
Posted by: Aram | October 13, 2006 at 03:34 AM
I am looking for answers to the problems I have been having with OOo templates. In a nutshell, they just don't work. I have gone through the steps you outline, modified styles, saved them to a template, saved it, created a new document and found that the styles change randomly from one instance to the next. In my book, Open Office is now a pain in the neck, a time-wasting exercise. There are too many fiddly bits to it, not enough one-and-two click processes, not enough management tools. The addition of unreliable results is just too much to ask.
Posted by: dglp | December 08, 2006 at 01:00 PM
Hi dglp,
I'm sorry you're having these results. Are the fonts changing between different computers, or different printers? If between different computers, check the fonts and try a font substitution under Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > Fonts; or just copy the appropriate font files. If between different printers, choose Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org Writer > Compatibility and unmark Use Printer Metrics at the top.
Also, go under Tools > AutoCorrect, click Options, and unmark everything except the top item, Use Replacement Table. The Replace Custom Styles option is a nasty one.
HTH,
Solveig
Posted by: Solveig Haugland | December 08, 2006 at 02:02 PM
I want more selcetion on openoffice writer. I want to write a document for some one and Old English is on a writing type in my section where is says like new roman times and such how do I add more writing types in my openoffice writer?
Posted by: kellie | January 14, 2007 at 07:23 AM
Hi Kellie,
If you need more fonts, you just need to copy the font file over and it will show up in Writer. Ask someone who has the font on their computer to give you the font (if, of course this is legal ) or you can buy the font on a web site that sells the fonts for your operating system. Then copy the font file to one or more of the Fonts directories on your system, or follow the font installation instructins from your vendor or for your operating system.
Posted by: Solveig Haugland | January 14, 2007 at 08:13 AM
Please tell me if the templates can be opened in MS Word 2003 and how do I get Opensource. Can we do the same templates with MSWord. I am real new to computer software.
MW
Posted by: M. Williams | February 04, 2007 at 07:44 AM
I am trying to create a template with multiple picture placeholders. However, when I save the template and then try to pull it back up in a new document, they are not the picture placeholders just the icon. Is there some way for me to save the placeholder for use in subsequent documents?
Posted by: Erica | June 01, 2007 at 09:27 AM
Hi Erica,
How are you creating the picture placeholders?
Solveig
Posted by: Solveig | June 01, 2007 at 01:32 PM
I run into a problem with the templates for a presentation: On the lower right I place a Logo with some margin to the right border. When I change that template and apply it again to an existing presentation, the logo will move straight to the right border. Any ideas how to fix this?
Posted by: Torsten | June 08, 2007 at 06:04 AM
I'm trying to figure out how to create a new document based on an OpenOffice template from gnome or the command line. When I double-click on a Word template (foo.dot) in gnome, Writer creates a new untitled document based on that template, which is what I want. But when I double click on an OpenOffice template (foo.odt), it opens the template itself, rather than creating a new document based on it. Since I don't generally keep Writer open all the time, when I want to create a new document I'd like to be able to just double-click on the template I want, rather than running Writer, which creates a blank document, going to File->New->Templates and Documents, selecting the template I want, and then closing the extraneous blank document. Is there a way to make Writer create a new document by default when given an OpenOffice template on the command line?
Posted by: keithr | June 29, 2007 at 12:30 PM
This is so unclear! I came to this page looking for a guide on how to MAKE the template - you just say "make it, whatever" and save it. How is that supposed to help me? There's no other tutorial so this was my last hope. Telling me to put in anything, whatever, isn't really a tutorial.
Posted by: Amy | October 21, 2007 at 09:05 AM
Hi Amy,
I'm sorry you didn't find what you needed. I can't really tell you what to put in your template because it is possible to do anything. Are you making a template for a brochure, a report, a certain type of spreadsheet, a calendar, or ? Making the content and formatting it isn't special for a template. You just add content by typing or inserting pictures, then format.
The part that I was focusing on was, how do you preserve this document, now that you've made it, and put it in a place so that you can A) easily access it again and B) not overwrite it with your new changes when you do.
Solveig
Posted by: Solveig Haugland | October 21, 2007 at 10:04 AM
Any chance you can update this for OO 2.3.0? I've been given a PPT which I can open, but I want to turn it into a template. I find the Template interface utterly confusing. What is the difference between File-SaveAs - myfile.otp and File-Templates-Save? How can I start with a PPT and end up with a template that always works (I guess file copy would solve this usability issue). Thanks, Nick
Posted by: Nick | November 07, 2007 at 04:53 PM
Hi Nick,
This all works for 2.3. To answer your questions:
File > Save as a template file just makes a template, but doesn't put it into the OpenOffice. main template repository. You still need to add it to the repository by copying it to that directory, or by choosing File > Templates > Organize, clicking and holding down on the Commands button and choosing Import and finding the template you just saved.
File > Templates > Save makes a template file AND puts it in the main template repository. (This is faster than the first approach.)
To get to the repository, choose File > New > Templates and Documents. Click the Templates icon at the left and all the templates, regardless of the method you used to create them and add them to the respository, are there.
Also, templates from the repository show up in the Wizard when you choose File > New > Presentation.
To turn a PPT file into a presentation template that comes up in the wizard, just open it and choose File > Templates > Save.
If you have a whole bunch of PPT templates to turn into OOO templates, see this entry.
http://openoffice.blogs.com/openoffice/2007/08/taking-your-mic.html
Solveig
Posted by: Solveig | November 07, 2007 at 06:35 PM
I just want the font to stay the same. So far I have had to go to each individual slide and change the font and size and color--so annoying. Your tutorial seems to presuppose that we just know how to add "styles, graphics, text of any kind. whatever" on our own. I don't
Posted by: Josh Huizing | November 09, 2007 at 09:39 AM
I'm sorry. I failed to see your other post on "styles." The program turned out to be more intuitive than I realized, as well. I believe I fixed the problem. Feel free to delete my angry post.
Posted by: Josh Huizing | November 09, 2007 at 09:59 AM
Hi Josh,
It would take a huge tutorial to cover formatting as well as all the template stuff.
To set the font easily all at once, either:
- choose View > Master > Slide Master and set the font there, then choose View > Normal to go back
- or click the Outline tab at the top, select all, set the font, etc. Then click the Normal tab to go back.
Solveig
Posted by: Solveig | November 09, 2007 at 01:17 PM
Templates don't seem to want to work for me. Have followed the above steps pointing to folder many times and still cannot get my folder of downloaded OO templates to show up in the template options screen. Spent way... way too long on what should be a simple task. Have given up on OO templates completely but not OO. May just keep them in a separate folder to pull from directly. Seems only way?
Thanks,
MM
Posted by: MarkM | January 16, 2008 at 09:27 AM
Hey!! Amazing how such an old blog still has such an effect on us "open-source newbies." I'm sold! Thanks for your help.
Posted by: Michael Graca | February 13, 2008 at 07:05 PM
I've been trying to make postcards for a week
now. You would think this would be possible,
even easy. People who use the real (Word)
software say it is easy. Here it seems to
be impossible. Too bad. I'd really like to
use this instead of Microsoft products, but
I have to do actual work, so it's looking like
Microsoft wins. The word "postcard" is not
even listed in the help index. Nor is the
Avery 8387 compatible card stock (nor any
Avery product for that matter).
Posted by: John | March 02, 2008 at 05:49 PM
Hi John,
Very little is impossible in OpenOffice, it just doesn't have the huge prefab set of templates with it. However, if you have a postcard in Word, just open it from OpenOffice.org and it should work.
You can also just set the page size to 4x6 (or whatever the measurement of the card you want) under Format > Page, Page tab. This will work in Writer or in Draw.
Here's another blog entry to check out.
http://openoffice.blogs.com/openoffice/2007/04/making_postcard.html
There's a section that deals specifically with postcard templates.
Solveig
Posted by: Solveig | March 02, 2008 at 06:06 PM
When creating a template for Calc, is there a way in the template to designate a default directory for saving only those documents created from that particular template (not changing the default save directory altogether)? Thanks.
Posted by: T. R. Valentine | April 03, 2008 at 01:53 PM
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
Posted by: Solveig | April 03, 2008 at 02:11 PM
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
Posted by: Patrick | April 17, 2008 at 02:14 PM
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
Posted by: Miguel Guhlin | April 23, 2008 at 03:41 PM
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
Posted by: traveller | May 05, 2008 at 02:50 AM
Hi Traveler,
Absolutely! See the blog entry on graphics and Writer documents, to be posted in about 15 minutes, for May 5th 2008.
Solveig
Posted by: Solveig | May 05, 2008 at 08:44 AM
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.
Posted by: Greg Atkins | May 07, 2008 at 11:42 PM
Hi Greg,
To not print the graphic, choose File > Print, click Options, and ummark the Graphics option. Click OK.
Solveig
Posted by: Solveig | May 10, 2008 at 02:06 PM
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.
Posted by: Greg Atkins | May 10, 2008 at 05:10 PM
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
Posted by: alan perlman | May 28, 2008 at 02:10 PM
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.
Posted by: Solveig | May 28, 2008 at 02:19 PM
Nice post.
Posted by: free pass4sure | April 14, 2009 at 10:31 AM