How to make Files into Templates
Mac Tip #175/01-Dec-2004

My clients often ask me how they can make a letterhead, or a standard format for their short stories or university essays or other writing tasks. Such discussions end up on the topic of stationery, templates and boilerplate text, all of which are essentially the same thing.

A template opens up a copy instead of the original document. That means that you can prepare a letterhead for example, and save it as a template. When you open it up, make changes, then save, it won’t change the original because you were working on a copy.

There are several ways to go about creating templates. Some software, such as Microsoft Word or Appleworks, allow you to create templates.

In Appleworks create the document you want to use and choose Save from the File menu and enter a filename. In the Save Dialog box click on the radio button beside “Template”. Appleworks will now automatically take you to the Templates folder and you can press the Save button.

To use the template go to the File menu and choose to show the Starting Points window. Click on the Templates tab at the bottom of the window and you can double-click your stationery document.

Follow a similar process for Microsoft Word. When you Save use the Format pop-up to choose Document Template. To work from a template file choose Project Gallery from the File menu and look under My Templates.