Make stationery templates
Mac Tip #176/08-Dec-2004

Last week I suggested making templates within Word or Appleworks or other software, but there’s another way to make stationery too. We can do it in the Finder.

First make the document you want to use — perhaps a letterhead or a budget format, a greeting card or a standard letter to clients. Save the document somewhere. If you have many such documents you might choose to create a special “Stationery” folder.

Let’s imagine I’ve made a document and saved it with the name letterhead.doc.

I click once on “letterhead.doc” and choose Get Info from the File menu. This brings up the Information window. Make sure the the General tab is open. If not, click once on the disclosure triangle beside it.

Now check the box labelled Stationery and close the Info window. Letterhead.doc will now show a different icon. When you double click it a new “Document 1″ will open where you can safely type your letter, save with a new name and leave the original untouched.

These screenshots show the process and also how the icon changes for a “stationery” file.