Setting up Your Document > Creating and opening documents > Using templates

 

Using templates

To work more efficiently and avoid design inconsistencies, you can create templates for documents that share common design elements and production settings. You can then use these templates as defaults for creating new documents.

You can also use master pages to apply page layouts to individual pages. For more information, see Working with master pages.

A template's settings and attributes are defaults for creating other documents. To create new documents with the same objects, settings, colors, and object and paragraph styles as those of an existing document, you can save the existing document as a template.

A template file saves the following elements of a FreeHand document:

Guides

Layer information

Object styles

Paragraph styles

Symbols and master pages

All objects

Custom brushes

Custom colors

Custom page sizes

Custom units of measurement

When you open a template, an untitled copy of the template appears. You use the untitled copy to create a new template or replace an existing template. You can also designate a template as the default for all new documents.

To save a document as a template:

1

Choose File > Save As.

2

Enter a name for your template file in the Save Document dialog box (Windows) or Save dialog box (Macintosh).

3

Choose FreeHand Template from the Save as Type pop-up menu (Windows) or FreeHand Template from the Format pop-up menu (Macintosh).

4

Choose a destination and click Save. In Windows, an FT10 extension is added to the file name.

To edit a FreeHand template:

1

Open the template, make changes, and then choose File > Save As.

2

Save the newly revised document as a template with the same name and location.

3

FreeHand prompts you to replace the original template file. Click Yes (Windows) or Replace (Macintosh).

The new template replaces the old one.

To convert any FreeHand file into a template without opening it (Macintosh):

1

Select the FreeHand file in the Finder.

2

Choose File > Get Info and select Stationery Pad.

To convert a template into a regular FreeHand document, deselect Stationery Pad.

To change the default template:

1

Choose Edit > Preferences. Click Document.

2

For New Document Template, enter the file name of the new default template.

3

Click OK.