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How I use LibreOffice templates to work smarter – and you can too
LibreOffice is an open-source office suite that includes everything you need to be productive on any desktop operating system. LibreOffice is my default for both Linux and MacOS, and I’ve used the software to write almost 70 novels.
One feature LibreOffice includes is templates, a powerful tool for creating documents quickly and consistently. For example, if you send regular reports, spreadsheets, or letters, you won’t want to start from scratch every time.
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Thanks to templates, you can create the document’s basic structure and layout and use it as a template. Now you won’t have to start from a blank slate every time.
Templates can be used for just about anything, even book formatting.
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I want to show you how easy it is to use templates in LibreOffice. Once you see how the feature works, you’ll happily add it to your process.
Let’s get to work.
Creating a template in LibreOffice
What you’ll need: The only thing you’ll need for this task is a running instance of LibreOffice. It doesn’t matter what OS you use (Linux, MacOS, or Windows) because the process is the same, regardless.
The first thing to do is open an existing document or create a new one. This can be a standard document, a spreadsheet, or a presentation. Open LibreOffice and click File > New > Document type.
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If you’re using LibreOffice on MacOS or Windows, open the main LibreOffice app and click the document type under the Create section in the sidebar.
The LibreOffice template library is simple to use.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
With your new document open, either modify the existing content (if it was a previously created file) or add the necessary content to make the template useful (such as addresses, layout, headers, footers, etc.).
I typically add custom templates to the My Templates category.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
How to use your new template
Now that you’ve created your template, here’s how you use it.
1. Open the template browser
Open LibreOffice and then click on Templates in the sidebar. This step will open the template browser, where you can find the template you just created.
2. Open your template
Find the template you want to use and double-click it. This step will open the template so you can use it.
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What’s great about this approach is that, when you modify the newly opened file, it doesn’t change the original template, so you can edit the document all you want, trusting that you’ll always have the template ready to use.
How to edit an existing template
There may come a time when you need to edit an existing template.
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To do that, go to the template viewer, right-click the template you want to edit, and select Edit. With the template open, make changes and, when you’re finished, save the file like any normal document.
This is the way to go if you need to edit an existing template.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
And that, my friends, is how you use templates in LibreOffice to make your work process even easier.
