Default template for OpenOffice & LibreOffice

Dec 18, 2012 Office

OpenOffice.org & LibreOffice are superb Office replacements, however, like most programs it is all set to American sizes (page size) and margins. Having to change the page size every time is annoying, and I finally worked out how to create and set your default templates for all parts of OpenOffice.org. Now when I start the program I get my default A4 page size with the margins I want.

Creating the template

Open the program for which you want to set the page size (in this example I will take OpenOffice.org writer). Set the page size, margins and so on to your liking. Then save the document as a template (File -> Save as -> Text Document Template). Give it a description name, for instance I gave the name “writer_a4”.

Remember, how this document looks will become your default, so make sure you set everything to your wishes. The name you give should also not be “default” or anything else non-descriptive, as management of your templates can become difficult when you have more then one ;-)

Setting the default template

OpenOffice.org / LibreOffice has a special tool for organising your templates. Go to File -> Templates -> Organize. You will get a screen with two panels, the left side of which we need to pay attention to.

To set the template:

  • Right-mouse-click on the Default folder in the left panel, and select Import template.
  • Select your created document (in my case writer_a4.stw), and it will appear under Default.
  • Right-mouse-click on the new imported document, and select Set As Default Template.

Now each time you open Writer you should get your default template. You can do the same for all the other parts too (calc, draw, etc.). Remember to give them all descriptive names as they will all come under the “Default” folder in your template organiser.

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