[techtalk] GOOGLE - Create Templates To Standardize Your Docs

Tue Oct 8 14:42:00 PDT 2024

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Create Custom Templates

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Webinars for You

NOTE: All webinars begin at 3 pm ET / 2 pm CT / 1 pm MT / 12 Noon PT and are one hour long.

NEW DATE! Oct 16: [WORD/Google Docs] Mastering Document Templates and Formatting. Why attend? If you want a consistent look with docs.

Oct 23: [GRAPHICS] Use AI Tips and Strategies to Solve Problems and Craft Perfect Text. Why attend? If you want amazing insight & assistance.

Nov 6: [INTERNET] Organizing Your Documents in Cloud Storage. Why attend? If you have trouble finding what you need.

Nov 20: [VIDEO] How to Pick the Perfect Video Creation Resource for Any Situation. Why attend? If you want to understand all your video options.

View Webinars and Register Here<https://opiayfbab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001V-4FzVsq6IULJ1-FrIdxoMnBJBzpD2o6xtJX5XKHmlx02tOnoVc4OnTy0Ewopvs8JMZ8F6dBDdsgr5S5PtKvk4mcjVZFpxelyfbMXTo_5VgeCvUqZc0897GtM12RtEEom2MO-VCxd0GN5AnYSO1QxWSqc7rYz-Md0gK5J9wug4g=&c=iPhATyGpobOXSx4-vpYtxhCZjRME-IxwYjtLepc4B4EvJTTilcY-3g==&ch=_dmjSkpOPpeD6ofRrJQ5qRPTiX3VrDcdJMf1dBowsCddTyUW0-0Guw==>

GOOGLE: Create Templates To Standardize Your Docs

Advanced

You want consistency in your organization's branding, right? This includes documents like letters, forms, and reports. For instance, you don't want one staff member using their preferred fonts, colors, and logos and have another team member create files that look completely different.

In a prior Tech-Talk article, we looked at how you can create Templates in Microsoft Word via their "template" process (see the article here<https://opiayfbab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001V-4FzVsq6IULJ1-FrIdxoMnBJBzpD2o6xtJX5XKHmlx02tOnoVc4Oi1kLRiRRgsnIaFIaZ7_eQPa22stEwnvHqJZkFihyTyqbilqdd35ANJW9C8duNtwjytYG_xlbtJY4URAokBhHwjASc1lnEnuJ26x8pSpi0IVZYqepFlOdLBY8Pub6f86F_TlrS3w440vEzL8hKWm5MuDJeRSdQd2XloEMb8f2rXc7EdgTLqo3WGgCYKAxX-CIg==&c=iPhATyGpobOXSx4-vpYtxhCZjRME-IxwYjtLepc4B4EvJTTilcY-3g==&ch=_dmjSkpOPpeD6ofRrJQ5qRPTiX3VrDcdJMf1dBowsCddTyUW0-0Guw==>).

[Screenshot of Google Docs template gallery showing various templates for projects, meetings, brochures, and more.]

In Word, you can directly save a document as a .dotx (or .dotm) file. This allows you to create a reusable template that opens a new document based on the template, without altering the original file.

Well, in the free version and some paid subscription levels, Google Docs doesn't have the exact "Save as Template" feature like Microsoft Word, but you can still create and reuse pre-formatted Docs through some alternative methods.

Good news! Under organizational license's you CAN create and save templates for your staff to use in your own gallery.

Let's take a look at what you can do in each of these scenarios to create Templates. And... if you want to learn more about Templates in both Word and Google, sign up for the upcoming Tech-Talk webinar.<https://opiayfbab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001V-4FzVsq6IULJ1-FrIdxoMnBJBzpD2o6xtJX5XKHmlx02tOnoVc4OnTy0Ewopvs8JMZ8F6dBDdsgr5S5PtKvk4mcjVZFpxelyfbMXTo_5VgeCvUqZc0897GtM12RtEEom2MO-VCxd0GN5AnYSO1QxWSqc7rYz-Md0gK5J9wug4g=&c=iPhATyGpobOXSx4-vpYtxhCZjRME-IxwYjtLepc4B4EvJTTilcY-3g==&ch=_dmjSkpOPpeD6ofRrJQ5qRPTiX3VrDcdJMf1dBowsCddTyUW0-0Guw==>

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Join Us Live for a Webinar!
Word/Google Docs: "Mastering Document Templates and Formatting"

Wednesday, October 16th

3 pm (ET)/12 pm (PT)

We will walk through setting up Templates and more!

Google Docs Template Options

Depending on your organizational set up, you can create "Template" files in a few ways.

1. Build a "Mock" Template Library in a Shared Folder. Users will need to copy the file and add their content. (For personal/free or Google Workspace Business Starter accounts)

2. Use Your Organization's Template Library. Members can create and submit Templates, or use the Organization's shared Templates. (For most Google Workspace Business Standard and Business Plus, Enterprise, Education and Nonprofits)

NOTE: These can be used for Docs, Sheets, and Slides, but we're going to focus on Docs in these steps.

1. Build a "Mock" Template Library in a Shared Folder

This is a workaround of sorts if you use a personal/free Google account or subscribe to a Google Workspace Business Starter account (the lowest paid level).

Create a Folder for Your Templates

[Google Drive interface showing a list of templates, including Letterhead, Meeting Notes, Project Proposal, Expense Report, and Presentation.]

First, determine WHERE your Templates will be stored so that team members will have access. If you do not have a Folder yet:

·     From the main Google Drive window, in the upper left click the New button and select Folder.

·     Give the Folder a name, like "TEMPLATES." You can even add more details in the name like "TEMPLATES – To COPY and make new files."

·     Then, back in My Drive, mouse over the Folder name and click the three vertical dots to the right. Select Share, then Share again.

[Google Drive sharing window with options to add people, groups, and calendar events. Option for restricted access is highlighted.]

·     Designate which team members will have access to the Folder.

IMPORTANT: When you share or change permission on a folder, the files and subfolders inside are updated with the new sharing settings. Files added to a folder at a later date will inherit permissions from the folder in addition to any permissions directly added to the files.

Create Your Templates

·     From Google Drive, in the top left, click the New button, scroll down to Google Docs and click the arrow to the right.

·     Then, either choose Blank Document if you want to start from scratch or From a Template to use a pre-defined layout that Google has provided and make some tweaks to customize as your own.

[A dropdown menu in Google Drive shows options for creating a new Google Docs file as a blank document or from a template.]

Whether you start with a New Doc or use a Template, edit the file to contain any items that will stay the same, like:

·     Heading/Title
·     Logo
·     Fonts/Colors
·     Header and/or Footer
·     Date

NOTE: Google doesn't include placeholders for text or images that you want to replace in a template. Instead, you can add something to signify where information can be inserted like: [Date], [Company Name] or [Address], for example.

Save Your Template

After you have all the content added:

·     If you started from a blank document, at the top give the Doc a Name. Use a naming strategy for consistency like: "TEMPLATE – Letterhead" or "TEMPLATE – Monthly Expense Report."

·     To save the Doc in your TEMPLATE folder, to the right of the name click on the Folder icon and select the location to save it.

[Screenshot of a document titled "TEMPLATE - Letterhead" with a "Tech-Talk" logo. A red arrow points to the "Upload to Drive" icon.]

·     If you started with a Google Template, just give the Doc a new name. TIP: Google won't let you overwrite the GOOGLE template.

·     In the same window, click the Folder button to select your Template folder.

Remember, when you save a file to a Folder, it will inherit the Folder's permissions so you don't need to apply these to each document individually.

Use the Template

When you or a staff member needs to use a template to create a new Doc:

·     Navigate to the folder where they are saved, right-click on the file, and choose MAKE A COPY.

·     Enter a new Name for the file and start adding your content. Save this file to a new location (preferably not in the Template folder).

TIP: Inevitably, your Template will be overwritten by someone who does not COPY it first. If you are the "keeper of the templates" it's a good idea to have original copies of each in a different location.

2. Use Your Organization’s Template Library

For most Google Workspace Business Standard and Business Plus, Enterprise, Education and Nonprofits

If your organization has a subscription to a Google Workspace edition that supports Organizational templates, members can:

1.  Create and submit a document to be saved as a Template so that others can use it.
2.  Use Templates from your organization's gallery.

Check with your Admin to see if you have this functionality.

NOTE: This option needs to be enabled at the Admin level. If you are the Google Admin, to create or remove templates, allow submissions and restrict or moderate custom template submissions, see this Google article<https://opiayfbab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001V-4FzVsq6IULJ1-FrIdxoMnBJBzpD2o6xtJX5XKHmlx02tOnoVc4OjxcDQij2zYz8-S8-GIfaV2i7zIBtkDgbhfZmPS-cAWoO4iwdS4_VDPeg8v2iKhFfhoaKjnQGwWbRy3wjoI3bcVY97RhLKuHLI4NayhekItVkq1lgxRbIjIMA3LeBHU5Yg==&c=iPhATyGpobOXSx4-vpYtxhCZjRME-IxwYjtLepc4B4EvJTTilcY-3g==&ch=_dmjSkpOPpeD6ofRrJQ5qRPTiX3VrDcdJMf1dBowsCddTyUW0-0Guw==>.

Submit a Template

If Templates for organizations IS enabled for your account and you want to submit one to be included in the library:

·     Create a new Doc following your organization's standards (designated fonts, colors, etc.)

·     Give it a Name. Be sure to add "Template" in the title.

·     Next, if your organization HAS enabled custom Google Drive templates AND you've been granted permission to add templates to the gallery, on the Google Docs home screen, https://docs.google.com/document, click the Template gallery link in the top right.

[Google Docs interface showing options for a blank document and various templates: meeting notes, brochure, project proposal, and newsletter.]

·     Then select your organization name (displayed on the left as in the image below) and click the Submit template button. (If you don't have permission to submit templates, you won't see the "Submit template" option.)

·     Your Admin will review it and add it to the organization's Template gallery if approved.

[Template gallery page showing various document templates including meeting notes, brochures, proposals, and newsletters.]

Use a Shared Template

If your organization has a gallery of shared templates, you can use these as the boilerplate for your new documents.

[https://files.constantcontact.com/ee1208b4001/6636571a-3d18-43ba-b3b2-8da9fe95cd21.png]
·     Go to Google Drive and click the New button. Scroll down to Google Docs, click the arrow on the right and choose From a Template.

·     Or, go to the Google Docs Home page by selecting Docs from the apps menu. Click the Templates link in the upper right of the screen and your Organization's name will appear. Select a template to use from the menu and add your content.

·     Add your content to the file.

·     TIP: You will be prompted to add a new name as Google will not allow you to overwrite the template. Then save it to your preferred folder.

[A series of smooth, dark stones arranged in a line, half-submerged in calm, reflective water with a soft, gray background.]

Communication: Online Involvement

Make it easy to respond!

If you are ever giving a webinar or holding a meeting online, it's great when you get the attendees to "speak up", right? When they do, you can tell if you are on track (if you're presenting) or get a measure of concurrence (if you're proposing new ideas).

There is a simple trick for using the Chat feature that will give you great feedback and loosen them up for "talking" to you.

Before I tell you what it is, you need to realize that when you ask for a response from the group, there is a mental delay. They have to hear your request, process it in their heads, think of a response, then type it in. That takes time.

Often an online presenter doesn't want that much silence. There's a way around that!

Instead of asking an open-ended question such as, "How do you feel about the new Tech-Talk Basic?" phrase the request so that they can answer with a single letter or number.

Let me show you what I mean.

1. "How do you feel about the new Tech-Talk Basic edition that is also available to our subscribers? In Chat, put a number on a scale of 1 to 10; 10 high."

2. Or, have a slide with the question ... and numbered choices, so they just type in the number.

"How do you feel about the new Tech-Talk Basic edition that is also available to our subscribers? In Chat, type the number of your response.

1.  I love it!

2.  Have no use for it.

3.  Don't know about it."

3. Another variation: "Do you need more info on the Tech-Talk Basic option? In Chat, put Y for yes; N for no.

Make it really easy for people to respond when you ask questions online. Create questions such that the answer is a single word, letter or number.

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Cheers,
Darci Hanning, MLIS (she/her/hers)
Public Library Consultant / CE Coordinator
Continuing Education Resources: https://libguides.osl.state.or.us/conted
State Library of Oregon | Library Support and Development Services
971-375-3491 | darci.hanning at slo.oregon.gov<mailto:darci.hanning at slo.oregon.gov> | www.oregon.gov/library<http://www.oregon.gov/library>

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