How to make a template project work

We often get asked by businesses and studios how to ensure the best templates are built for the job and the whole process runs smoothly.

As with any project, the more preparation and knowledge the better. So if we know things like how many people will be using the templates and their levels of capability, whether templates need to work on Macs, PC's or both, whether documents get PDF'd or are only ever viewed online and as much else as possible, we can make sure we build templates that will work intuitively and efficiently.

We are always happy to do a design review before any artwork is approved, as this means we can assess it for elements that might be problematic or just not work in Microsoft. For example, allocating the numbering 01, 02 etc for chapter headings is fine up until 09 but after that it becomes 010, which might not be what's expected. More importantly, we can flag potential issues that will make the template more complicated - and frustrating for the end users.

For templates that we are building from supplied artwork, we need the packaged InDesign files, a PDF and the RGB breakdown - Microsoft uses RGB values. We then build a first draft version of the template and send it over for approval. Once it's been used and tested, we can finalise it and make any required refinements and amendments.

If we're helping with the design of the templates, we'll work through a design briefing process, to make sure we understand what you need from them and align expectations.

We hate the thought that our templates are out in the world and not bringing joy to the people who work with them so we welcome emails that flag any problems after the templates have been used for a while. Sometimes it takes a while for templates to be used, for certain issues to crop up. If you're sick of dealing with those issues, send the questions to us!

Above all, we're here to help - whether that's building a picture-perfect replica of your artwork, assessing a design for usability or designing and building a set of templates that will look great and be robust for a team that just need them to work.