Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with templates

Me vs. Word template

Marky — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:07:53 -0800

How can I rotate a Word template? I downloaded a Word template to print to Avery 5164 stickers. The stickers are 4"x3.3", I want to print landscape with the stickers 3.3"x4".

Just changing the page setup to landscape doesn't change the margins or the template.

Is there a way to rotate a template 90 degrees, or do I have to build a new template?

Need Non-Cheesy Professional Website Template

swilkerson — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 13:32:36 -0800

Seeking a high-end corporate website template (do those exist?) that is designed for extensive customization. I'm a media consultant working on an extended marketing/rebranding campaign with a mid-size company, and we're in the process of (among other things) developing a new website. I am reasonably proficient in HTML and CSS, but I'd like to have a basic website to use as a jumping off point while I work on designing some of the visual elements and then customize the layout, etc with CSS.

Most of the website templates I've seen are $20-$100 cheesy templates, and I see those same templates appear over and over again on the dozens of template seller sites out there. On the other end of the spectrum is full website creation and customization (usually costing several thousand dollars or more). Surely there is something in between - a small company or individual that designs less commercialized templates? Anyone have any experience or recommendations?

Is it possible to create a region in a Dreamweaver template where the content repeats?

xetere — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:41:52 -0800

Is it possible to create a region in a Dreamweaver template where the *content* repeats? I have a bunch of dreamweaver templates for a new site - CS4 to be precise. While there is a div that pulls db driven data, most of the content of the pages themselves are static. Each page will a contain a headline and body content containing 3 tabbed sections. The user will be able to tab between the three sections on the page.

There is a "blurb" below each tab that is not part of the tab, a sort of subheadline. The blurb's content is the same below each tab. In Dreamweaver, I have the tab content is an editable region. What I would like to do is make the blurb an editable region but one where the content person can add the blurb's content once (say on the first tab) and then the second and third blurb regions will automatically have that first blurbs content. Repeating regions won't do it.

The Interwebs and all the Dreamweaver books mention all sorts of great optional, repeating, nested regions but not specifically this.

If there is no way, perhaps using Javascript's getElementByID? or using JSON (of which I know NOTHING!) and have the user populate the first tab?

Thanks to all.

Film Scheduling Resources?

Bobby Bittman — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:44:49 -0800

Anyone know of some good freeware film scheduling software or templates? I'm producing a short film in the next few months and I've lost the templates I usually use. They were old anyway, more for student filmmaking. Now I'm looking for software or paper templates that will help me keep things on track and make sure that, week by week, I'm getting done what needs to get done as we inch closer to the shoot dates.

Thanks!

Web page templates without CSS

Bleusman — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:55:15 -0800

I'm looking for a stylish free webpage template that doesn't use CSS. Here's the story: I'm taking a terrible, terrible web page design class; one where the teacher said on the first day "No one uses code anymore." So I'm stuck using Dreamweaver, and now I'm assigned a project in which I need to modify a template to make a webpage. However, all the free templates I can find are either:

a) much more simplistic than the teacher wants
b) heavily use CSS, which we aren't allowed to use

Essentially, she wants us to use an outdated template that relies on HTML tables. So, to deal with this impossible handicap, I turn to Metafilter. Is there anything out there that would actually work for my purposes?

How to streamline proposals, invoices, and so on?

SpringAquifer — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:58:34 -0800

Small home-based business creates its own standardized proposals, invoices, fax cover sheets, and so on. How best to manage them? This is a bit of an open-ended question, so I'm really sure if I'm searching for anything in particular.

The business in question utilizes a number of fairly standardized types of documents quite frequently: proposals, invoices, and fax cover sheets. At the moment, they're Microsoft Word templates that we fill in by hand (well, typing on the computer) every time. The file gets saved into a folder, and we open up the original template again when we need to make another one.

Any ideas on how to streamline this without much extra cost?

How to include across many differing platforms?

littlerobothead — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:36:50 -0800

30-45 separate vendor servers with lots of platforms. One template design that must be on all of them, and all must look alike and undergo some minor changes every week. How on earth do I keep them synchronized? As always... I work for a newspaper. We use vendors for nearly everything we do. No two venders could possibly have the same requirements for their templates, so as a result we have literally dozens and dozens of flat HTML pages scattered about that must be updated by hand every time someone decides to change a link in some part of the nav or a logo in the footer.

I've been pushing hard for some sort of standardized system for doing this for months. There's no way to serve the entire flat page from one place on our webservers. There's no platform commonality that would allow me to just use a php include everywhere. I've nearly coded a set of functions that does the task really elegantly in javascript, but the cross site limitations of that language have me wanting to give up.

Any ideas out there? I've been given the latitude to do nearly anything I need to to make this work. I'm not looking for a complete system, just a nudge in the right direction. For the record, the includes are built and they are simply fragments of semantically valid XHTML. One tired template maintainer thanks you :)

Website help?

Anonymous — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 08:08:07 -0800

Can anyone help me with my particular website dilemma? I've been tasked with redoing my company's website. We need an area for our clients to be able to upload secure files, message boards and a shopping cart type of thing. Oh, and I can't outsource this. It has to be from me.

I think I am over my head here. If you need a great HTML site, I'm your man, but I have no idea of where to get started here. And I really don't have any internal help. This is my big project.

Are there web site templates out there that will give me a good starting point? I'm starting to worry for my future here.

(I went anon because I know there are people at my company who read this site and don't want to seem like I don't know my shit)

2009 Calendar Template Download

vermontlife — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 06:13:09 -0800

Calendar Template for 2009 compatible with Excel 2002. The Microsoft website has changed the requirements for downloading templates for my favorite "Calendar on Multiple Worksheets" so that the user now has to have Excel 2003 or later. I still have Excel 2002 and DO NOT WISH TO UPDATE TO ADD TO THE COFFERS OF THESE M'FERS!! I hate this kind of crap... so I ask mefites... does anyone know of a free downloadable 2009 calendar template that I can use that is similar to the one at the link below? I would appreciate it if you have used the recommended website before and preferablyfor the calendar you are suggesting. I know there are plenty of free downloadable templates, but I'm looking for a reputable site and a good calendar to boot.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/TC102851621033.aspx?CategoryID=CT102774121033

Please no lectures on why Microsoft has to make these kinds of limitations... etc. My company is too cheap to buy us new licenses and I'm not about to put buy and put new software on their computer for them.

High Self Esteem Meet Failure at Simple Tasks

joaniemcchicken — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:51:07 -0800

This is embarrassing, but I apparently am not smart enough change my Blogger template. I have always wanted to get one of those pretty free blogger templates besides the 8 dull, dull, dull ones they have had in existence since the dawn of man. But, for some reason, whenever I go to one of those template sites and download a template, I CAN NEVER GET IT TO UPLOAD. NEVER. I have done it ALL: Watched tutorials, read instructions, stared at the computer screen with my mouth open and my reading glasses halfway down with a serious look on my face. So I have tried, people.

It seems that it is very easy, but I have never been able to achieve this.

What am I doing wrong? I have a mac and OS 10.4.1, and a positive attitude.

How can I quickly design and print event tickets for my theatre group?

rdauphin — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:20:33 -0800

My community theatre group forgot to have tickets printed for this weekend's show. I'd like to use a template and print them on my office copier to help the group save money. Is there an online program that will help me do this easily? I have MS Office 2000 programs, but the built in templates don't want to cooperate. Guidance would be appreciated.

open source questions for ya

yonation — Wed, 28 May 2008 12:58:09 -0800

drupal vs joomla. some questions inside. 2 questions:

a) we're setting up a website for a film client who wants to be able to add a lot of multimedia (esp. video) to their site. bandwidth providing, which is the better CMS for this kind of serving?

b) which is easier to skin/template/etc? i'm quite comfortable with php/css and the concepts of of semantic skinning (eg wordpress and shopify). which of these follows more easily from knowing those two sites?

how to simplify CSS website/pages please.

wildpetals — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 19:59:26 -0800

I'm new to CSS. I've gotten some CSS I like and modified it so that now I have a site that is simple but all CSS. Now that I have all the pages identified, and the main page designed how we want it to look, I want to make the rest of the pages. I know it is not proper to copy the main page and just change the part that varies, because when the menu changes, you have to modify all the other pages! (not good!)

So I need to make pages for the tabs. There is one tab that has something, but when you look at it, it is a text file and looks like crud.

I visualize even that tab loading below the top menu and next to the edge of the left menu area.

So, I have been searching and searching and never have found informtion on how to make a "template". In my programming days, I'd include other files, but not sure how to make that work here.

The other thing I need to consider for this is eventually, we want a login for the users so that they can only see their own credit. But for now, this is usable.

What I am wondering is if anyone out there knows what to do, if there is a step by step site that explains how to do this? I'm lost, but not incapable. :)

Thanks for any assistance. I really appreciate it.

Page Style Creation in OpenOffice Writer

jlkr — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 11:23:32 -0800

I'm using OpenOffice Writer 2.2 (Windows XP). I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to define a page style from a page I've already created, short of writing everything down and recreating the page. There's got to be a better way. And, supposedly, there is. But the help page entitled "Creating a Page Style Based on the Current Page" tells me how to create page styles with different headers. I already know how to do that. I've spent hours tweaking this page style to fit what I need, and I want to use it again. I've Googled, and checked the OOBlogs and the OOWiki, but can't find what I need.

Cliff-Notes for a Web Project

kaizen — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 13:59:00 -0800

I am looking for real-life documents surrounding the development of a website. My organization is quite inexperienced in building a website from scratch and we are looking for some documents to get us started. Can anyone point us to some actual specifications, wireframes, test scripts, and project plans for website design and development?

What's the word on ditching Word?

grumblebee — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 08:47:29 -0800

Help me ditch Word, yet still deliver a document that uses Word templates. When I switched from PC to Mac, I decided not to buy MS Office. I don't miss it, I don't want it, and I've fallen in love with simple text editors like Writeroom and Textmate. But my publisher wants me to use a specific Word template (which he provides).

I'm hoping there's a way I can write in a plain text editor and mark text that ultimately needs to be set to a specific style in the template. E.g. [1]Chapter One[/1] might mean that this text should be changed to Heading 1 style.

Then, later on -- in some other app -- I'd search for [1] ... [/1] and apply the style.

What's that other app? I know I could do it IN Word, but then I have to buy and install Word, which is what I'm trying to avoid. Is there an alternative? Some freeware, shareware or open-source app (Open Office?) that can use a Word templates (and can spit out a Word doc using that template)?

Extra points if it also can interpret Word's track-changes feature, so that my publisher and I can still use it.

Is there a good text-editor-to-doc workflow or do I need to breakdown and buy Word?

Using WordPress for Multiple Same-Site Feeds

mikewas — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 13:29:11 -0800

How can I use a single WordPress install to run multiple mini-blogs on one domain? I would like to use a single WordPress install - say at example.com/blog/ to generate multiple mini-blogs to be incorporated as .php includes in otherwise static pages throughout the site. Essentially, I'm looking to create little newsfeeds for internal use only - just headline, brief text, and a link.

I imagine the result would involve using category templates to generate .php files to be included in the other pages, but I'm not really sure how to go about it.

Has anyone done something similar?

Technology Illiterate Seeks Simple Website Solution

wetpaint — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 16:33:07 -0800

I don't know the first thing about building my artist's website -- please help me get started! I already have a domain name, a host and all of the content but have ZERO idea how to put it all together. I don't even know html! Is there a VERY user-friendly template out there on the web, or an Idiot's Guide-type book that I should read to understand the basics? It's an artist's site and I want to keep it very clean and simple -- a portfolio of images, short bio, contact info, and not much more. Can anybody help this tech novice??

Simple single-page aggregation?

symbebekos — Sun, 05 Nov 2006 12:37:52 -0800

I want to aggregate some RSS feeds for a group of not-tech-savvy people... ...and I like the single page apporach best, where a bunch of feeds are rendered on one page with pop-up article previews - you know, like Popurls or Original Signal. My question: are there any CC- or GNU-licensed templates to get the job done? I could write everything myself, but I'm lazy and I'd rather tweak than work from scratch. (Also, I know setting up RSS to Javascript or however you render the feeds needs to be set up on a server; no big deal.)

A place for everything and everything in its place.

Human Flesh — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 10:30:27 -0800

I'm looking for household organization templates. I'd like to learn how to optimize the use of my living space. Ideally, I'd like to find a site that would tell me where to put my bottle opener, knife sharpener, and paper towels. Do you know of any websites that fit this description?

clock face templates for printing?

nancoix — Fri, 12 May 2006 14:09:30 -0800

Clock Face Templates? Bought an old clock. The paper face is stained and ruined. Are there any websites offering templates of clock faces that I can re-size and print? Looking for something about 3 inches square with cool art deco numerals.

Can I copy Templates for DVD Studio Pro 4?

Toolshed — Sun, 05 Mar 2006 20:12:42 -0800

I have installed DVD Studio Pro 4 on my Powerbook, as part of the Final Cut Studio Pro 5 suite. However, the templates or styles didn't install and I don't have a "Content" icon on the install disk. Is it possible to get the folders of templates and styles from someone? I don't want a copy of your disk or to do anything illegal, but if someone had the program installed and could copy only those folders, I don't think it would constitute copyright infringement ... or would it?

Is there a "Typepad" style solution for a full, complex web site?

baltimore — Sat, 25 Feb 2006 10:41:14 -0800

Is there a web site development solution for full sites that's as simple and to-the-point as a service such as Typepad? I've tried Googling this, but the necessary search terms just keep bringing up the same Templates For Sale sites.

I'm trying to find a site which would streamline the development of a site for a non-profit. Ideally, I'd supervise the creation of the site, then multiple users could use some form of CMS to add content.

I *could* pull this together myself (well, without the CMS...), but, as the question says, I'm looking for that nearly-magical combination of simplicity and depth.

Where can I sell my website design templates?

mrhappybanjo — Wed, 09 Nov 2005 13:58:04 -0800

I have created several website design templates. Does anyone know of a place on the web where I can post them and sell them? I know the obvious would be to build my own website and sell them - but I only have 5 - not quite enough to justify setting up a whole site.

Creating a powerpoint template

duck — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 12:04:37 -0800

I'm working on a powerpoint presentation and none of the existing templates or those I have found on the web suits my needs. I've created my own template using the "master slide" feature. However, when I leave the "master view" the colours/fonts etc. stay the same as I set them, but the placement of the boxes (headlines and text boxes) return to the defaults. How do I create a template that holds the headlines and text where I put them? When I return to slide master view, the master shows the boxes just where I put them. The placement of the boxes is really the key thing I need to have stay. I've saved as .pot file and tried then using the "apply template" feature. The colours are right, the boxes are wrong.

WindowsXP, MS Office 2003. How do I make the boxes stay put?