Creating Custom InDesign Templates

An overview of why Custom InDesign Templates are useful and how they can be used to generate documents automatically

CJ Teeter avatar
Written by CJ Teeter
Updated over a week ago

Why are Custom Templates Useful?

Custom Templates increase the efficiency and consistency with which organizations generate documents. Some of the benefits of implementing templates within your OpenAsset system include:

  • re-sized images and project information pushed directly from OpenAsset into your documents

  • maintain control of your approved, branded documents and ensure that everyone uses the latest templates

  • quickly react to re-branding projects by just updating the core template

  • enable users without graphic design skills to produce professional marketing documents

  • control which users have access to particular templates with Group Permissions

How do InDesign Templates Work?

Project-based InDesign templates can be launched from either the Project Overview page, or the Project Portfolio page.

Launching Templates from the Project Overview Page

Select the InDesign button from the top-right of your screen. You may have multiple template options available in your system. Click the relevant template option, and then 'Generate Document'.

Launching Templates from the Project Portfolio Page

The Project Portfolio enables you to generate documents for multiple Projects at the same time. To do so, use the faceted search to create a selection of Projects. Then select the Export icon to the right of your screen.

Next, choose the InDesign template you would like to use from your available options. To make it easier, you can search for the template, navigate to the InDesign tab, or navigate to the Favorites tab to access pre-selected Favorites.

Templates push images and text from OpenAsset into InDesign.

Images

Templates can be configured in order to pull images into documents based on their Image Ranks. For example, your template could be configured to pull only your highest-ranked images.

Or it could pull images of specific ranks into given image frames.

Text

Useful Project information like the Project name, client, city, country, description, market segment, etc. can all be stored in fields or as keywords in OpenAsset. If you use a system like Deltek Vision, this information can be automatically pulled from Deltek with the Deltek Vision Connector.

Images and text are combined automatically to produce your Project-based document.

Click here for information about our InDesign Template Requirements.

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