Layout Templates: Creating professional presentations

Impress colleagues and customers with stunning presentations


Templates are essentially creative arrangements of objects in the Layout Window which are stored and can be opened for use with any design, saving valuable time in the presentation of your designs and ideas.


They provide the ability to create standard presentations and re-use them without the work of recreating them every time. You can save your company logo, a copyright disclaimer, a step wedge of tones, specific engraving details or Quality Assurance data within a template.

If all you want to do is to have all your colourways set up exactly the same way every time you put it into the Layout Window, all you need to do it set it up once and save it as a template. Then you can simply load the template each time you open the Layout Window. If you use the same template for every design, you can save the layout as a default template, which automatically loads as soon as you open a new Layout Window.

Templates are so powerful, and incredibly time saving.

Surfaces

1632825862057-Surfaces.png



  1. From the File Menu, select Page Setup and select the required page size before creating any template.
  2. Create the layout you want, including text and decorative shapes if necessary (it doesn’t matter what design is open when you do this).
  3. Go to Layout Menu > Save Template.
  4. Give the template a suitable name and save it into your QCTemplate folder which you can find inside Home user > Library > Application Support > AVA. A file will be created in .avaqc format.
  5. When it is time to use the this template again, open the design to be used and its Layout Window, and do one of the following:
    •  Choose Layout Menu > Restore Template. All templates saved in to the QCTemplate folder will appear in the list in the side menu shown above.  Simply select a listed template to load it into your Layout Window.  If you select the wrong one, select Layout Menu >  Restore template and choose another.  Your Layout Window will update to show the selected template. If you choose to save a template elsewhere in your hard drive, you can navigate to this by selecting Choose Template… This will open a Finder window which you can use to navigate to, and select your preferred template. Any saved template will have a Quick Look preview, making your template files easy to locate.
    • Alternatively, if you have your QCTemplates folder set to be viewed in the File Browser, you can load templates by dragging and dropping directly from the browser.  If you want to completely replace the current content of your Layout Window with your new template, hold down the option key as you drag he template from the browser to the page. If you simply want to add the contents from the template to what is already on the page, do not hold down the option key as you drag the template onto the page.

Saving a template saves all the normal layout items shown on the page, such as text, colour chips and the positions of embedded documents. However it does not save any colour information, apart from the selected colourway numbers being shown. You cannot use templates to save colours from one document to another, as it is just the layout information you are storing. If the template did have colourways on the page when it was saved, the same colourway numbers will appear on every new page on to which you load the layout.

Note: Embedded documents follow the existing layout rules, so they will automatically reopen when the template is loaded or opened, as long as they have not been deleted from your hard drive

Creating a default Layout Template

If you always present your designs using the same layout, you can save this layout as a default template.  Doing this means the template automatically loads into every new Layout Window you create.  This can be a massive time saver and it very easy to do.

  1. From the File Menu, select Page Setup and select the required page size before creating any template.
  2. Set out the Layout Window with the required elements for your template (it doesn’t matter what design is open when you do this).
  3. Go to Layout Menu > Save Template.
  4. Save the template as 'default.avaqc' into the QCTemplate folder which is located inside Home user > Library > Application Support > AVA.

From now on, every time you open a new Layout Window, this template will load, saving you the time recreating it each time.

Restore templates at the click of a button

Custom Palettes make restoring Layout templates even easier, and you can add this function to an existing palette, or to a new one!  All you need to do first is customise the toolbar of your Layout Window to include the following icon:

The icon records the template, rulers and guides included in the document.

  1. Open and existing Palette, or  go to File Menu > New > Palette to create one.
  2. Create your layout template using the methods described earlier in this article.
  3. Drag the Layout Contents handler to your Palette.  This will record the template and any rulers and guides included in the document.
  4. Rename the action button, and add a custom icon if required.  From now on, if you want this template to be applied to any new designs, simply press this newly added action button.

Note: You can double click on the Layout Contents icon and choose which information is recorded. For example, if you only want to record the template and ignore the rulers and guides, simply double click the icon and drag the ‘Layout Document’ option to your custom palette. The other settings will be ignored.

Adding your own snapshots to the Palette will make them unique and personal.

Textiles

1632825877278-Textiles.png
  1. From the File Menu, select Page Setup and select the required page size before creating any template.
  2. Set out the Layout Window with the required elements for your template (it doesn’t matter what design is open when you do this).
  3. From the Layout Menu > Save Template.
  4. Give the template a suitable name and save it into your QCTemplate folder which you can find inside Home user > Library > Application Support > AVA. A file will be created in .avaqc format.
  5. When it is time to use the stored template, open the design to be used and its Layout Window, and do one of the following:
    •  Choose Layout Menu > Restore Template. All templates saved in to the QCTemplate folder will appear in the list in the side menu shown above.  Simply select a listed template to load it into your Layout Window.  If you select the wrong one, select Layout Menu >  Restore template and choose another.  Your Layout Window will update to show the selected template. If you choose to save a template elsewhere in your hard drive, you can navigate to this by selecting Choose Template… This will open a Finder window which you can use to navigate to, and select your preferred template. Any saved template will have a Quick Look preview, making your template files easy to locate.
    • Alternatively, if you have your QCTemplates folder set to be viewed in the File Browser, you can load templates by dragging and dropping directly from the browser.  If you want to completely replace the current content of your Layout Window with your new template, hold down the option key as you drag he template from the browser to the page. If you simply want to add the contents from the template to what is already on the page, do not hold down the option key as you drag the template onto the page.

Saving a template saves all the normal layout items shown on the page, such as text, colour chips and the positions of embedded documents. However it does not save any colour information, apart from the selected colourway numbers being shown. You cannot use templates to save colours from one document to another, as it is just the layout information you are storing. If the template did have colourways on the page when it was saved, the same colourway numbers will appear on every new page on to which you load the layout.

Note: Embedded documents follow the existing layout rules, so they will automatically reopen when the template is loaded or opened, as long as they have not been deleted from your hard drive.

Creating a default Layout Template

If you always present your designs using the same layout, you can save this layout as a default template. Doing this means the template automatically loads into every new Layout Window you create. This can be a massive time saver and it very easy to do.

  1. From the File Menu, select Page Setup and select the required page size before creating any template.
  2. Set out the Layout Window with the required elements for your template (it doesn’t matter what design is open when you do this).
  3. From the Layout Menu > Save Template.
  4. Save the template as 'default.avaqc' into the QCTemplate folder which is located inside Home user > Library > Application Support > AVA.

From now on, every time you open a new Layout Window, this template will load, saving you the time recreating it each time.

Restore templates at the click of a button

Custom Palettes make restoring Layout Templates even easier, and you can add this function to an existing palette, or to a new one!  All you need to do first is customise the toolbar of your Layout Window to include the following icon:

1628092457675-Layout contents_a.png


The icon records the template, rulers and guides included in the document.

  1. Open and existing Palette, or go to File > New > Palette to create one.
  2. Create your layout template using the methods described earlier in this article.
  3. Drag the Layout Contents handler to your Palette.  This will record the template and any rulers and guides included in the document.
  4. Rename the action button, and add a custom icon if required.  From now on, if you want this template to be applied to any new designs, simply press this newly added action button.

Note: Embedded documents follow the existing layout rules, so they will automatically reopen when the template is loaded or opened, as long as they have not been deleted from your hard drive.


Adding your own snapshots to the Palette will make them unique and personal.


Wallcoverings

1632825892698-Wallcoverings _ a.png


  1. From the File Menu, select Page Setup and select the required page size before creating any template.
  2. Set out the Layout Window with the required elements for your template (it doesn’t matter what design is open when you do this).
  3. From the Layout Menu > Save Template.
  4. Give the template a suitable name and save it into your QCTemplate folder which you can find inside Home user > Library > Application Support > AVA. A file will be created in .avaqc format.
  5. When it is time to use the stored template, open the design to be used and its Layout Window, and do one of the following:
    •  Choose Layout Menu > Restore Template. All templates saved in to the QCTemplate folder will appear in the list in the side menu shown above.  Simply select a listed template to load it into your Layout Window.  If you select the wrong one, select Layout Menu >  Restore template and choose another.  Your Layout Window will update to show the selected template. If you choose to save a template elsewhere in your hard drive, you can navigate to this by selecting Choose Template… This will open a Finder window which you can use to navigate to, and select your preferred template. Any saved template will have a Quick Look preview, making your template files easy to locate.
    • Alternatively, if you have your QCTemplates folder set to be viewed in the File Browser, you can load templates by dragging and dropping directly from the browser.  If you want to completely replace the current content of your Layout Window with your new template, hold down the option key as you drag he template from the browser to the page. If you simply want to add the contents from the template to what is already on the page, do not hold down the option key as you drag the template onto the page.

Saving a template saves all the normal layout items shown on the page, such as text, colour chips and the positions of embedded documents. However it does not save any colour information, apart from the selected colourway numbers being shown. You cannot use templates to save colours from one document to another, as it is just the layout information you are storing. If the template did have colourways on the page when it was saved, the same colourway numbers will appear on every new page on to which you load the layout.

Note: Embedded documents follow the existing layout rules, so they will automatically reopen when the template is loaded or opened, as long as they have not been deleted from your hard drive.

Creating a default Layout Template

If you always present your designs using the same layout, you can save this layout as a default template.  Doing this means the template automatically loads into every new Layout Window you create.  This can be a massive time saver and it very easy to do.

  1. From the File Menu, select Page Setup and select the required page size before creating any template.

  2. Set out the Layout Window with the required elements for your template (it doesn’t matter what design is open when you do this).

  3. From the Layout Menu > Save Template.

  4. Save the template as 'default.avaqc' into the QCTemplate folder which is located inside Home user > Library > Application Support > AVA.

From now on, every time you open a new Layout Window, this template will load, saving you the time recreating it each time.

Restore templates at the click of a button

Palettes make restoring Layout Templates even easier, and you can add this function to an existing palette, or to a new one!  All you need to do first is customise the toolbar of your Layout Window to include the following icon:

1628092457675-Layout contents_a.png

The icon records the template, rulers and guides included in the document.

  1. Open and existing Palette, or  go to File > New > Palette to create one.
  2. Create your layout template using the methods described earlier in this article.
  3. Drag the Layout Contents handler to your Palette. This will record the template and any rulers and guides included in the document.
  4. Rename the action button, and add a custom icon if required.  From now on, if you want this template to be applied to any new designs, simply press this newly added action button.

Note: Embedded documents follow the existing layout rules, so they will automatically reopen when the template is loaded or opened, as long as they have not been deleted from your hard drive.


Adding your own snapshots to the Palette will make them unique and personal.

The Movie


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