# 3.2. An Introduction to Templates

OK, so the first question you may have is:

Why do I need to use a frames based word processor, when I am perfectly happy writing my letters on my current, page oriented, word processor?

Well the good news is, adjusting to a frames based word processor is easy and once you select a template, KWordwill act just like the page oriented wordprocessor you are used to. There are templates available for simple correspondance and day to day use.

When you need to generate a more complex document (newsletters, posters, etc), however, you will not need to switch to a different program to generate these special documents. There are templates which will help you generate your newsletters or other more complicated documents.

OK. So now that you are willing to give this a try, we should talk briefly about what templates are, what templates can do for you and how you work with templates.

What are templates and what can they do for me

A template can be thought of as an initial mold for your document. When we sit down to write a document, we already have an idea of what the final product will look like. If you are writing a letter to a business, you want a document with only one column, which goes all the way accross the page, and from top to bottom of the page. When you sit down to author a newsletter for a local organization, however, you may want a large title accross the top, and several columns for quick news articles.

With KW, you can use this preconceived notion of how your document should look and using a template, you can create a set of frames to approximate this final layout. For your business letter, you can select one large frame that covers the page from top to bottom and side to side (excluding margins of course). For that newsletter, however, you may decide that a two or three column document is more to your liking. Once you select this template, KWord will create the frames for you.

What if I decide later to change my layout

This is not a problem. If you begin your document as a single column document and decide later that two columns is better for your needs, you can add another column. The purpose of templates is not to limit your ability to change your format, but rather to take some of the work load off you whenever possible. Choosing the correct template when you begin your document will simplify the formating (as opposed to always selecting the default template and making your changes later.), but it is also important to remember that choosing the wrong template will not increase your work when compared to page-oriented word processors.

Working with frames (aka Your First Document)

The following section, consists of two fundimental topics which you should understand before we continue, and a step by step walk through of the most important functions you will need to understand to complete a complex document. We will generate the start of a newsletter using this tutorial. If you do not want to complete the tutorial, or have questions about a specific aspect of frames, you can use the following to jump directly to that section of the tutorial:

1. The difference between Wordprocessing and DTP templates

2. The difference between text edit mode and frame edit mode

3. Choosing the initial template

4. Selecting a frame and entering text into that frame

5. Changing the size of a frame

6. Moving a frame on the page

7. Adding a new frame and making text flow between two frames

8. Deleting a frame

This tutorial is designed to be done in order, starting with The difference between Wordprocessing and DTP templates