The dictionary definition of a template is ‘a model or standard for making comparisons’. As the work volume for both individuals and companies increase, it becomes increasingly difficult for us to create original structures or designs for every occasion. Time and cost demand that we try to provide the recommended quality, without compromising on the content. The template is a healthy compromise between our need to work fast and yet provide professional quality work. Essentially, a template is a provision for the separation of form or style and content, enabling the easy accomodation of the latter within pre-existing design forms.

Templates are used widely. In publishing for example, a template may provide the basic structure with placeholders for inputing different content variables; a single-page newsletter template (for instance), might have a few columns, space for a picture and gaps for the headline and name of the newsletter. While templates have been mainly used by human users, the great workload of content conversion and databasing has inspired the devising of automated ways wherein content is applied to pre-selected templates; many web-based software packages, for example, use a templating system to separate the logic of the program from the displayed formatting. Typically, these templates will include variables and possibly a few logical operators to allow better adaptability of the template.

There are templates for sample letters, press releases, or other types of generic writing; templates for web designs; templates for DTP; templates for other graphic items. Templates let us keep out deadlines by letting us concentrate on the content, without wasting time on design which are provided by the templates themselves.

In this section of the directory, we provide you with a comprehensive list of resources on templates for web design, presentations, etc.

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