Author: Italo Vignoli

A template is a draft document that you can re-use over and over to generate new documents, based on the same basic format and with the same headers, footers, styles and formats. In this way you can make all your documents look the same. For instance, it enables you to create a single template for use whenever you wish to write a letter with a standard header. You can create a template for use in Writer (text documents), Calc (spreadsheets), Impress (presentations), and Draw (drawings).

Creating a Writer template is easy. First, create the template as any other document in Writer, without adding any text but defining all the other elements of the document: the page size and margins, with settings for headers and footers; the styles for the text, with character and paragraph formatting; etc. Once all the details are in place, you can save the new template, using File > Save As > and choosing ODF Text Document Template (OTT) from the drop-down menu. You can choose any folder, but the best option is to save the new template in the Templates Folder, which you have defined in Tools > Options…, as in this case the template will show up every time you choose New > Templates… > Documents.

After you have saved the new template, you can make it the default for all the new text documents by going to File > Templates… > Documents, and then right clicking on the document icon and selecting Set as Default. This is especially handy if you have a preferred layout for your new documents, based on your personal preferences.

Interesting article on REPUBLICWORLD.COM about LibreOffice Writer Keyboard Shortcuts, which – according to the editor – help to improve the usability of the software:

However, it becomes highly important to know LibreOffice shortcut keys to create content faster. LibreOffice shortcut keys also help a user use the medium more effectively. If you want to learn how to use LibreOffice shortcut keys, here are some of the many essentials to know to be able to use the software more effectively.

Shortcuts are based on the English keyboard, but many works also with other keyboard layouts:

F2 – Formula Bar
Ctrl+F2 – Insert Fields
F3 – Complete AutoText
Ctrl+F3 – Edit AutoText
F4 – Open Data Source View
Shift+F4 – Select next frame
F5 – Navigator on/off
Ctrl+Shift+F5 – Navigator on, go to page number
F7 – Spellcheck
Ctrl+F7 – Thesaurus
F8 – Extension mode
Ctrl+F8 – Field shadings on / off
Shift+F8 – Additional selection mode
Ctrl+Shift+F8 – Block selection mode
F9 – Update fields
Ctrl+F9 – Show fields
Shift+F9 – Calculate Table
Ctrl+Shift+F9 – Update Input Fields and Input Lists
Ctrl+F10 – Nonprinting Characters on/off
F11 – Styles and Formatting window on/off
Shift+F11 – Create Style
Ctrl+F11 – Sets focus to Apply Style box
Ctrl+Shift+F11 – Update Style
F12 – Numbering on
Ctrl+F12 – Insert or edit Table
Shift+F12 – Bullets on
Ctrl+Shift+F12 – Numbering / Bullets off
Alt+Arrow Keys – Move object.
Alt+Ctrl+Arrow Keys – Resizes by moving lower right corner.
Alt+Ctrl+Shift+Arrow Keys – Resizes by moving top left corner.
Ctrl+Tab – Selects the anchor of an object.

Ctrl+A – Select All
Ctrl+D – Double Underline
Ctrl+E – Centered
Ctrl+F – Find and Replace
Ctrl+Shift+P – Superscript
Ctrl+L – Align Left
Ctrl+R – Align Right
Ctrl+Shift+B – Subscript
Ctrl+Y – Redo last action
Ctrl+0 – Apply Default paragraph style
Ctrl+1 – Apply Heading 1 paragraph style
Ctrl+2 – Apply Heading 2 paragraph style
Ctrl+3 – Apply Heading 3 paragraph style
Ctrl+5 – 1.5 Line Spacing

There is a larger list of LibreOffice Writer Keyboard Shortcuts on SHORTCUTWORLD.COM, and a full list on LibreOffice Online Help.

LibreOffice Impress is a valuable presentation software, with plenty of advanced features. One of the most liked by skilled presenters is the so called Presentation Screen, which shows the current and the next slide on screen, and the notes. It helps the presenter to maintain the rythm of the presentation, and to remember the details of the talk.

According to LibreOffice default configuration, the Presenter Screen shows only if the PC is connected to two displays. For some people this is a feature, for some others this is a bug. In fact, it is possible to launch the Presenter Screen instead of the Presentation Screen (full screen image of the slide), by following these instructions:

Open Expert Configuration via Tools > Options > LibreOffice > Advanced. Search for StartAlways. You should get the node org.openoffice.Office.PresenterScreen with line Presenter. Double-click that line to toggle the boolean value to true.

Once you have restarted LibreOffice Impress, when you launch the presentation either by hitting F5 or by choosing Slide Show > Start from First Slide, you will not only open the Presenter Screen but you will also launch a virtual Presentation Screen (which can even be shared or captured, if you are speaking at a virtual conference or recording a webinar or a talk).

Thanks to my fellow OSI BoD member Elana Hashman for suggesting the contents of this Tip & Trick with this blog post.