There are documents we create over and over again. Invoices, estimates, emails, or simply files we keep using without changes and want to replicate. That’s why it’s extremely common to put together a reference file we can copy and paste. To avoid the risk of overwriting that original file, our Mac offers a very practical, yet little-known feature: Template. With just one click, we can turn any file into a template and make sure that each time we open it, a new copy is created.
A built-in macOS option to avoid overwriting files
The template option has been around in macOS for years, though it’s largely flown under the radar. It works by telling the app that opens the file to create and open a copy instead of opening the original. This way, we avoid the risk of unintentionally modifying the template. It’s a much more convenient way to work than having to duplicate files manually or use “Save As…” every time we deal with repetitive documents.
Turning any file into a template is really simple. These are the steps:
- Open the Finder app and locate the file we want to turn into a template.
- Right-click on the file and select Get Info. Alternatively, press Command (⌘) + i.
- Check the “Stationery Pad” box in the General section.
- Close the Info window.
From that moment on, every time we open the file, macOS will automatically create a copy with the same name followed by “copy” and open that new file ready to use, keeping the original intact.
From Pages, Word, or Excel documents to Photoshop templates or HTML/CSS code, the ability to turn a file into a template is incredibly useful. One more among the many somewhat unknown options—such as rotating, trimming, and annotating files without opening them, reviewing and restoring previous versions of a file to recover anything, or defining which apps open certain files— that make us much more efficient in front of the Mac.
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