Create and use page templates in Pages on iPad
Every page in a page layout document is linked to a page template. When you add a new page to your document, you choose a page template, then you can add your own content and edit it in other ways. In addition to blank page templates, many book templates also come with pre-designed page templates that you can edit. Changes you make in your document don’t affect the page template.
In Edit Page Template view, you can create and design new page templates and modify existing page templates.
Add a new page template
To create a new page template, you duplicate an existing page template, name it, then modify it. Any pages that are linked to the original page template aren’t affected.
Tap
, turn on Page Thumbnails, then tap the document to close the options.Tap the thumbnail again, then tap Edit Page Template.
Tap
at the bottom of the screen, then tap a page template you want to use as a starting point.Type a name for the new page template, then tap Done at the top of the screen.
Modify the page by adding, deleting or editing text, placeholders, images, shapes and other objects.
For more information, see Edit a page template, below.
Tap Done at the top of the screen to return to the document.
Edit a page template
When you edit a page template, any changes you make are applied to all pages that use that page template.
Tap
, turn on Page Thumbnails, then tap the document to close the options.Do one of the following:
If the page template is used in the document: Tap a page thumbnail that uses the page template you want to edit, tap it again, then tap Edit Page Template.
If the page template isn’t used in the document yet: Tap
at the bottom of the screen, then tap the page template you want to edit. Tap its thumbnail, then tap Edit Page Template.
Do any of the following:
Rename it: Tap the page template thumbnail, tap Rename, then type the new name. Tap Done at the top of the screen.
Modify existing design elements: Remove any design elements on the page or select an object, tap
, then use the formatting controls to edit it. To learn how to change the background of a page template, see Change the page background.Add images: To add a placeholder image, tap
, then tap 
. Any image you add to a place holder in your document has the same size and placement on the page as the place holder image.Add text boxes: To add a place holder text box, tap
, tap 
, tap the Basic category, then tap Text. Select the new text box, tap , then use the formatting controls to style it: add a border, choose a size and font for the text, and so on. Any text you type in the text box in your document has the same style you applied to the placeholder text box.Set how headers and footers appear on the page: With nothing selected on the page template, tap
, then turn Show Header & Footer off or on. If you don’t want the header and footer to match what’s on the previous page, turn off Match Previous Page. Tap outside the controls to close them.If you don’t see these controls, or if they’re dimmed, first turn on headers and footers for the document and check the settings for the previous page.
Tap Done at the top of the screen to return to the document.
Rename a page template
Tap
, turn on Page Thumbnails, then tap the document to close the options.Tap the thumbnail again, then tap Edit Page Template.
If it isn’t already selected, tap the thumbnail of the page template you want to rename.
Tap the thumbnail again, tap Rename, then type the new name.
Tap Done at the top of the screen, then tap Done to return to the document.
Tag objects to simplify switching page templates
You can tag placeholder items (images and text boxes) on page templates to make it easier to switch page templates in your document. The tags “tell” the content where to go when you switch page templates for a page. For example, an image that’s in a placeholder with the tag “media” is automatically populated into a placeholder in the new page template that also has the tag “media.”
If you’re creating a new page template in a book template with pre-designed page templates, check the other page templates to see what tags they already use, then use the same ones or replace them with your own.
Tap
, turn on Page Thumbnails, then tap the document to close the options.Tap
, then tap Edit Page Template.Edit Page Template view opens with page template thumbnails on the left.
Tap the thumbnail of the page template you want to tag, then tap an object.
Tap
, then tap the Style tab.Scroll down, then tap Tag and type a tag.
When you’re finished tagging objects, tap Done.
Apply a different page template
You can apply a different page template to any page in your document. See Tag objects to simplify switching page templates, above, to learn how to tag text boxes and other objects to make the switch go smoothly.
Tap anywhere in a blank spot on the page (so nothing is selected on the page), or tap its thumbnail in Page Thumbnails view.
Tap
, then tap Page Template.If you don’t see Page Template, make sure nothing on the page is selected and try again.
Tap the page template you want to use.
Adjust the content on the page as necessary, to accommodate the new layout.
Re-apply a page template
If you make changes to a page’s format and later want to use the original formatting of its page template, you can re-apply the page template. Re-applying the page template won’t delete your content.
Tap
and turn on Page Thumbnails, then tap the document to close the options.Tap the thumbnail image of the page you want to change, then tap Re-apply Page Template.
Make any necessary adjustments to the page content.
Delete a page template
Tap
, turn on Page Thumbnails, then tap the document to close the options.Tap
, then tap Edit Page Template.If you don’t see Edit Page Template, make sure nothing on the page is selected.
In Edit Page Template view, tap the thumbnail of the page template you want to delete, tap it again, then tap Delete.
If pages in the document are linked to this page template, a dialogue appears. Choose a new page template for those pages, then tap Choose.
Tap Done in the top-right corner to return to the document.
Tip: When you copy pages between documents, any page templates used by the copied pages are also included.