That link suggests modifying the default page style, which I did. The problem is the settings are not saved. When I open a new document it reverts back to the original settings of A4 paper and 0.79" margins. How do I make the settings permanent?
I agree that the LO interface is often confusing - and I do not say that because I like the M$ way, because I loath that even more, most of the time. I have used a great many text editors and word processors over the years, and trained others in their use. Some were clearly easier to use with a more intuitive interface than others: LO is neither the best nor the worst I have experienced. And I still miss some of the functionality I used to take for granted in WordPerfect.
mariosv: no, you can’t find the answer in that thread. That threads is about setting the defaults for an existing document - not setting the defaults for new documents one creates. I had that frustration myself.
The trick is to follow the instructions here:
https://help.libreoffice.org/Writer/Changing_the_Default_Template
Except for the “File - Templates - Organize” bit. Instead, you have to follow the instructions here.
Yes, the documentation is inconsistent in LibreOffice.
I’ve tried both methods - neither works…
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The first link worked for me. Great, thanks
I have never seen a word-processing programme so utterly counter-intuitive and loaded with glitzy junk.
Does anyone working at/on/with/by - Libre Office, know what the world “Default” means? It means those settings and/or conditions that will apply universally … not just to “this” particular document.
And why should it be so immensely complicated to change the default?
If you go click on the styles logo, you get a drop list with “Default” at the top. Right click on that gives a pop up uption of “modify” … Duh… “modify default” …to a NORMAL person that would mean exactly that… but nooooooo not to the wizards at Libre Office
If people spent more time trying to understand the needs of REAL writers instead of trying to come up with whiz bang kewl and nifty glitz, the wp. might actually be good… one day… maybe…
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Why do NONE of the setting dialogue boxes have an option to "set as default’ in LibreOffice Writer? It takes an hour to paste a picture into a word processing document without the picture covering up the text, and / or slam up against the text with no space around the picture. It is then necessary to go into the settings of each and every pasted object / picture etc and click off “allow overlap” and to add a fraction of centimeters of space around the picture so that the text is readable. NONE of these changes can be made permanent so that we have to re-do them every single time.
This is a carry over, in fact from Microsoft Word’s disastrous creation of “documents” based on abstractly conceived templates, rather than pieces of writing, so that you set things as you go along and make them permanent if you want.
This program gave me SO much hope; but it is a disastrous frustrating horror once you begin trying to use it in the way people who teach or write need to.
I think you can find the answer in this thread:
As a real writer needing to create text, poetry and manuals I do find it helps to understand how the Office system works, especially faced with the change from one system to another.
I find it useful to set the LibO /File/Printer Settings/ to the default printer desired. The defaults for creating documents are held in the Templates. The default in the default template which includes page size, default font settings, language etc. I then have others for writing a letter, creating a book of poetry, scientific text etc. Set them up once and away you go. Again, the manuals are invaluable. LibO is a large function rich system which does not fit everybody. However, you do need to understand the basics before one thinks one could do a better job…Peter
What rot and nonsense, petermau. The usability in LibreOffice is so often broken and counter-intuitive that deep familiarity with the kinks of the existing system are probably a barrier to thinking up a better user interface. For example, you seem to think that this is about choosing default printers, when it is actually about getting the page size right every time. These are two different things. Your immersion in the flaws of LibreOffice have caused you to confuse the two.
“However, you do need to understand the basics before one thinks one could do a better job…” is wrong for another reason, petermau. All you need is experience with an alternative system with a better UI to see how counterintuitive the LibreOffice way is.
ha ha ha. really,
There is this one word, this one magical word that makes all the little problems on libreoffice seem very very small. FREE .
besides my experience says there is always a workaround. its a matter of persistence.
" it is actually about getting the page size right every time"
Yes, and as already explained this is a function of the template used - as in pretty well every other word processing package.
“an alternative system with a better UI” Do you mean the terrible ‘ribbon’ interface Microsoft introduced into their office suite? - or perhaps the old WordPerfect or similar?
The libreOffice UI is only ‘counter intuitive’ if you have acclimatised yourself to the awful quirks of Microsoft word. Why, for example, was page formatting under the ‘File’ menu when all other formatting was (more or less) under the Format menu? Why, if you made a minor change in a paragraph based on a style was it considered ‘a better UI’ to list that in the styles dropdown as another style?
Personally, I switched from MSOffice to the early German Star Office, and its successors exactly because it had a more sensible UI - and UX.
*The libreOffice UI is only ‘counter intuitive’ if you have acclimatised yourself to the awful quirks of Microsoft word. *
Seriously, how deceitful, defensive and pathetic does one have to come out with a sentence like that? There have been times where I have found LaTeX more intuitive than the LibreOffice UI.
Hey, normanLinux, mate: if you want LibreOffice to succeed, perhaps maybe admitting to some of the flaw in the product would help with fixing it. Projection only makes you look bad.
Yes, it is counter-intuitive in many places. And the Template management area is particularly confusing. Apart from the interface issues, you can put a new Template file into the Templates directory and it does nt appear on your list of available Templates …
So, the default page size should be changed in the default page template. It might seem counter intuitive to some users who would think it would be in the Tools/Options dialog box, like so many other default options. But once you know this, it should not be a problem.
Except that looking at the Default Style in the Page Styles list shows that the default page size is A4, although creating a new document creates a Letter size page. Of course! How stupid am I! I naively believed that a new document would have been using the Default Page Style. It doesn’t. It uses the First Page template, and this has a different format. As some say, you just have to learn the Libre Office way of thinking. And do not forget it’s free.
I agree that stupid free is better that stupid paying. But still stupid. Don’t be mistaking. I am not ranting. Just explaining why Libre Office will never succeed. To succeed while thinking that what is better for you is better for everybody, you need much more commercial power that Libre Office will ever have.
This is a fair point: the Default Page style is a misleading name for a particular page style in the current document, and changing the current document does not change the default template - but this is not obvious to many people, and LO does not make it clear. The whole Template management area is a complete mess with obscure functionality grouped in odd ways - which does not encourage people to explore and learn. And it is not clear how to contribute and make it better in this area.
HOW TO CHANGE DEFAULT SETTINGS
First, check your current templates. Select (left-click) “File” (from the menu bar at the top of your screen) > Select “Templates” (top of the drop-down menu) > Manage (small pop-up window). A window will appear listing your current templates. Do you see any duplicates or templates that you do not want? If so, left-click on any template that you do not want and it will then be highlighted and a menu will appear under a “Documents” tab. > Left-click on [Delete] > [Yes] (to confirm delete) > When you are done deleting and/or editing templates click on [Close]. Everything goes away.
Remember that File > Templates > Manage will take you to a list of all your templates. By left-clicking on any template it will be selected/highlighted and the following menu will appear under the tab “Documents”. “Open”, “Edit”, “Properties”, “Set as default”, “Move to folder”, “Export”, and “Delete”.
Now to change your default settings, open a new blank document.
If the margins are not what you desire to be your default, then follow these steps. Select (left-click) “Format” (menu bar at the top of your screen) > Page (from drop-down menu) > Page (a tab) > Under the heading “Margins” change the margins to your preferred settings > Apply > OK
If the font and font size is not already what you want as your default, go to the menu bar at the top of your screen and change the font and/or font size to your preferred settings.
[Step 1 of 3 in short: Open a new blank document and set the margins, font, and font size for your new default page.]
Now left-click on “File” (menu bar at the top of your screen) > Templates (drop-down menu) > Save As Template (small pop-up window). In the large pop-up window that then appears, click on “Save” (located immediately below the “Documents” tab with a green down arrow on the left side of “Save”) [Note: A pop-up may appear asking you to select a folder in which to save your new default template.] > Name your new template (in the small pop-up window that now appears) > OK (everything closes)
[Step 2 of 3 in short: File > Templates > Save As Template > Save > Name your new template > OK]
Now left-click File again (menu bar at the top of your screen) > But this time select New (at the top of the drop-down menu) > Templates (at the bottom of the next drop-down menu) > In the pop-up window that appears, select (left-click) the new template that you just created. [Note: If the new template that you just created appears in a folder, then double-left-click on the folder and then left-click on the template.] A menu bar appears under the “Documents” tab. Left-click on “Set as default” in this menu bar. > Close (everything goes away)
[Step 3 of 3 in short: File > New > Templates > Select your new template > Set as default > Close]
Done! From now on when you click on the “New” icon in the menu bar a new blank document will appear with your preferred margins and font style.
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It does not work. I’ve gone through this process now at least 3 times. But it does not save the new settings. I have followed both options – i.e. create new template and save it; as well as opening a new file, making changes, and saving as template. I would like to think I am an expert user – doing word processing since first version of WordStar.
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