Overview

Templates enable you and your teammates to ship project variations without losing design consistency. They can be used as a starting point for new project files that you’d like to continue editing OR as an export generator for outputting unlimited variations of a project without having to open the Editor.

Use Templates in conjunction with Variables to set up a powerful, easy-to-use internal tool for your Design System.

Creating a Template

You can designate any project as a Template as long as it meets the following conditions:

• The project is in a Workspace folder

• The project has not been published as a Library

Once a project meets both conditions above, it can be set as a template in one of the following ways:

1. Project settings menu: Use the “Set as template” action

2. Variables Panel: Click the Template icon button at the top of the panel

3. Workspace project dashboard: Right-click on a project card; use the “Set as template” action.

When you set a project as a Template, it will immediately transition into a template for you and your teammates. Templates are signified with an orange icon in the Workspace.

Using Templates

Templates have the same access permissions as the project they originated from. This means anyone who previously had access to the project can access the template.

Whether someone opens a template via a shared link or the Fable dashboard, they’ll see a simplified Editor interface that features only the Variables panel.

Variables and Templates

Whatever project variables were configured on the original project will be displayed on the Variables panel on the Template. These variables will also have the same variable constraints.

You can adjust template variable values and see them update in real-time on the canvas. If you’d like to reset variables to their default values, use the “Reset” button at the top of the Variables panel.

Exporting From Templates

Templates are most efficient when used on projects that need only a few copy or asset changes. In these scenarios it’s much quicker to adjust a couple of fields and trigger an export rather than opening up all the layers of a project and finding the properties you need to adjust.

You can trigger an export from a Template the same way you trigger exports from a plain Project.

1. Click the Export button in the top right

2. Click the + button to add an export configuration

3. Select your export options and export name

4. Click the Export button

5. Once your export finishes processing, download the export from the export panel

All exports triggered from this template will be listed on the export queue, making it easy to access your teammates’ downloads or to audit how your teammates are using the Template.

Exports take into account any variable overrides you’ve set on the Variables panel, meaning you can create unlimited variations by simply updating the input fields on that panel prior to triggering an export.

Creating Copies With Templates

Sometimes, you need to make more adjustments than a simple copy or asset swap. In these scenarios, Templates can be used to generate project files instead of exports.

To make a copy, click the “Make a Copy” button at the top right. The project copies will be added to your Drafts folder with the variable overrides applied.

Editing the Template Source

Editing the template

Project editors can update the template for everyone in the workspace.

1. Open the template

2. Open the project settings menu

3. Click the “Edit source project” button

Any edits you make to the project, including changing the default variable values, will be updated immediately for anyone using the template.

Removing a Template

If you no longer need to use a project as a template, you can return it to a plain project state.

You can do this by clicking the “Remove as template” button found in one of two locations

1. Project settings menu

2. Right click menu on the Workspace project dashboard

Additionally, Templates can be deleted just like any other project.