Adobe FrameMaker (2019 release)
Click here to see this page in full context

Create a document

Learn how to create a document in Adobe FrameMaker from a blank document or a template. Learn how to set the direction of the document (Left-To-Right/Right-To-Left).

FrameMaker provides several templates upon which you can base your documents. Alternatively, you can choose to use a template defined by your organization or create a blank document.

By default, FrameMaker documents have a .fm extension.

Use a template to create a document

Learn how to create a new FrameMaker document based on a template.

You can create a document using a template. Your organization may have predefined templates for different types of documents. Choose File > New > Document to create a new document.

Do the following to create a document based upon a predefined template.

Unstructured Templates

To create an unstructured document from a standard template:

  1. Click Explore Standard Templates.

  2. In the Standard Templates dialog, select a template. For example, User Guide—Legal.

  3. Click Create to create a document based upon the selected template.

    Note: Optionally, click Show Sample to preview the document in a new document tab. This option closes the Standard Templates dialog. To return to the dialog once you’ve viewed the sample, select File > New > Document > Explore Standard Templates again.

  4. Add content to the document.

Structured Templates

To create an structured document from a structured template:

  1. Click Explore Structured Templates.

  2. In the Structured Templates dialog, select a template. For example, Business—Memo.

  3. Click Create to create a document based upon the selected template.

    Note: Optionally, click Show Sample to preview the document in a new document tab. This option closes the Structured Templates dialog. To return to the dialog once you’ve viewed the sample, select File > New > Document > Explore Structured Templates again.

  4. Add content to the document.

To choose a custom template

  1. Navigate to the document that you want to use as a template for the new document.

  2. Click New.

Right-To-Left Template

To create a Right-To-Left document from a Right-To-Left template:

  1. Navigate to the Templates folder ($FMHOME\Templates).

  2. Click on the RTLTemplate.fm file.

  3. Click New.

  4. Add content to the document.

Note: This creates a blank document with its direction set as right-to-left.

Create a blank document

Learn how to create a blank document in FrameMaker with the default template.

You may want to start with a blank FrameMaker document if you’re defining a template for your organization or team.

  1. Select File > New > Document.

  2. Specify the basic page layout:

    • To create a standard one-column document, click Portrait or Landscape.

    • To create a document with custom page size, columns, column margins, and pagination settings, click Custom, specify the required values, and click Create.

      You can also select a measurement unit for the document. FrameMaker displays measurements in dialog boxes and in the document window’s status bar in the selected unit.

  3. Add content to the document.

Set the direction of a document

FrameMaker allows you to author documents in both left-to-right (LTR) and right-to-left (RTL) scripts (such as Arabic, Hebrew, and Farsi). You can change the direction of the current document at any time.

To change the direction of the current document do the following:

  1. Choose Format > Document > Direction > Left-to-Right to switch the document direction to Left-to-Right.

  2. Choose Format > Document > Direction > Right-to-Left to switch the document direction to Right-to-Left.

The position of the insertion point changes based on the direction of the document.

April 29, 2020

Legal Notices | Online Privacy Policy