Design templates are created based on your requirements. The design templates, known as Mediaflow base templates, with the file extension .mfdt, that have been approved by you are placed in the system folder Design Generator > Approved Templates.
To make design templates available to other Mediaflow users, copy the template to a folder that is accessible to all users or a specific user group. Design templates can also be deleted like any other file in the system via the right-click menu.
Folders for Design Templates
In most cases, one or more Mediaflow users in your organization manage the proofreading process with our specialists. In your Mediaflow account, those with the necessary permissions can manage the system folders for the Design Generator.
Design Generator: This is the root folder for the Design Generator. No files should be placed here.
InDesign Documents and Files: Upload InDesign documents and other files in this folder. These files serve as a reference for the Mediaflow Design Template team when programming new templates.
Templates for Approval: A proofreading folder for base templates that need to be tested and approved during the proofreading process. If you use the templates within Mediaflow, any design templates saved from a base template or a saved design document will also be placed here.
Approved Templates: This folder contains the base templates that have been approved by you.
Uploaded from Design Templates: If your templates include an image selector that allows users to upload images from their own devices, those images will be stored in this folder. This folder can be emptied without affecting the Design Templates
ℹ️ System Folders for the Design Generator
The system folders for the Design Generator cannot be renamed, moved, or shared in a portal. To use your design templates, copy them into the relevant folders within your folder structure.
Working with Design Templates in Mediaflow
There are several ways to manage design templates and optimise your workflows. By creating different template variants, you can tailor designs to specific needs and projects. To streamline proofing and collaboration, you can create working copies of templates and easily share them with colleagues.
To edit a design template, double-click on it. Within the template, you can easily add text and images, either directly in the template or in the right panel. From here, you can save changes to your document (a design document), download an original, share the document for proofing, and create a new variant of a design template.
Save as a Design Document or a New Design Template (Save As)
In Mediaflow, you can use two types of Design Templates to streamline your workflows. In the base template created by our specialists, you can save changes in Mediaflow as either a design document or a variant of the base template (New Design Template).
A Design Document
To save your ongoing work, choose to save a Design Document.
❇️ Example of a Design Document
You have ordered a general poster template. You create a draft for a marketing event and save it as a design document. The design document can be placed in a shared folder in Mediaflow for colleagues to access, or sent by email for proofing assistance.
Design Documents can be created from a base template or a new design template (see below). The advantage with a Design Document is that it can be edited and saved over time. When you have filled in the text and selected any images, click Save as design document to name it.
The Design Document is saved privately (visible only to you) under My Files in the folder Saved design documents but can also be shared with other Mediaflow users by moving the document to shared folders.
You can see and revert to previous versions of the Design Document. (It can also be shared via a link to non-Mediaflow users from within the document.) A Design Document has the file extension .mfdd, which can be used to search for these file types.
Design Documents cannot be displayed in a media portal even when placed in a shared folder. For this purpose, you create a new design template as described below.
A New Design Template
If you want to create a variant of a base template, choose to create a new design template.
❇️ Example of a New Design Template
You have ordered a general poster template. You then create several design templates based on the base template for different purposes, which you save and share with your organisation in a media portal.
When you have filled in texts and chosen any images in the design template, click Save As, select Save as Design Template, and name the design template.
The design template is saved in the shared folder Design Generator>Templates to be approved, after which you can move or copy the file. You can make the design template available in a media portal even if the base template is already there as a variant with a different starting point. A design template has the file extension .mfpd, which can be used to search for these file types.
Download a PDF or an Image (Download File)
When you have finished editing a design template, you can download an original as a PDF or image file. The file options available for download are programmed into each template and may vary from template to template.
ℹ️ Always Save Your Changes
We recommend that you always save your changes as a design document so you can revert to your draft. Otherwise the changes you made to the document will be lost when you close the web browser window.
Save Changes in a Design Document (Save)
For design documents, you can also save and revert to previous drafts. As soon as you make a change in a design document, the Save button lights up, and you can save the changes as a new draft. An overview of the document history can be found by clicking Document History, which appears when there are previous drafts.
In the overview, you can see which users have saved the design document and any comments. You can open previous drafts by clicking Open. Even if you open a previous draft, you can always return to later drafts of the design document. The list updates every time it is displayed without needing to reload the browser.
ℹ️ Facilitate Traceability
We recommend that you add a comment to the new draft when saving so that it becomes easier to get an overview of the changes made.
Share Design Document (Share as link)
It is easy to share design documents with people who are not Mediaflow users but need access to review or edit. Click the Share as Link button and fill in the recipient's email address and message.
The recipient receives an email from the Design Generator and can access the design document via a link.
ℹ️ Only possible to Edit and Download
Note that everyone with access to the link can edit the document and download the file, but they cannot share it further. (In that case, they need to be Mediaflow users.)
Images in Design Templates
For design templates where users can insert images, there are several options to choose between when creating the design templates with our specialists. You can have preset images, the ability to choose from a number of preset images, choose images from folders in Mediaflow, or upload your own from your computer.
Choose Images from Mediaflow
Typically, users choose images from Mediaflow, but only those you allow to be displayed in the Design Generator. You grant access to the images by giving the Design Generator access to different folders. There is a group for the Design generator, initially called Design Templates. Add the group under Access for the folders you want to be available in design templates.
All allowed images become available in all your design templates that have the option to insert images. Users can crop the image freely, and a warning about potential low resolution helps ensure quality. Note that GDPR settings and other restrictions may affect the visibility of individual images in your templates.
Upload Images from Computer
If you allow users to upload images from their computers into design templates, these are saved in Mediaflow, in the folder Design Templates>Uploaded from Design Templates. You can clear the folder as needed.
Publish Design Templates in a Media Portal
Design templates are often created for use by many in an organisation. With a Media Portal, you can easily make both design templates and selected files in Mediaflow available. To publish a template in your portal, copy the template files to the desired folder that is visible in the portal. While the design templates function the same way in a media portal as they do inside Mediaflow, the process for saving and sharing documents differs slightly between the two.
Settings for Folder access for a folder containing Design Templates