Key Takeaways
- Pages includes nearly 100 great-looking templates for quick document creation across a range of categories.
- Users can easily create and customize their own templates in Pages on a Mac (and use them on any device, from the “My Templates” section of the template picker).
- While not as feature-rich as Word or collaborative as Docs, Pages is a great tool for quickly creating stylish documents.
There are some good reasons to pick Pages over Docs, and most would agree that Google’s word processor is often the better choice. But when it comes to creating something that looks good in a flash, Pages might just have the edge.
Pages Has Nearly One Hundred Templates
The real standout feature for anyone looking to add a veneer of polish to a document in as little time as possible is the collection of templates that Apple bundles with Pages. There are nearly one hundred templates to choose from spanning a range of categories.
Templates are ready-to-go documents that you can quickly customize with your own text. They use a set of predefined styles and color schemes throughout in order to keep your document looking consistent and smart. You’ll be asked to pick a template when you first create a new document in Pages.
These templates are the same whether you’re using Pages on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad. The interoperability of Apple’s office platform is a great reason to use Pages in the first place, but templates make document creation even easier.
What’s more, these layouts are polished and, in my opinion, look a lot better than what’s included in the Google Docs template gallery (above). One upside of Pages being so much less popular than Google’s web-based word processor is the fact that people are less likely to recognize your template in the wild.
Pages templates can simplify common word processor tasks like writing letters, school reports, essays, and resumés. On top of this, there are templates for more creative endeavors like flyers and posters, book covers, newsletters, stationary like postcards and invitations, certificates, and brochures.
For many, Pages will automatically add details like your name and address (as long as it’s up to date in Contacts) and the current date. Other fields you can simply click or tap and start writing, or paste your text right in.
Create Your Own Templates Too
On top of some ready-to-roll templates, Pages also makes it easy to create your own templates. Once you’ve come up with an outline that you like the look of, head to File > Save As Template (on a Mac) and give it a name. It will be saved in the “My Templates” section of the template picker and pushed to all of your devices.
Pages is arguably easier to use than Docs when it comes to less orthodox layouts. Pages has a huge range of shapes included, and creating text boxes is slightly more straightforward (Docs hides this under the diagram tool). To really get creative use the Format > Arrange > Text Wrap drop-down to select “None” so that you can place text boxes in creative places without ruining your document’s layout.
You can even use the existing templates as starting points, customize them with your own colors and images, and then save them as modified versions of your favorite templates.
To do this, first make changes to the various text classes within your document using the “Format” box (like Title, Header, Body), and then make sure you click “Update” in the field to update the styles throughout your entire document. Once you’ve got your template looking the way you want it, use File > Save As Template.
You can also create your own templates in Google Docs, and these basically take the form of regular documents that you must roll out time and time again. You’ll need to be careful that you create a copy of your template every time to avoid overwriting it by mistake.
Apple’s Friendly Word Processor
Pages isn’t shooting for the moon in terms of features like Microsoft Word, nor is it as accomplished as Google Docs when it comes to collaboration. But that doesn’t mean it should be written off, either. You can download Pages free for iPhone or iPad or Mac.
Pages has its place in the Apple ecosystem. Give it a shot the next time you need to quickly pen a letter or spruce up your resumé.