Table of contents
1. What are templates?
Frontify supports three template types:
• Digital: Built for flexible, ongoing editing, allowing pages to be reordered, duplicated, deleted, or copied between templates. Digital templates can be created from Figma, Sketch, or converted from InDesign print templates. Best for marketing assets, presentations, social media, and digital campaigns.
• Print: Built for professional print production, with PDF presets, InDesign export with changes, bleeds, crop marks, spreads, and CMYK color support. Created from InDesign. Best for packaging, brochures, and editorial layouts.
• Motion: Adds lightweight animation on top of the digital workflow, created from a single Figma frame. Best for display ads, social campaigns, and other animated marketing assets.
Note: All InDesign imports start as print templates, but can be converted into digital templates at any time. You can learn more via Understanding Print, Digital and Motion templates.
2. Prepare your templates
If templates are part of your Frontify plan, you can import import designs from Figma, Sketch, or InDesign into your Template Library.
Learn how to prepare your templates:
Converting print templates to digital
If you create templates using InDesign, you can convert them into digital templates directly in the template editor. Converting unlocks page management capabilities (reordering, duplicating, deleting, and copying pages across templates).
On the print template you want to convert, open the three-dot menu.
Select Convert to digital template.
Choose how to proceed:
Create a digital duplicate (recommended): Keeps the original print template and creates a new digital version.
Convert this template: Replaces the current template with a digital version. This cannot be undone.
Click Create duplicate (or confirm conversion).
Key considerations before converting:
Print-specific features: Converting removes print-specific capabilities such as CMYK color profiles, bleeds, crop marks, spreads, and PDF presets. If you may need print output later, always create a duplicate first.
Color handling: Colors are automatically converted to RGB estimates. We recommend checking and adjusting colors to match your brand standards before publishing.
Publication status: New digital duplicates are created as unpublished by default.
3. Upload templates and apply restrictions
Once your templates are ready, upload them to your Template Library. You can define which elements users can edit — and which ones should stay locked to maintain brand consistency.
Lock or unlock text, fonts, colors, and images
Click the lock icon next to each element to set permissions
Check out our step-by-step guide on creating a Template Library and managing template permissions for your users.
4. Share templates with users
After uploading and customizing your templates, you can make them available to others in two ways:
In Projects
In Brand Guidelines (using the Template smart block)
Learn more about creating a publication in this help article.
To add a template to your Guideline:
Add the Template smart block
Select the template from your Template Libraries
(Optional) Rename it, assign targets to limit access, or replace the template later by clicking on the content block settings
Changing the settings of your content block:
Your users will now be able to create and customize brand-consistent collateral independently — whether it’s for social media, print ads, or events.
5. Edit and export publications
Once users access a template (via Guidelines or Projects), they can make changes within the limits you’ve defined.
They can then export their work in various formats by template type:
Template Category | Source File Tool | Supported Export Formats |
Print templates | Sketch | PDF, PNG, JPEG |
Digital templates | InDesign, Figma, Sketch | PDF, PNG, JPEG |
Motion templates | Figma | GIF, MP4, HTML5 |
Publications can be used across channels — from social media and ad banners to billboards or event flyers.
In case you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our support team.
We hope you have found this article helpful.