Technical documents are often created using preformatted templates, which are readily available in Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, and other word processing programs. Templates allow you to create...

Technical documents are often created using preformatted templates, which are readily available in Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, and other word processing programs. Templates allow you to create sophisticated, attractive documents quickly and easily. But this ease of use can restrict your options to change or customize a design for a specific audience and purpose. In groups of two, consider the heart surgery brochure described on the first page of this chapter. Find a few brochure templates and compare your findings to the design principles presented in the Strategies boxes (pages 139–140 and 144). What are the pros and cons of using a template for this situation? How much are you able to manipulate the template’s settings? For example, can you change an all caps heading to upper- and lowercase? Can you change the colors?