Keeping your company’s presentations on-brand shouldn’t be a full-time job. If you’re sick of chasing down rogue fonts and clashing slide decks, this is for you. We’ll walk through how to set up and actually use Livepreso templates so even the least design-savvy person on your team can build sharp, consistent presentations—without you policing every slide.
Whether you’re in marketing, sales ops, or just the unofficial “presentation person,” this guide cuts through the fluff. You’ll get the steps, some honest advice, and a few “don’t bother” warnings from someone who’s seen too many PowerPoint disasters.
1. Understand What Livepreso Templates Actually Do
Before you start clicking around, get clear on what templates in Livepreso can and can’t do.
What works: - Locking in your branding (colors, logos, fonts). - Setting layouts so slides look consistent. - Controlling how team members can (and can’t) edit slides.
What doesn’t: - Magically making ugly content look good. If your team drops in terrible screenshots, a template won’t save you. - Fixing bad copy or out-of-date info. That’s still on you.
Ignore the hype: Templates aren’t about “empowering storytelling.” They’re about making sure your presentations don’t look like a ransom note.
2. Prep Your Branding Assets
Templates are only as good as the ingredients you put in. Gather these before you start:
- Logos: Get high-res, preferably in PNG/SVG. No blurry JPGs.
- Brand colors: Hex codes or RGB. Don’t guess—check your brand guidelines.
- Fonts: Make sure you have the right files and licenses. Livepreso supports web fonts, but check what’s available.
- Approved images/icons: If your brand uses certain stock photos or icon sets, have those ready.
Pro tip: Make a quick checklist. If you skip this prep, you’ll end up redoing your template later.
3. Build Your Master Template in Livepreso
Here’s where most people try to get fancy and make things worse. Keep your first template simple and build from there.
a. Start with a Blank Template
Don’t be tempted by “fun” starter templates unless they actually match your brand. Start from scratch or the most boring layout—this gives you full control.
b. Set Up Your Slide Masters
- Add your logo: Top left or bottom right—pick one spot and stick to it.
- Apply brand colors: Set background, accent, and text colors. Use your official palette, not what “looks good to you.”
- Choose your fonts: Set them for headings, body, and any footers. Don’t mix and match unless your style guide says so.
- Default layouts: Build out 4-6 basic layouts (title slide, section header, content, image-focused, etc.). Resist the urge to make 20 “just in case.”
What to skip: Don’t bother making custom layouts for every department or use case (yet). You’ll just create confusion and more maintenance work.
c. Lock Down What Matters
Livepreso lets you “lock” elements so users can’t move, resize, or delete them—use this feature:
- Lock the logo and footer details.
- Lock brand colors for backgrounds and text.
- Lock font styles on slide masters.
Let users edit titles, main content, and images, but keep the structure tight.
4. Add Placeholder Content and Guidance
Don’t just hand people a blank slide and expect magic. Use placeholders and notes to steer them in the right direction.
- Placeholder text: Add “Insert headline here” or “Add supporting bullet points” so people know what goes where.
- Image placeholders: Show the recommended image size and crop.
- Tips: A short line like “Keep this section to 3 bullets max” can save you hours of fixing slides later.
Honest take: Most users ignore detailed instructions. Keep guidance short and visible, not buried in side notes.
5. Test Your Template with Real Users
Don’t skip this. The only way to know if your template works is to hand it to someone who’s never seen it.
- Pick a few colleagues from different teams—sales, support, whoever actually builds presentations.
- Ask them to create a real deck using only the template, start to finish.
- Watch for these problems:
- Can they find the layouts they need?
- Are they able to mess up the branding? (If so, tighten those locks.)
- Is anything missing, confusing, or just annoying?
Pro tip: Sit in the same room (or a live call) and watch what they do. You’ll spot issues you never thought of.
6. Roll Out the Template to Your Team
Once you’ve ironed out the bugs, share the template with your team.
- Give clear instructions: Where to find the template, how to use it, who to ask for help.
- Set expectations: Make it the default for all new presentations. If you let people pick and choose, you’ll be back to chaos in a month.
- Offer a quick walkthrough: Seriously—five minutes saves dozens of “how do I…” messages later.
What not to do: Don’t just dump the template in a shared folder and hope for the best. If you don’t explain it, people will revert to their old habits.
7. Maintain and Update Your Template
Templates aren’t “set and forget.” Schedule a quick review every 3-6 months:
- Check for branding updates (new logo, color tweaks, etc.).
- Ask for feedback—what’s working, what’s not.
- Update layouts if you see recurring “workarounds” or requests.
Skip endless versions: Avoid having “Template v3 Final FINAL” floating around. Stick to one main template and sunset old ones.
What to Watch Out For
1. Over-customization:
If you try to make a template for every single scenario, you’ll just create confusion and extra work. Start simple; add only what gets used.
2. Unlocked elements:
If people can move or delete key branding elements, they will. Lock everything that matters.
3. Ignoring the feedback loop:
If people are constantly breaking your template or making ugly slides, don’t just blame them—your template might be too rigid or confusing.
4. Forgetting about mobile/tablet:
If your team presents on different devices, double-check how your template looks outside of desktop.
Keep It Simple (and Actually Use It)
Templates should make your life easier, not harder. Don’t obsess over perfection or chase every new feature. Start with the basics, get feedback from real users, and keep things up to date.
Consistent branding isn’t about pixel-perfect slides—it’s about everyone looking “on brand” without thinking about it. Build a Livepreso template that covers the essentials, teach your team how (and why) to use it, and spend your time on the work that actually moves the needle.
Keep it simple, fix what breaks, and be ready to tweak as you go. That’s how you get consistency—without becoming the presentation police.