How to Start from a Template (and Re-Style a Finished Project in One Step)

TL;DR

The template picker shows real rendered previews of 31 built-in templates. Apply one to a whole project, one page or just its colours, and your captions and screenshots stay. Save your own project as a template and share it as a .appshotstpl file.

The problem

You have the screenshots and the copy and no design. Starting from a blank canvas means making a dozen decisions about colour, type, spacing and where the device sits, and most developers aren’t designers. Or you have a finished set and your brand changes, and re-styling twelve pages by hand is a day’s work.

What the templates are

There are 31 built-in templates, grouped into categories such as basic, panorama, showcase, copy-led and branded, plus store-asset templates (App Store event, header and search) and platform-specific ones that appear for Mac, iPad, Google Play and Watch.

Each one carries its own colourway, fonts and device colour, and sits on a painted background that matches the palette. The picker shows real rendered previews, with sample apps on the screens, so you’re choosing from what it will look like.

Steps

Start a project from a template

  1. Create a project and choose a template from the picker.
  2. Add your screenshots and replace the sample copy.

Re-style an existing project

  1. Open Apply template.
  2. Choose the scope: Whole project, a single page, or colours only.
  3. Apply. Your captions and screenshots are kept. Press ⌘Z to undo the whole change in one step.

Make your own

Any project can be saved as a reusable template, and exported or imported as a .appshotstpl file to share with a teammate. See saving a reusable template.

Tips

  • Pick a template that suits your content, not just your taste: a copy-heavy template for apps that need explaining, a showcase layout for visual apps.
  • Try “colours only” if you like your layout and just want a different mood.
  • Don’t switch template after translating. Applying keeps text, but long translations may need a re-check. See translating captions.

FAQ

Will applying a template overwrite my text? No. You can re-style the whole project, a single page, or just the colours, and captions and screenshots stay.

Can I undo it? Yes, with one ⌘Z.

Can I make my own? Yes. Save any project as a template and export or import it as a .appshotstpl file.

The app AppShots →