Template library
Document templates built for cross-suite compatibility
In short
Most free templates drift when opened in another office suite because they rely on fonts the reader may not have, custom shape layers, or volatile spreadsheet formulas. Ours are built with common system fonts and explicit table column widths, which are the two design decisions that keep a document looking the same after it changes hands.
1. The rules these files are built by
We build these ourselves using the same open-source libraries (python-docx,
openpyxl) that we use in our test lab. Three rules keep them portable:
- System fonts only. Calibri, Arial, Segoe UI, Georgia. Using a brand typeface guarantees font substitution on any machine without it installed.
- Explicit table column widths. Auto-fit columns recalculate based on the host application's font engine, which is where columns mysteriously change width. Explicit points hold.
- Zero macros. Every calculation is an ordinary cell formula. A file carrying a macro triggers security warnings and breaks on mobile.
2. Current collections
Contractor invoices
DOCX, XLSX
Single- and multi-page layouts with repeating table headers and simple arithmetic. No macros.
Project budgets
XLSX
SUM, SUMIFS and percentage formulas only. No volatile functions, no external links.
Scope-of-work proposals
DOCX
Two-column task tables with explicit column widths so they do not reflow between suites.
Free freelance contractor invoice template (DOCX) →
3. Sample file: contractor invoice
Our standard contractor invoice layout is available directly from the site as a reference file so you can test how your own suite handles it:
Download sample contractor invoice (.docx, 37 KB)
4. Why free templates break in alternative suites
The internet is full of free templates that look professional in the thumbnail and fall apart in use. The failure is almost always one of three design shortcuts:
1. Brand fonts
The author designed in a modern typeface (Inter, Montserrat, Avenir) that comes with their computer or their subscription. The reader's suite substitutes Arial, character widths change, lines wrap one word earlier, and the last row of every table ends up on a blank second page.
2. Unconstrained tables
Columns left on "automatic" resize according to the reader's default margins and text engine. On a narrow screen or slightly different margins, the narrowest column collapses to single-letter lines.
3. Formula functions that only one suite has
Formulas that use bleeding-edge Excel functions (or legacy regional quirks) fail with
#NAME? on any suite that has not implemented them yet. A budget that cannot
add up its own columns is worse than a blank sheet.
5. Pre-send checklist for your own templates
- Save as standard .docx or .xlsx — not a legacy .doc, not a template-macro .dotm.
- Select all text and check the font name. If it is not Calibri, Arial, Georgia or Segoe UI, change it before sending.
- Set every column width explicitly in table properties rather than dragging the borders by eye.
- Open the print preview. If the last page has three lines of text and a signature block, pull the top margin up by 5 mm to keep it on one sheet.
Opens the official WPS site. The free build opens DOCX and XLSX files with no licence needed.
6. Sources
- Files generated with python-docx and openpyxl, verified in WPS Office 12.1.2 Free.
- ISO/IEC 29500 strict OpenXML compliance.