Before you create any wireframes in Visio, it is a good idea to start by making a background page. Background pages are useful for creating stationery on which to build all of your wireframes. This stationery can include things like the date, your project name, your client’s name and any other information that you would like on every wireframe you make. Once you’ve created this stationery, you can reuse it any time you make wireframes.
To make a page into a background, follow these steps:
- 1. Open a new file
2. Go to File > Page Setup
3. Select the Page Properties Tab
4. In the “Type” radio buttons, select "Background"
5. Enter a name (e.g. Stationery) so that you can reference it later
And that’s it! This page is now a background page.
To use the background on other pages:
- 1. Insert a new page in the file (Insert > New Page…)
2. In the "Type" radio buttons, select "Foreground"
3. Enter a name for the page
4. In the Background dropdown menu, select "Stationery" as the background.
Now the page will look like your background page. You can add other elements freely without disrupting the background elements.
Another great application for Visio backgrounds is when you are using the same page structure on a few pages. For example, the navigation bar of a web site might be basically the same across all pages. You can create a background page with the navigation bar. You can even nest background pages so the Stationery is a background for the Navigation page which is a background for all other pages. Now, if you change a label in your navigation, you only have to change it on the Navigation page and it will be reflected on all other pages that use it as a background.