Make a portable creative CV before buying another subscription
Build a focused one-page CV with an editable source, checked typography and a PDF you can inspect before sending.
One readable CV PDF, the editable ODT source and a small folder of font licences and approved links.
Start with what a reader needs to decide, not a premium template. This manual workflow uses LibreOffice Writer and an optional openly licensed font from Google Fonts. The visual is a fictional FreeStack layout example, not a real applicant, provider screenshot or tested export. Sources checked 16 October 2026.
Free boundaries before you start
Source checks for this workflow. These notes clarify older catalogue summaries; they do not change your saved toolkit.
LibreOffice · checked 2026-10-16
Free desktop office suite with no licence fees for personal or business use; MPL 2.0 core with separately licensed components. Writer supports local editable documents and PDF export; no subscription or numeric export quota indicated. Embedding permitted fonts can improve source-file portability and increases file size. Professional support and third-party templates are separate.
No hosted account is part of the described local document workflow. The checked FAQ offers direct free downloads and optional donations.
Google Fonts · checked 2026-10-16
Public downloadable font files carry family-specific licences, mostly SIL OFL 1.1 plus some Apache 2.0 and Ubuntu licences. Inter's included OFL expressly permits embedding, subject to its conditions; the font licence does not apply to documents made with it. Check the chosen family rather than assuming every downloadable font has identical terms.
Public repository font downloads do not require an account; no paid subscription is indicated.
A small example to aim for
Riley James
Independent brand designer · portfolio link
Selected experience
Brand direction · packaging · web design
One relevant project
Describe your role, the deliverable and evidence you can support.
Skills & contact
A small, relevant selection. One clear next step.
Editable source.
Checked delivery.
creative-cv-v1.odt · your working copy
creative-cv-v1.pdf · inspect before sending
Check page count, links, characters and text order. Keep the font licence separately.
FreeStack example output · illustrative, not a provider screenshot or a tested export.
Jump to a step
Write the job your page must do
Choose one target role or kind of freelance engagement. Draft your name, useful contact route, a short positioning line and two or three relevant examples of work. For each example, distinguish what you did from any team contribution. Use results only when you can support them. Keep a longer private evidence document for material that does not belong on this version. One page is the exercise’s constraint, not a rule for every application.
Choose a restrained type system
Start with a font already installed if it is readable and licensed for the intended use. If you need a different family, download one from the official Google Fonts collection, inspect its included licence and install it through your operating system. Test the actual names, punctuation and any required language characters. Keep a copy of the font licence with the project; downloading a font does not remove its embedding or modification conditions. One family with a few useful weights is enough for this exercise. Inter is one example with a supplied SIL OFL 1.1 licence; check the exact font files you use.
Build a page that is easy to revise
In Writer, use a single main text column with clear section headings, consistent spacing and real text rather than a flattened image. Give recent relevant work the most space and remove repeated claims. Use descriptive portfolio-link text and test the destination. Save an ODT working copy before exporting. Check the document’s page count at a readable type size; cut less relevant content before shrinking everything to force it onto one page. If transferring the editable file, Writer’s font-embedding options can help, subject to the selected font’s permissions and file flags.
Export a delivery file, then inspect it
Use Writer’s Export as PDF options and reopen the actual PDF. Check that the file contains one page, links point to the intended work, characters render correctly and no comments or draft notes were included. Try selecting and copying a paragraph to a plain-text editor, then inspect the reading order. Compare on a small screen as well as at normal size. These checks can expose mistakes; they are not proof of accessibility conformance or compatibility with every recruitment system.
Keep the source and pay for a specific gap
Save the PDF and ODT with a date or version, along with the source links and font licence. Before sending, check the recipient’s requested format; if they request DOCX, export a separate copy and inspect it in their intended workflow. FreeStack editorial upgrade triggers: pay for a specialist service only when a concrete requirement remains unsolved, such as a managed review process, repeated localisation work or a required delivery format you cannot reliably produce. A decorative template alone does not require a recurring membership.
Your workflow, connected.
Follow the steps and carry the output into the next stage. These are suggested handoffs, not automatic integrations.
- 02Check the typography
Optional: keep an existing suitable font if it already meets the brief.
Font choice + licence
Provider information
Check current plans and documentation before committing to a workflow.
A couple of useful questions
Do I need both tools?
No. Writer is the document editor. Google Fonts is optional when the fonts already available to you do not fit. Save this toolkit keeps tool links in your private FreeStack stack through the existing sign-in flow; it does not store your CV files.
Is this guaranteed to pass an applicant tracking system?
No. Use the requested format and inspect text extraction, but do not treat this manual check as a benchmark or guarantee. Avoid unsupported claims that one template will work everywhere.
Should I include a photo or every project?
Only include material relevant to the application and appropriate for its context. A portfolio link can carry fuller visual work. Check permissions before showing confidential client material.
Why retain the ODT file?
It is the working source for later edits. Sending a PDF does not remove the need to keep a separately backed-up editable copy.
What would you try?
Share your result or ask a specific question about this workflow.
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