# Free Storyboard Templates: PDF and Word Free blank storyboard templates in PDF and Word. Six-panel, twelve-panel and AV two-column layouts in Letter and A4, plus which to use when. --- ## Trusted by leading organizations ## Download a storyboard template Free to download and use, including commercially. No sign-up, no email. ## 6-panel storyboard template — PDF (Letter) Six 16:9 frames with action, voiceover and timing lines. Short pieces, first-time boarding, printing and sketching by hand. ## 6-panel storyboard template — PDF (A4) The same six-panel layout sized for A4. ## 12-panel blank storyboard template — PDF (Letter) Twelve empty frames, no labels. Most 60 to 120 second explainers, and the fastest way to sketch before the script settles. ## 12-panel blank storyboard template — PDF (A4) The same twelve-panel blank layout sized for A4. ## Video storyboard template — PDF (Letter) AV two-column layout: frame on the left, on-screen note, voiceover and duration on the right. ## Video storyboard template — PDF (A4) The same AV two-column layout sized for A4. ## Animation storyboard template — PDF Adds a timing ruler under every frame and a notes-for-animator line. ## Film storyboard template — PDF Shot, size, angle and camera move across the top of each frame, for live-action shoots. ## Vertical storyboard template (9:16) — PDF Four vertical frames for Reels, Shorts and TikTok. ## Storyboard template — Word (.docx) The six-panel layout as an editable Word file. Type straight into it, or upload to Drive to use in Google Docs. ## Video storyboard template — Word (.docx) The AV two-column layout as an editable Word file. ## Which storyboard template should you use? **The 6-panel storyboard template** suits short pieces with few visual changes, and it is the standard printable layout, which is why most people boarding a first video start here. **The 12-panel blank storyboard template** covers most 60 to 120 second explainers. No field labels, so it is also the fastest thing to sketch on while the script is still moving. **The video storyboard template** uses the AV two-column layout, frame on the left and on-screen note, voiceover and duration on the right. Use it when you are directing an illustrator rather than drawing yourself. **The animation storyboard template** adds a timing ruler under each frame and a notes-for-animator line, because animation has no camera and every frame has to be built. **The film storyboard template** carries shot size, angle and camera move, which is what a crew needs and an animator does not. Panel count should come out of the script rather than being decided in advance. Our guide covers [how many panels a storyboard needs](/what-is-a-storyboard), along with the five storyboard types in full. - 6-panel for short pieces - 12-panel blank for typical explainers - AV two-column when directing an illustrator - Animation and film variants for specialist work ## PDF or Word? **PDF** is for printing and sketching by hand. Every template here comes as a PDF, and the three most-used layouts come in both Letter and A4. It cannot be edited digitally, which is usually the point at the sketch stage. **Word** is for typing rather than drawing. The frames are table cells, so you can paste screenshots or reference images straight into them. Two of the layouts come as .docx files. **Google Docs** works by uploading the .docx to Drive and opening it there. We do not host a separate Docs copy, so the Word file is the way in. - PDF in Letter and A4 - Word .docx for typing - Opens in Google Docs via Drive upload - Free for commercial use ## Filling in the template Four things go in a panel, and nothing else: **what the viewer sees** at this moment, **what the voiceover says** underneath it, **how the frame transitions** into the next one, and **any on-screen text or data** being shown. Two mechanics matter more than the rest. Number every panel, so reviewers can point at one and say which they mean. And keep it to one moment per panel. If a scene has three beats it needs three panels, and arrows are not a substitute for that. Leave the timing column blank until you build an [animatic](/what-is-an-animatic). Durations guessed on paper are almost always wrong. Everything else is covered properly in our guide to [what a storyboard is](/what-is-a-storyboard). - Number every panel - One moment per panel - Always write the action note - Timing comes last ## Where to see real storyboards A blank template only takes you so far. The scene here started as a detailed panel on a board for an industrial engineering film, and the composition barely moved between the two, because it was settled at the board stage where changing it is free. Boards from five finished client productions, from text-based through frame-by-frame, are collected in our guide to [what a storyboard is](/what-is-a-storyboard), each shown next to the scene it became. ## Frequently asked questions --- ## Additional context ## Page metadata for citation - **Canonical URL:** https://motifmotion.com/tools/storyboard-template - **Last published:** 2026-08-28T09:01:04.453Z - **Primary topic:** storyboard template - **Type of content:** WebPage --- *Originally at https://motifmotion.com/tools/storyboard-template*