Hi All
We are looking at ways to create printable PDF forms with fill-in fields that customers can fill-in, print and then send to us via post.
At the moment, we are having to create 2 or 3 versions of the same form in different programs to make these available either in PDF, HTML or Word.
Our publishing team creates the form in Word so that there is a printable version. We then PDF them, add fill-in fields and add to our website. This enables customers to fill in the PDF and print, then send to us via snail mail.
In some cases, we then create an InfoPath version which is added to our Sharepoint website so that customers can submit an online form.
Is there a way that we can create a PDF (using Adobe Acrobat) to keep the functionality of the fields in the PDF? This would mean we wouldn't have to open the PDF and add all the fields back into the form.
An Acrobat form essentialy needs to be done in another application like Word or InDesign etc. and exported as a PDF. The form fields are added to the PDF in Acrobat. You could start with a blank PDF page and add the form fields to it using the borders and frames of the fields themselves to define bounderies etc. But this is not the ideal solution for real workable forms (I have done this before) but I wouldn't recommend it. To make changes to a form layout you would do this in the orginal authored Word or InDesign form then make a new PDF and instead of redoing the form by adding fields again you simply open the interactive form and use the Replace Pages features to replace the old static/background elements with the new PDF. The form field stay in place and all that is need is to reposition any fields that may have shifted due to changes in the new PDF.
Basically making interactive forms the Acroform (Acrobat) way involves two steps. 1) Author the form in some application. 2) Build the interactivity in Acrobat. If you were to build forms using Adobe LiveCycle Designer then you are combining those two steps into one. In LiveCycle Designer you build static elements and interactivity at the same time. To make any kind of change you simply open the form in LiveCycle Designer and make the changes. LiveCycle Designer is a Windows only application but the resulting PDF forms can be opened in Adobe Reader on both Mac and PC platforms. You can only edit LiveCycle Designer forms in LiveCycle Designer. Only PDF forms produced with LiveCycle Designer can be truly dynamic which means that form fields can expand to fit more data and any data blow will move and reflow down the page and even onto new pages.
StevenD